This is my happiest Phal, really kicking. My phone camera can NOT handle its colors. White and purple that's toward magenta.


The blooms are on 2 stalks. As I said a while back, when there were bud bumps starting to form, I nipped off the one at each tip and more branches formed - straight toward the window.

wow Tiffany that is pretty amazing! I started nipping the buds on mine too a couple branched out a couple did not. But with a 50/50 chance, I'm willing to try it now.

Also, is this one that you are growing in water? I am going to try rescuing phals again and grow them in water. My orchids are all growing outdoors now but I don't get to enjoy them. I miss having a blooming orchid in my master bedroom.

Some Phalaenopsis branch (even without sacrificing future blooms) and some never will - its genetics.

That's a nice looking orchid Tiffany

Thank you, Gigi, and Sherri! : )

I only sacrificed 1 bud and love the result.

Gigi, yes, in water. None of my Phals have any medium. 2 are ready to mount onto little potted trees as soon as I can commit to the placement.

I always feel like I need to repeat that I'm not recommending anything, just reporting on what I am trying and what has happened so far. But I do feel qualified to recommend not putting an orchid in an ugly "pot" like a 2-liter bottle because although tons of great roots grew, now the roots are attached to it and I feel like it will be very upsetting to it to be moved. It's also way too light and the heavy flower stalks are a lot of weight pulling to one side. I've tipped it over a few times but managed to not break the blooms - yet.

Can you add some rocks or gravel to weight the bottom? Or cut as much plastic off as possible without destroying roots? My usual choices are old canning jars - a little heavier but the roots still stick. They aren't coming out again.

I met a guy who was putting all his phalaenopsis in cheap glass bud vases he found at the thrift store. They looked great! Fast forward, the orchids filled the opening and he couldn't add water. He ended up breaking the bud vases off.

Cautionary tales!
I have one Phal looking happy and cute in water, but I'd be sad to break the vase one day.
One Oncidium in water has been slowly drying out, roots were really sad to begin with. It's done blooming, I'll either pitch it or pot it.

Who am I kidding? I'll pot it and give it summer.

Excellent suggestions, Lucy, thank you very much! I know it can be frustrating to those who are far down a path to watch people doing things that are going to need to be fixed later. I'm just one of those people who gets unorthodox ideas and strange curiosities.

Cutting off most of the roots is always an option too. All of my Phals are rescues that basically had to start over from a state of no roots, so that may be necessary at some point to undo something I've done. Just part of the fun for me, who would rather be doing something to a plant than just looking at them. Supposedly they were, in my mind, all going to be "mounted" on little potted trees by now, but that's so final for someone with plant commitment issues.

Good luck, Sally!

Pitcher Phal, nothing but enough water to cover the bottom of the pitcher when I notice it has dried. I was keeping more water but it's a pain to have to dump it out to prevent mosquito larvae so I decided it was easier to not put so much water that it can't dry up before the end of a week.


Before snipping the tippieest tip of each inflo.


After. Not noticeable unless you look very closely.


So happy with how this has grown. It was 2 leaves with no roots when it came home with me.


This developed a lot of rotted roots over winter so I cut all of that off and it has been recovering. I try to remember to get it wet at least every-other day. Somehow it has managed a bloom even though it is floppy and dehydrated. I think it's a mini, with foliage about half as big as the other Phals I have.

Tiffany I am getting back into the "house plants" orchids. I don't have house plants as I keep them all outdoors but I got me (well hubby paid for it) some orchids. I think I will try to revive my indoor orchid collection.





My outdoor phals are really happy so I will let them be but I need something inside especially during hot summer months.

Those are gorgeous!!

I LOVE anything with spots!

Thank you both and that new wide lip is beautiful. I'm glad that these are bark and not sphagnum moss and clear plastic pots. So I can actually inspect the roots. The roots look healthy.

And I snipped the tips just a tiny bit. Using this needle point pruner from a Dollar store.

3rd Phal is blooming, the "pitcher plant" with just a little water in an otherwise empty pitcher.



3 other Phals don't look like they are in the mood to bloom this time, and one has just finished, so they were put "on" this clump of Dracaena trees.
2 here:


2 here, 1 above the Tillandsia, 1 below.


And these put at the base. That's a reduction of 6 pots that needed a spot right by a window. This pot of trees gets a W window to itself for winter. If I can mist (spritz with a spray bottle until drippy wet) Tillys often enough to stay alive, I hope it will work for the Phals too.


They'll be incognito except when blooming.


Realized I can see this last Phal through the window from outside. It LOVES its setup so I'm not disturbing it now.

Forgot this pic. Vanda that will join the others when it is finished blooming. That will be 7 less pots.

charming little pitcher and pretty Phal

Thank you very much : )

I love the orchid pitcher pots too! And the orchid you have that you can see from outside. I am goin to start reviving my orchid houseplant collection. The ones outdoors are doing great!

Thank you verry much! : )

purpleinopp said: This plant is still not doing much, a few new leaves. I have put it in/on some Draceana trunks where I hope it will take root.

This orchid looks like it is OK with being put on the Dracaena trunk. The roots are attached to the tree in several places, some go down into the soil, and some are branching out with side shoots on old roots.



A clump of Dendrobium making 2 inflorescences.