Perhaps widen your collection of Phalaenopsis with some quality named hybrids and some species Phalaenopsis.

We need someone to tell us what is compatible with Phalaenopsis. It might the Tundra outside but inside is Phalaenopsis heaven compared to here.(no central heating in the sub tropics)

I'll take a punt, maybe try a Paphiopedilum, but be warned they are a bit more expensive than other types of orchid.

Thank you both for your insight!

I've been eyeing this Brassavola nodosa from Hausermann. Culture sheets I've skimmed make it seem to be a good choice for the bathroom as the fragrance comes at night which is perfect for bath time!

Arthurm - any thoughts on Paphiopedilum delenatii or Paphiopedilum Pinocchio or Paphiopedilum Lalita or Phragmipedium Hanne Popow? I find them all interesting but know little about them. About 15 years ago I had a Paph that I was able to keep alive and rebloom successfully for a few years. That was in a house with little light, little humidity and a LOT of ignorance on my behalf! I don't remember how it ended, but I am keen to try again.

The Pinocchio is very easy and is a sequential bloomer, it can be in bloom for years on end albeit a little ugly with the long and winding stems. The Popow is also fairly easy, a little more sun and water (let it stand in water!) than the phals and paphs. The delantii can be a little more difficult than the Pinocchio, but not terribly hard. Not sure about the Lalita.

You've been looking/window shopping at Carter & Holmes would be my guess (as have I, their my favorite vendor)! BTW: C&H has a couple sizes of nodosa's for sale currently.

Good luck,

Bob

I have a big nodosa. They prefer being mounted and watered daily. Easy to do in the bathroom...

Nodosa would not be my choice because they like heat and high light. You might be successful but won't get the growth we get in Florida. But, what the heck.

I grew them when I lived in NY and got blooms. Nothing like in Florida, but I still enjoyed their fragrance. Lady of the Night is a good choice.

Jane

If it is not happy in the bathroom it could be moved to the sunroom?

I grow mine in a clay pot, under lights in winter and out in bright east light late spring thru early fall. I get blooms, but not like some pics I've seen. Actually I've just about killed my current nodosa (EEoM) by over fertilizing it with Bayer Rose and Flower granules, it did do a heck of a number on my slight mealy bug infestation I had on a couple of other plants. The story of my Bayer treatment should be another thread in itself, so far I've lost @12 orchids and many more (10-20) are struggling. Especially hard on my young phals and potted mini-vanda types... Lesson learned the hard way :(

Bob

It can go in either the sunroom or bathroom, but in the sunroom I don't have a drain. No everyday watering there. I think the bathroom will require something that is quite low light and marginal temp variation.

Arthur, I hope I'm not beeing presumptuous in posting this but I took your comment to mean that you are encouraging orchid growers to post how they grow phals.

I'm no expert orchid-wise for sure but most of mine (21) are phals that are doing great with my indoor set up for 3 years and bloom every year. They are all NOIDS. My plantroom is a bedroom and the door is kept closed. In winter a heater keeps the room at 75F daytime. I turn it off at night and temp goes down to 68F which is my home thermostat setting. Summer is more challenging. The heater is not used because temp goes up to about 80-85F and the room stays warmer because of south facing windows. In the fall, when outside night temps stay in the 60s, I leave the windows open all night so the plants can get that 10-15 degree temp drop for blooming.

Humidity is kept at an ambient 50-75% with the aid of a humidifier. Light in the room is provided by several banks of T5 fluorescents (half of them are warm & half cool) because I also have several other plants in the room that require more intense light. I plan to replace those with (??? Haven't decided) as they die out. The phals are in an area of the room that gets about 1500 FC (per my light meter).

There are potted in bark with a small amount of spagnum added in plastic pots with several extra holes drilled on the sides. I have to replace the bark yearly and am thinking about switching to 1/2"-1" lava with some spagnum added in after the plants are done blooming.

I water them about every 6 days and mist them almost every morning (sometimes I forget!). A ceiling fan runs 24/day.

I seriously considered building a greenhouse and moving them outside along with my collection of ferns but this area's temperatures would require both heating and cooling devices - that on top of the cost of the building. Too cost prohibitive. Besides, I decided that if it ain't broke don't fix it. Lol. My carnivorous plant collection on the other hand is loving Florida weather!

Anyway, this set up, born out of necessity living in the north USA until a year ago, works well for me. I hope this narrative will help others who are considering growing these plants indoors. I plan on trying a few paphs as money allows in the same way.

Sorry Bea, it is not what I meant, I was asking what will grow with the Phals. and be happy. Something along the lines of a community fish tank.

SM suggested Brassavola nodosa. Well my B. nodosa is sort of with my half a dozen Phals. having their summer vacation in a glass-house.

B.nodosa hanging up near the roof.

Phalaenopsis hanging down from the benches, so that the plants are a few inches from the floor. Those Phals are coming back into this room in a month or so.

Anyway,it is great that you have experience in growing Phals. in two climates in the USA. because you can give good advice to the real orchid growers.

If you want to specialise in Phals here, a glasshouse with the right shading and heating and cooling is needed.

1. Phals, all noids? Time to buy some Phal. species and quality named Phal. hybrids.

Sorry Arthur. I reread your post and now I see what you meant. And actually I have the same question as I'd like to try some other genera that do well with the same kind of temps and light as the phals. I was thinking warm-type paphs. SM you suggested brassavola that I could put with my cats for the light. I would really like a B. Cucullata but I'm not sure I can accomodate a mounted plant if it needs that to be happiest. Any thoughts?

B. cucullata Bea, Sorry about the link. This orchid is growing in a glass-house in conditions where a Phalaenopsis would not survive. BUT you could try it next to your Phals in the Phalaenopsis happy spot. If you do not want to mount it, grow it under-potted and see how you go.

For a first brassavola I think little stars might be a little easier and more prolific. cucullata is a nice plant though...

Thx Arthur and Harvey. Little Stars id a cool plant. I think I'll try it. Since from everything I've read brasses are happiest mounted that's what I'll do. With some planning I can make it work in my plant room. I have a very large staghorn that I mounted and while it is happiest in a different medium than the brass would it's the same principle. In my research cork seems to be the material of choice. Do you have a preference?

Also in my research I came across this collection. The material in this photo apparently is called epiweb (?). Something like rockwool. Looks interesting. Any thoughts on its value as mounting material?

I like cork. I don't use much sphagnum moss but I do use it in mounting orchids. For cork I add a pinch or 2 and jam it in the crevices slightly above the roots. I know nothing about the process in the photo. For brassavolas it is better to spell it out as there is an orchid called oncidium brassia. You will like little stars. As brassavolas go this one is easy and prolific.