Phal with 10 leaves... make that 11

[frostychic]

This will be my 3rd summer owning this phal. I rescued it from Lowes while it had one bloom left on it... then once that bloom faded it popped out another bud & I had this one bloom for about 2 months (outside under the shade tree in the elements even) ... actually, that bloom is my avitar photo.

Anyway, I have it in a wood slat hanging basket that a year and a half a go I decided to hang a little differently... it is hanging by just one corner of one of the 4 top hooks so that it hangs in a diamond shape.

The phal is doing really well. It's putting out oodles of new roots that I can see winding around the outside of the basket.

It is nearly finishing development of leaf #10 & just a day or two ago I see leaf #11 emerging

It still has a bloom spike that emerged last spring but fizzled out & bursted all the buds it produced. Other than the bloom I had when I brought it home followed by the next one on the same spike I've been unsuccessful at proucing anything but roots & leaves.

Maybe this fall I'll get lucky? Or maybe this summer still yet... some are summer bloomers right?

[mayres]

Sounds great! Where is the pic?

[Dido]

Please post a pic! I love seeing phals with many leaves.

[-k-]

I'm reading... aticipation building,
reading some more... anticipation building more...
Thinks page maybe isn't loaded completely yet
twidling fingers waiting for photo...

---Ahh--- No Photo...
Total orchid photo withdrawl....

Photo please!

[mehitabel]

Sounds like a lot of Doritis in it, especially if it is one of the darker pink flowers. Do you have a name for it? Also, what is the flower color?

[Fishmom]

Originally Posted by -K-

Total orchid photo withdrawl....

Perfect! Too funny!

[frostychic]

Ut-oh... I'm sensing a little (no... alot) of anxiety here. So here ya go!

Just for all you photo junkies out there


1st photo is where & how it normally hangs.




3rd photo see a nub that looks like a bloom spike?


4th photo I love the way the root is “squeezing” out between the slats.


5th photo, not sure what happened to the newest leaf on the left as we’re looking at it.


6th photo… root shot


7th photo… hard to get a good shot showing all the leaves (wow… excuse the water spots, sweat bee, spider webs & tree “trash” that is showing on this Phal in these photos).


8th photo… another angle of all those leaves… growing in crazy angles because the plant is growing as if it is hanging off the side of a tree/branch. I’m holding it upright for a better photo.


9th photo is of this Phal in the position it has been hanging for the past year & a half. See how it is tilting up toward the light? I love watching the quirky ways that they grow.

[PhalNewbie89]

Thanks for the photos. I wish I could grow my chids like that. I would love to have a plant naturally mounted like that.

[frostychic]

PhalNewbie... it was really quite simple. I'll bet you could do it to. I'm in Southern Indiana ... not that far from Murray, KY really so you can likely grow yours outside as I do mine from late April (sometimes gotta bring 'em in at night that early in the spring though) right into October (again, I have to start bringing them in at night sometimes & then back out during the day... can become a little time consuming if you have very many that need that kind of treatment).

All I did was plant the Phal in the basket in the upright position. It grew like that for approx. 1 summer (lots of roots out & looped around the slats). I just got kinda "tired" of looking at it the way it was so one day I tested it to see how well it would "hold" on it's side... seemed ok so I went with it.

I think I might have put a little stress on the plant when I initially turned it to it's side... stress for a few months of weight pulling on the roots rather than sitting. It seems to be ok with it's position in life now though.

[-k-]

Phew... photo's at last!
Sweet...

That's a nice looking one! Talk about some serious leaf action! very nice

[PhalNewbie89]

Cool. I will have to try it with one of mine when I get some moss. I saved a basket from a little body wash/lotion set that I thought would work well for my plants.

Maybe I could set it up in a way that the roots could grow out and attach to the bottom of the basket before I decide to tip or hang in any way. :P

[Phalcycle]

Is it planted in Sphagnum moss?
I am planning to test this out, and was wondering when the moss rot, do you need to repot or is there sufficient air

[frostychic]

Originally Posted by Phalcycle

Is it planted in Sphagnum moss?
I am planning to test this out, and was wondering when the moss rot, do you need to repot or is there sufficient air

It's a mixture of spagh moss, bark, charcoal & a little perlite. I used this mixture inside the basket. However, after situating the plant in the basket with that mix, I used only spagh moss to fill in the basket slats (pushed it in from the outside).

When the moss that is in there begins to break down... I don't know what I'll do! I guess I'll have to cross that bridge when I get to it.

[frostychic]

Now... if I could just get this sucker to bloom again!

Leaves & roots are nice but I want some buds-n-blooms

[nenella]

Looks great!! just be patient it will flower...

[frostychic]

Thanks for the growing compliments

Does anyone think that I "potted up" to too large of a pot & maybe that's why so long of a wait for a bloom? I know that going into too large of a pot for some plants is an issue regarding blooms... not sure if this is true with orchids/phals.

[mehitabel]

I don't think your basket is too big-- you've got those nice roots growing on the outside. It's a big plant, too. The root showing has a good growing tip...

What that adds up to is expect a spike any time, probably this fall. I have had some phals that skipped a year before blooming-- guess they wanted a little more growth before letting go. When they finally did bloom, it was a lavish one.

[zaeem]

frostychic,

This is the laegest in phal. Ihave seen.Iwill shoot large spikes.good work.
zaeem