| First of all, if you are new to the world of orchids I would recommend reading a few culture sheets/info pages from a couple of the sites on the internet (such as aos.org where they have both beginner and intermediate culture faqs) - there are many others that we can recommend too if you need further direction. Also a good inexpensive book may be of help such as Orthos book on Orchids which can be found at most big box type stores such as Home Depot, Lowes and others. Both of these will help you narrow down the questions you will have going forward. In the meantime I'll try to cover the most crucial basics the best I can - the most common way this type of orchid is killed is overwatering. When asking questions about watering it will be most important to know what your orchid is planted in (media). There are many types - some obviously require more water than others. Plants in bark require more watering than those planted in a media such as sphagnum moss. You can tell when the plant needs water in that it will be light (in comparison to a freshly watered plant) when you lift it up. The duration between waterings may be as little as 3-4 days and as long as more than two weeks depending upon media and environment. The amount of light a phal gets is also crucial - if you put it in an area where direct sunlight will strike the leaves it will quickly burn - if the leaves feel warm to the touch it is getting too much light. Air movement can help. Many phals that are "happy" will put out two spikes (one plant) - of course we all like this as well. Makes US happy! :-) Occasionally you will find orchid vendors who will sell pots with 2-3 plants crowded together like one plant and a spike coming from each - but in general not. There are a host of possible reasons for your buds/flowers fading so fast - many may not be your fault. Moving them from one environment to another stresses them and causes them to prematurely drop blooms. Normal bloom length is three months plus (hard to believe but true!). Temperature stress for even a few minutes can cause the blooms to quickly fade. Humidity stress (these plants want a humid environment) is also a factor. I have brought a phal to my office from a store and had all the blooms drop in two weeks. A plant that started blooming in my office has gone over three months without dropping blooms. Your plant will do much better if you bring it through the change of living with you and then its next bloom cycle it will probably last a long time if all other factors are to its liking. Hope this helps more than it hurts - do a lot of reading and keep the questions coming. Good luck - mike  |