Whays a good fertilizer? I know I should be looking for a 20-20-20 but does it have to be a spray? Or can it be a powder? If spray can someone direct me to a good one on Amazon? Thanks

You're going to get a lot of answers on this I expect. I use MSU - http://www.aos.org/orchids/add... it works great for me and is readily available on-line though it's not cheap. I buy Phals from Walmart when they go on clearance and MSU has really brought them back to life. I use the RO (reverse osmosis) formula as I have a little table top system that I use to make it.

Hello Alexp08, I just use a simple one. Miracle Gro Orchid Mist spray. It works for my Phals. Too much and too strong, there is a risk for root and leaf burn.

Hello Chris, here are my Phals in my hygrolon set-up:
Noid Phal #1



Noid Phal #2


Phal Baldan's Kaleidoscope currently starting to bloom for this year:

Those look great Tarev, thank you for posting. I see how the roots love the way you have it setup. Not crowded and they have plenty of space to expand upwards and outwards and the spike just hangs naturally. I wonder if I could make some kind of a rack out of PVC with multiple shelves that I could just line them up on? Using the Hygrolon I could possibly eliminate my humidity trays. Since the spike would hang naturally I wouldn't have to have a lot of space between each rack either. Maybe I'll sit down and see if I can come up with a quick plan for something.

[quote="chris1948"]You're going to get a lot

How do you use the MSU? Also with spray ones do you spray it on the leaves, flowers or potting media? Or all the above?

Also if i went with a powder, do I just sprinkle in on the top of the media? Thanks

I have the crystal form and use 1/2tsp per gallon of RO water then just pour in to a small watering can and water until I think it's enough. Make sure you water around the bottom and not the top else you might be looking at crown rot. As far as spraying/misting the leaves I use https://www.healthrangerstore.... and mix about 1/2tbs into a gallon of RO water and also add 1/2tbs of Epson Salts (just the kind you get in the grocery store, no need to buy the 'special kind' in the gardening center). I only mist the leaves with this mixture not the spikes or flowers. Depending on the temps in my greenhouse I may mist every couple of days or daily.

I can't give any advice about a power fertilizer, sorry.

@Alexp08 posted the following question into a separate thread, which I will now delete.

So I just pulled my phal out to repot and this is what I see


Alex, would you please only start a new thread if your post simply doesn't fit into any existing tread? Otherwise we will not find our way through this forum. Thanks.

I would love to look at those roots through a magnifier or microscope.

Jim

Hello Alexp08, if it does not feel brittle brown, it may still be okay. You can wash the roots a bit more, let it air dry. They do get into that color when growing far too long, compacted in bark media. Still looks hopeful to me, leaves seems still green and good. The thread like things is actually the real root with no velamen protection.

Did this plant bloom recently? It maybe in rest mode though, so be very careful it does not stay too soaking wet in whatever media you use.

tarev said:Hello Alexp08, if it does not feel brittle brown, it may still be okay. You can wash the roots a bit more, let it air dry. They do get into that color when growing far too long, compacted in bark media. Still looks hopeful to me, leaves seems still green and good. The thread like things is actually the real root with no velamen protection.

Did this plant bloom recently? It maybe in rest mode though, so be very careful it does not stay too soaking wet in whatever media you use.

Well i bought it from walmart for 2$ when the blooms were falling off a about a month ago, and I finally got pots to repot it. Most of the covers were pretty soft and not brittle but there were some brittle pieces that fell off.

Oh nice, rescue Phals! So I think the plant is in rest mode right now. So be very patient. In an ideal growing situation, after removing the bloomstalk, the plant will slowly redirect its energies to making new roots, then new leaves.

When you repot lay that plant on the media slightly tilted to the side/edge of your container, simulating its natural position when attached to branches of trees. That way if you do happen to spray the leaves some water it will not settle in the crown. Just trim off brittle root parts, those will be done for. It just takes awhile for the plant to acclimate, so have to emphasize the need to be patient. I don't apply fertilizer yet at this point till I see new active growth either roots or leaves.

Thanks for the advice. I sure hope it makes it as it was my first orchid.

On a different note, what would be the next easiest orchid to care for? I'm hooked and want to spread my wings from phals to another.

Alex, where do you live, which zone? Can you grow outside at one time or another?

I live in western maryland, so it looks like i am zone 7a, hard to tell from the map. I don't plan to grow outside at all. I am growing everything under artificial light. Cfl bulbs 5000k-6500k 23w, 1400lumens.

Alex, easy to grow will be quite a relative term, depending on your growing conditions. I find that after overwintering indoors, I really have to give the orchids a chance to be outdoors with lots of air and natural warmth around it, well except for my Phals, they will not stand our very dry and hot conditions here. So I keep my Phals indoors year round.

Different orchids, different lighting needs, temperature and varying watering needs as well. But for me, next to Phals, those from the Oncidium alliance is easier to handle, especially if one is prone to water often, these orchids likes to be on the moist side. But that will be quite a generalization, so many kinds inside the Oncidium alliance.

This is my rescue Phals from WM last year... It grew a new leaf (front) and a new root (rear) on an old root?

Hi Fiat, yup they do that at this time of the year. I always feel happy when they do that, shows it is happy and ready to do some good growing cycle! I especially like seeing new root growth, gets colorful too!

Here with another question. What media should I use for my mini phals. I currently have them in 2in pots and I'm using a fur bark mix, but with the roots and whatnot there is barely any room for the media. So should I switch to something like sphagnum moss for my minis or up them to a 3in pot?

Here are some of my rescues. Some have been going pretty strong for over 2yrs now. I've lost a couple and I'm down to 40 now, maybe 39 if I can't resurrect one with the kelp treatment I'm using.