OT- Orchids (Phalaenopsis)

[Dawn419]

You asked about fertilizer...Skip and I have been using SUPERthrive mixed with any orchid fertilizer (Shultz, Peters, etc) with positive results. We also use aquarium water (freshwater only) from water changes to water them...fish pooh is good stuff!

We've done our share, and then some, of rescuing orchids from WW and one thing we've noticed, unfortunately, is that they never really grow and thrive for us...they just kinda sit there until they finally give up and die.

We don't recall any of the WW rescues reblooming for us either. Skip suspects it is because their (WW's) plants are reproduced by meristem cloning (Technically, the actively dividing cell tissue taken from root tips and from the tips of new growths or floral shoots; sometimes loosely used to refer to the mericlone plant that is produced from the laboratory propagation of meristem tissue.) and that they have basically cloned them so much that the orchids are just poor quality because of it.

A cool thing about Phal's that have finished blooming...instead of cutting off the spent bloomstalk, leave it be for awhile. The bloomstalk just might produce keikis (Hawiian for baby plant).

One of our Phal's with three keikis...

Hope this helps and welcome to the madness! Orchid addiction ranks right up there with chicken addiction & we are living proof...

Dawn

 

[tnkinhunting]

I have phals and I am notorious for under watering so I use spagnum moss for mine with excellent results. They bloom well and grow great. I also use those little (sigh) plastic pots with lot's of holes in the bottom for drainage. I keep them on pebbles with water for humidity. I have never had root rot but here again - I water at most once a week. When the moss is dry, I water.

 

[dlhunicorn]

I would advise you to stay away from the spagnum moss as a direct planting medium though it can be used to pack around a pot so you dont see it in some cases but usually the humidity in a living room makes it unwise to use ...
Use the pots for pond plants...the orchid potting medium (very chunky) will not go out the slits of those pots...they are very cheap.
Put that pot on a rock inside a larger pot and keep that filled with water... that will help with humidity.
(I put rocks in it and spagnum moss inbetween so it is pretty and you dont see the (ugly) black plastic pond pot) ...
mist while in flower and when it is finished it will NEED a rest (dont water or elase just dunk it one every three weeks )
Orchids do NOT like tap water (especially when it is hard!)...so use rain water if possible.