Carol pointed out something that I never recognized until taking pics of my phal. today. I told her that I never worry about water getting on my plant and the plant was fairly large and healthy. She is sure that water should not remain in the "crown" of the phal. and if it does, it should be blown or wicked out. I have never done that and literally spray my plant wiith a garden hose regularly. Carol says the phal. will bend at an angle as it grows and this natural bending would empty out the crown when water gets in there.

Sure enough, when I looked at my 4 yr old phal. it is growing at an angle (bending). I guess that's why my watering technique doesn't "kill" it.

Also, I have read that you should cut the stalks off near the plant after blooming. I don't do that either. I simply cut approximately half way down the stalk and allow the rest of the stalk to remain. I get new blooming stalks from those old stalks and thus a lot more blooms each spring/early summer. Here are some pics of the phal. The plant is approximately 18-20" wide but probably only 6-8" tall from the bark line. New stalks are forming not only from the base of the plant but also from the old stalks. Hopefully, though some of the pics are out of focus, they are good enough to show this. This plant will be loaded with flowers next spring. Ken

No one ever tells you about Phals branching from old stalks. If you cut them just below the last bloom node, they will often send out a new branch. Apparently, this is not acceptable for show plants...they cut them all the way off and waaait for a new one to form. If you just want to enjoy flowers, cut just behind the last node, or as far as the branch has turned brown.

Thanks, Carol, that is exactly what I have done. I am not going to show this plant. The blooms are for my own pleasure.

This is the way I choose where to cut the stalk. After blooming, perhaps in a month or so, the stalk will die back a certain amount. It could be 2/3 from the tip or 1/2 from the tip, but the die-back portion will be brown and brittle. I just cut an inch or so below this die-back point. Not very scientific but it seems to work. I have three old stalks and there are at least one new branch on two of them and at least two new brances on one of them, plus the new stalk from the base of the plant. It looks like I will have a minimum of five blooming stalks in the spring. Should be a nice show! Ken

I love when I learn some thing new !!!! thank you

Ken, I can't believe your plants are already spiking! that's fantastic...mine are still trying to get motivated!

Perhaps my (single) plant blooms earlier than your Phals do. I know so little about the Phal in general. Heck, I have even been calling the flower spike a stalk :thumbsdown:. I will post some updated pics of the SPIKES in a week or two. By then I ought to know how many spikes I will have on this Phal.

Here's a queston for you Phal growers. At what point do you remove the old, bottom, yellowing leaves? I have several old leaves that are beginning to yellow and I have not touched them. Is it simply a matter of esthetics to cut them away or should you leave them until they are completely brown? Thanks. Ken

Ken, I take off any leaves that start to look yellow. If they rot instead of drying up, they could harbor fungal infection. People who show their orchids take off every leaf with the slightest imperfection, and it doesn't hurt the plant one bit, so I figure they probably know best.

As for the terminology, stem, spike, stalk, sheath . . . let alone floof and doodaflatchies. It's all Orchidese to me.

If you had the Phals outside after the nights cooled off, then brought them into the greenhouse, they may think it's spring, and that's why they're spiking already. Last year, we had just a few cold nights, and I brought my Phals into the house. Every one of them had a new spike within 2 weeks of the cold-to-warm experience.

Elaine, I think you have hit a home run. All my orchids were left out until the end of October-first week in November, and we went through several nights of mid to upper 40's lows and lots of nights in the 50's before I got them in. As of now, only the phal has spikes/sheathes. I now see eight spikes on her. She has two at her base and six on her old spikes.

I am going to cut away the yellowed basal leaves. Thanks for the advise. Even though she has not been repotted for at least two years, I guess this would not be a good time to repot her. Ken

Can't wait to see that baby bloom, she's going to be a sight to behold!

I'd definitely wait to re-pot until the flowers are all finished. She'll probably sulk a bit after re-potting then put on nice new growth through next summer.

I also grow phals, all of them indoors. So far this year, since I changed my watering method to dunking, the spikes have remained very green unlike before after blooming, the spikes immediately turn brown so I had to cut the spike off. These Phals are now totally without blooms, but with very green spikes, and is now attempting to make new buds at the tips. Only one Phal has so far remained in full bloom since I got it in October, have not done any bud blast, and looks so nice with its laden blooms, and still creating new buds at the same time.

Ken, I always cut the leaves off at the first hint of yellowing...they aren't going to turn back green!
I can't wait to see that one of yours in bloom! I had one last year that did a spectacular branching
thing...I was so excited...then mysteriously most of the buds blasted.

I know the leaves will not go from yellow to green But Cattleya continue to get energy from their spent pseudobulbs, and thus I leave the pseudobulbs on until they are really wasted. I thought that perhaps the Phal also got something from the older leaves. I am learning, bit by bit. I think I have posted the blooms of this Phal previously, probably trying to peg a name for her, but here is what she looked like late spring, 2012. I still don't know what she is. Ken

I would just write out a tag that says 'Phal. 'Beauty'
nice one!

such a lovely one it reminds me of my Phal that died out sadly after being in full bloom for 6 months... I just have photos to remind me of it..