Stephanie, watering frequency depends on the conditions where you have the plant and the potting media.
Conditions includes things like daily temperature range, humidity readings, amount of sunlight, how big a pot. How far from a window etc.
If you can describe where you have the plant in a bit more detail the indoor growers with local knowledge may be able to give better help.
Sometimes the patient may not respond to TLC and it is best to buy a new plant and start again.

Also, I have never seen nor heard of phals being potted in peat moss, so be careful you didn't make a mistake between peat and sphagnum...while they originate from the same plant, sphagnum moss is loose, stringy and sponge like, whereas peat moss is rotten broken down sphagnum which people use for moisture retention in soil, growing terrestrials and carnivorous plants
Peat will definitely rot most epiphytic orchids!

I have found that my plants do a lot better when potted in a bark medium, as opposed to the sphagnum moss... for me, the moss stays too wet for too long, and that can promote rot. In a zone 5 climate, indoors, I find that the more well-draining mediums work better for keeping roots healthy. I'd rather check and water more often than have the medium remain wet for too long a time.

Ok, so the orchid is planted in sphagnum, not peat. I actually bought peat first, but I took it back and got the moss. Its in my house, about 4 feet from my window. Its around 74 in here, but outside it gets down to around 40 at night right now. Maybe its getting too cold? Its in a 5" pot, and I have no idea about humidity. Normal house humidity? My other orchids aren't freaking out. This one just wants to torture m, evidently. My other orchids--one is in bark and one is in moss. Both are alive and doing just famously. However, I just bought one last weekend...haven't had ample time to accidentally kill it. Thanks! I really appreciate your help!

Hi Stephanie,

I had to read your previous posts to find out what was going on. For me personally, growing in zone 6 indoors, I find sphagnum very difficult to water properly. However, you did mention that you had another orchid in the moss that's doing fine so perhaps you do not need to change the medium.

I do think your orchid is too far from the window. My phals can take full direct sun from morning to 2pm this time of year...and they are pushed right up against the windows.

the 5 inch pot sounds a bit large for an orchid regrowing roots. I don't know how many roots you have left but make sure the pot size fits the root ball snugly. An unglazed clay pot would be better suited for orchids.

Although phals prefer more water than other genera, they are epiphytes and appreciate air around the roots. I have a recuperating phal in an empty clay pot, no medium at all. I mist it a few times a day and it's alive. So do not worry about not enough water, worry instead of suffocating roots.

So, do you think I should just take it out of the medium? And let it hang out in the air? Or should I put it in bark? There is still a large number of roots there, only a few had rotted. The main problem was that almost all of the roots were up wrapping around the base of the plant. So, I thought that meant the pot was too small. I can move it back if I need to. Its in a glazed clay pot with little holes cut in it. My husband bought me this orchid for our first Valentine's Day as a married couple, so I refuse to let it die without a fight! (I moved it under a grow light today, there was no sun until about an hour ago.) If I can figure out how to attach a photo of the little beast I will. Thanks!

If most of the roots are still there, don't worry about it. It'll be fine. Just give it a bit more light (4 hours of direct morning sunlight) and it should recover without problem.

I kill all orchids in sphagnum so I'd go with bark. LECA is my favorite but medium grade bark works just as well.

When you say the roots wrapped around the base, did they extend down to the bottom of the pot as well or were they all near the top of the pot? If there were no roots extending into the pot then that means the medium was too wet and the roots needed air so they grew at the top of the pot.

If you grow the phal on an eastern or south eastern windowsill (no more than half a foot from the window) in medium grade bark in a pot that snugly fits the root ball and water it every 4 -5 days, your phal will be fine. You'll just need to be patient and wait for recovery.

And I don't let any orchid die without a fight so I, like many members here, are cheering you on. Post back and let us know how the phal is doing.

Ok, I will stop an get some bark tomorrow on my way home from work. Is LECA a brand name or type? I'm not at all familiar with bark. The roots were up around the top of the plant. I was told at the area orchid society show last weekend that it was because the pot was too small. I will also move it from my living room on the west to my eastern facing window. While I have your attention, I have another phal and all her flowers have fallen off, there is evidence of new growth in a few places on the stem...stick...what do you call that? Do I just cut it right above the newest growth? And thanks for the help. I have no idea what I'm doing, really! :)

Here's some pictures:
http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk101/stephaniezlvt/DSC02032-1.jpg

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk101/stephaniezlvt/DSC02031-1.jpg

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk101/stephaniezlvt/DSC02030.jpg

What kind of bark should I use?

Stephanie,

Seems like there is an awful lot to learn, doesn't it :) but you are asking all the right questions.

Dragonkite is right about the light--within 6 inches of the window is good--but it is also good to be cautious about direct light. If a leaf feels more than comfortably warm when you put your hand on it, you will need to screen the plant during that part of the day with a semi-sheer curtain. As the sun moves (during the day or with the season) you can adjust or remove the curtain.

The bark that is generally used is Fir bark. Medium sized fir bark works for mature Phals. You can also mix it with sphagnum moss to make a Light fluffy medium. Both ingredients should be soaked, rinsed and drained before using. In addition, sphagnum is squeezed out and refluffed before use.

LECA is baked clay aggregate, used in hydroponic growing.

I'm with dragonkite about why the roots were up near the pot top. Phals like an airy mix and your plant was apparently keeping its "feet" out of a soggy bottom layer.

About the Phal in the pictures of your most recent post: The stick is called a "spike" or inflorenscence. When the flowers are spent, some cut the spike near the leaf axil where it came out. Others, who want to see if it will put out more flowers, cut the spike just below the mark where the lowest flower bloomed. Where the remaining spike stays green, it may put out an additional branch. There are little clasping leafish scales along the spike. When one of them begins to bulge, it is a sign that it is going to produce another branch or even a keiki (baby plant).

It is interesting that your other Phal (in the pictures) appears to be double--that is, to have two crowns.

With regard to watering, it is important to check the moisture in the medium before watering, rather than to water on a schedule, like every X number of days. You can use a wooden pencil (careful not to pierce anything) or your finger, stuck well down into the medium (2+ inches). If the medium is barely moist (Not damp), then it is time to water thoroughly and drain thoroughly.

Ok, ok; that's quite enough! Sorry to be so lengthy.

Sweetcicely

Wow. Ok, so I'll repot my white orchid in bark. I'll leave my others. They seem to be doing ok, so my plan is not to mess with a good thing at this point. I really appreciate all the advice you guys have given me! I feel like I'm never going to learn all this stuff!

Steph

...and it doesn't help the learning effort that I typoed the other word for spike :( Should be: inflorescence

Good plan, Steph.

Sc

Well, I called it a stick. Its finally sunny today! So my plants are all lined up like little kids in my windows! Hopefully that helps the sicky as well. Thanks!

Steph