Parade of Phalaenopsis

[Cjcorner]

I was supposed to be recovering from hip surgery about now. However, due to not getting cleared in time I am home enjoying the flowers. To my delight, my phals have done remarkably well this year. The only plant in bloom in the following pictures to come from a store, is the first plant. While I did well with mine, none are as perfect as the first. It came home with me a couple months ago and to my delight every single tiny bud made it.

[Cjcorner]

And a few more...





...I have nicknamed this one Big Red



This plant was so difficult I finally attached it to the outside of a pot and it finally took off. I have had it at least five years, this is the first blooming. I think it is some variation of Iwanagara Apple Blossom.

[sddivey]

And a few more...





...I have nicknamed this one Big Red



This plant was so difficult I finally attached it to the outside of a pot and it finally took off. I have had it at least five years, this is the first blooming. I think it is some variation of Iwanagara Apple Blossom.

Other than being difficult, what made you turn the pot upside down? That looks like an excellent solution for the ones with the urge to put roots outside of the pot. Think that would work for a phal? also how would your watering habits change? Sorry for the question brigade...I am a windowsill grower, I have a couple of candidates...wanted to pick you brain a bit. Was this one left out with those phals? I appreciate your ideas!!

[Cjcorner]

Other than being difficult, what made you turn the pot upside down? That looks like an excellent solution for the ones with the urge to put roots outside of the pot. Think that would work for a phal? also how would your watering habits change? Sorry for the question brigade...I am a windowsill grower, I have a couple of candidates...wanted to pick you brain a bit. Was this one left out with those phals? I appreciate your ideas!!

They grow and attach so well on the outside of clay pots...seemed like an easy way to hang as well by putting the hanger through the hole. There is also a second smaller clay pot inside. Layering the pots leaves open areas so roots dry out but give something to help keep them cooler. Clay pots hold water longer and when the breeze hits the wet clay pot it cools the air around it, keeping roots cooler and rot to a minimum.
Watering...if it's in a basket or hanging up it hangs on the edges of my vanda section where they get more sun, water and fertilizer. Since we live close to the coast some of these are watered twice a day...and yes even the cats and phals near the vandas get every day watering. My backyard is extremely sunny and I live about 1/2 mile from the Gulf of Mexico so my plants dry out fast fast. Green vanda roots well watered can go white in an hour or less. Watering more... you just have to make sure you spray for fungal and bacterial infections on a weekly basis year round and it's not an issue. I've seen a phal mounted onto a clay plate that normally sits under a clay pot. Orchid roots just love clay (and huge pieces of pine bark). Broken pots get stored and put throughout the baskets and into the bottoms of other pots. I also use those pieces to help make the plastic pots weigh more at the bottom to keep things from blowing all over the back yard.
I am glad I can share all this...I would color the world with orchids if I could. lol!

[sddivey]

I'm going to try the upside down pot idea, I received 4 catts that have grown out of the current pots, So I will cut off that part and attach to a clay pot...Also what do you think of lava rock vs pine bark for catts??? I have read a mix of opinions in the forums. I am in the Piedmont North Carolina, so my catts can play outside during the summer, but I would be bringing them in for the winter. would have to have a hanging area and lights- thinking out loud- love to receive suggestions!

[Cjcorner]

I'm going to try the upside down pot idea, I received 4 catts that have grown out of the current pots, So I will cut off that part and attach to a clay pot...Also what do you think of lava rock vs pine bark for catts??? I have read a mix of opinions in the forums. I am in the Piedmont North Carolina, so my catts can play outside during the summer, but I would be bringing them in for the winter. would have to have a hanging area and lights- thinking out loud- love to receive suggestions!

Lava Rock vs Pine Bark - It depends on the species used for your cattleya. If they like very little water (and I have used the lava rock made for putting around bushes) lava rock works great. However, with my growing conditions I have discovered if I use the cheap huge bags of pine bark normally used as mulch, my roots are bigger and grow like crazy the minute I transfer them into it. I dig out the really big pieces of bark and use them on the bottom and sides of baskets to keep smaller pieces from falling through the slots. As you dig through you can separate it easily into bags marked large, medium and then all the left over stuff at the bottom marked Phals and Oncids only as it will contain some peat like fine materials. If you plan on using this mulch for indoor plants I highly recommend spraying something in a hole of the bag, closing it for a few days and then using so the bugs die. Which since you bring them in every fall, you probably already do a spray before they come in. There are some plants that need more water, so you would want to maybe add stuff to the pine bark. But I even have a phal growing in the stuff. I bought "bulb pans" because I wanted to pot the phals with at most 6 inches of bark to reduce root rot and now need to find more of the bulb pans as they worked far beyond my expectations. I will include a few pictures of some catts and a phal in my bulb pan/basket and pine bark.





You can see I mixed this one with some lava rock chunks.

[78Terp]

Beauties! Love the 2nd Phal!

[JDT]

Well done! A good way to pass the time will recuperating.

[BigSteve]

Phal's 2 & 3 for me , all gorgeous .

[chingjervis]

Oh la la la! Beautiful as you connie.