Phalaenopsis pulchra

[camille1585]

Great looking flower, the color is stunning. What's your trick? I've had a pulchra for 3-4 years now, and it's done NOTHING. All my other Phals spike just fine. I've tried growing it with the other Phals, growing it in more light, growing it cooler in winter, growing it warmer... No luck.

[The Mutant]

Originally Posted by zxyqu

Yes mutant, Pulchra can have trichromes! Why the hate on a barely hairy lip. It's not like tetraspis or anything.
Great flower though. Has yours thrown and keikis? These guys tend to flower, keiki, the flower and repeat. Love them!

It's not hate, but closer to a phobia to be honest. I can barely look at pictures of Phals. with hairy lips. It creates problems for me since I can't buy some primary hybrids that I want...

I'll keep my little guy since I like it so much (love the shape of the leaves!) and it grows so well. Maybe it'll bloom one day. I have a Phal. Jennifer Palermo that's working on a spike, and if I'm unlucky, I'll have to sell that one too.

Originally Posted by Norris

Thanks for the nice comments

No Mutant don't sell it! Trust me, its well worth keeping. The hairy lip is barely noticeable because the lip color matches the petals... and besides I have a hairy lip also... does that make me less lovable?

I don't have something close to phobia against people with hairy lips (although I hope that it's not your actual lip that's hairy, but that it's located above or below instead, otherwise it might be pretty gross ).

As I mentioned in the reply above, I'll keep it and it might help me get over this hairy-lip-on-Phals-phobia.

[tucker85]

Very nice! Congratulations on the new buds.

[Phalchid]

Lol! Hairy lips?! I would take any bloom from my orchids any day! Love the color of your phal!

[Norris]

Originally Posted by camille1585

Great looking flower, the color is stunning. What's your trick? I've had a pulchra for 3-4 years now, and it's done NOTHING. All my other Phals spike just fine. I've tried growing it with the other Phals, growing it in more light, growing it cooler in winter, growing it warmer... No luck.

Camille, I'm sorry to take so long to respond to your question.

I'm really not doing anything different with this one than I am with all my other Phals... I put them all outside for the summer, and they all got plenty of morning light... some of them got too much during our latest hot spell... I have some with sunburn spots now... I do switch my fertilizing around between bloom formula and regular grow formula, so that probably makes a difference.

[camille1585]

I might have a dud plant, the growth habit is really weird too. It makes a lot of 'stem' between each leaf, and the leaves are rather small and round.

[Norris]

Originally Posted by camille1585

I might have a dud plant, the growth habit is really weird too. It makes a lot of 'stem' between each leaf, and the leaves are rather small and round.

Yes, that might be the case. Mine has small and round leaves compared to most of my other Phals, but the stem is like all the others.