Need help with growing phal bellina and violacea

[Autumn Child]

I love the phal bellina and violacea, and i have purchased a total of 10 phal bellina and violacea. I have killed four of them over the years and the six surviving plants barely alive. I have tried s/h, moss and bark. Nothing seems to work. I have also tried fertilizing and not fertilizing, mounting it on bark and growing it in plastic pots. grown it slightly dryer and weter, tried watering with RO and/or tap water. I have tried to keep it warm but i think still not warm enough. Grown it bright and in shade. Nothing seems to work. Winter temperature can reach up to 20C,most other phal species and hybrids in my collection seems to do fine in this temperature and adapt well to my growing method. Just the bellinas and violacea seems to sulk, producing small leaves and very little roots. It seems like the plant do not have the energy to grow roots and leaves.

I need advice on growing this species. what should i do with it?

[orchidsarefun]

I think the problem is that your temps are probably too cold. I grow mine on or near a heating mat and they all thrive.

[silken]

I only have one of these and when I grew it on a heat mat in winter it was happiest.

[Autumn Child]

looks like i got to crank the heat up for this phal. What is the optimum temperature for it to grow roots?

[orchidsarefun]

I don't know specific temps personally.
OrchidWiz says Violacea should be cultivated at 75f-85f at night and Bellina at 66-85f.
The heat mat increases the ambient temp roughly 10-15f and mine are happy. I think a heating mat is ideal because you can localise the temp increase as not all phals like it that warm.

[quiltergal]

Mine grow the best during the hot summer months. They don't do much in the winter when it's cooler, but if I grew them on a seedling mat they would do much better.

[Brooke]

I grow in a g/h and my winter temps are 60 degrees as the low. Many times I can go days without without seeing any sun and the temps with the heater running go from 60 to 62.

Here is Phal. bellina 'Highjack' HCC/AOS


Phal bellina 'Highjack' HCC-AOS JCL_0370 by kentucky4, on Flickr

Here is Phal. violacea - one parent was a blue and the other parent magenta.


Phal violacea Blue July 4th x Amazing Grace LUR_4347 by kentucky4, on Flickr

Here is another Phal. violacea seedling, first bloom last year.
Phal violacea JCL_1004 by kentucky4, on Flickr

They grow in under 1000 footcandles and probably would bloom better if I had better winter temps but they handle what I can afford to give them.

Whenever I have a Phal. species giving me trouble I mount them and they usually perk up and grow.

Good luck - Brooke