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kelby_miller

New orchid help

11 years ago

I just brought this orchid home and need help taking care for it.

What are some things I should do now I brought it home. Please help!



Comments (7)

  • 11 years ago

    Depends a lot on where you are in the USA. Low light orchid which needs a temperature range of approx. 60 to 90 F. Probably do nothing for now because it is still winter in parts there and the plant looks in great condition.

    Lots of past threads in GW . search for Phalaenopsis culture to find. Similar for google but be aware of where the notes are aimed. Frozen North? Canada? Hawaii?

  • 11 years ago

    Thank you for the information and I'm sorry I didn't post where I was.


    The old format had my zone. I am in 6a.

  • 11 years ago

    I'm in 6b and I'm guessing that's a HD or Lowes Phal. I suggest leaving it alone until it's done flowering. It's likely packed in tight moss, so water once a week and keep in a sunny window assuming you are experiencing cold winter weather as we are in Boston. More humidity is better, so if you have sunny spot in a bathroom that might do the trick. They don't like lots of direct sunlight but at this time of the year need whatever they can get. The leaves should be a medium green color, not dark green.

  • 11 years ago

    Thank you for the reply.


    It was -2 this morning so the winter is brutal so far. It is a Phal from Lowes but it is in a bark medium instead of moss.

    The leaves do seem dark green. Does that mean it needs more sun?

  • 11 years ago

    Good that it's in bark! Does the terra cotta pot have any drainage holes? If yes, you can water a couple times per week or whenever the bark is dry. If no holes, pull out the plastic insert to check the bark. I have Phals in mixed bark, lava, perlite and moss in terra cotta pots in my sunroom. They get soaked twice per week and I keep the temps between 55*-80* with 50-70% humidity. You don't want too much sun when it's flowering, but a bit of morning or late afternoon sun should be just fine for it.

  • 11 years ago

    They are low light orchids which means here something entirely different to there. My half dozen or so are in a glass-house hanging from the benches next to the aisle so that the plants are just off the floor. Shade-cloth on roof is about 80% rating. Anyway, the leaves on your plant are a tad too green.

    As for the -2 bit, not too bad if it was C but -2F = -18.888C Yuk!. Just confirms my belief that real orchid growers live in the frozen North. The micro climate in the back-yard is the old fashioned 10.

  • 11 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    Looks great! I can see it's in a plastic liner in bark, which is what phals really like to grow in. Every 5-7 days (my place is super dry in the winter, so I do it every 4 days), take it to the sink and let the water run through it for a minute or so, to really soak it good. Then make sure all of the water drains out completely (if there are no holes in the bottom of that pot, it's easy to just hold the bark in and flip it over).

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