Which light?

[Roberta]

For Phals, I had excellent success with keeping the supplemental light on 12 hours a day. So the plants got whatever came in the window (maybe 4 hours of good light, then very indirect as the sun shifted) plus the supplemental light. (I used fluoresecents, didn't see any difference between ordinary daylight bulbs and grow lights so I stayed with "cheap")) When I added those extra hours of light, I went from very little reblooming to nearly 80% reblooming.

[tedro]

Originally Posted by Roberta

For Phals, I had excellent success with keeping the supplemental light on 12 hours a day. So the plants got whatever came in the window (maybe 4 hours of good light, then very indirect as the sun shifted) plus the supplemental light. (I used fluoresecents, didn't see any difference between ordinary daylight bulbs and grow lights so I stayed with "cheap")) When I added those extra hours of light, I went from very little reblooming to nearly 80% reblooming.

Roberta, I hope you saw my repot video (Shared album - Ted Rogers (ichi) - Google Photos), yours was the only name I mentioned!

Great advice! Indeed, that’s what I will do!
I have a timer WITH A BATTERY! (can’t believe they sell them without batteries!)

How does my distance (attached) look?

I thought it may be getting too much, but we’ll try it!
Thank you! 🙏

[tedro]

My conditions are: I’m in this room most hours day/night. It’s not all that humid and if it gets that way I turn on the AC. And at night I leave the AC running all night I like it cool and at night it gets kind of cold I guess. I’m sure never below 65. Maybe a little sometimes maybe 60 I don’t know I wish!
But mine is a cool 😎 environment not a cold one by the cooling only cold sometimes (cold snap outside, Naples, FL)... And only what you might call moderately humid and warm occasionally if I’m gone for three days and leave the air off! My AC is not “set” but is adjusted almost low ascit goes and manually engaged — on always during sleep which varies. But basically this is first floor well shaded and retains the cool fairly well.

The leaves have remained DARK green until about now— perhaps it knows this bonus plumage spectacular will
be ending and some quiet is in order?

I’m sorry to have made these changes all at once, wanted to get ahead of it.
but I’m worried about the leaves getting paler? perhaps kinda fast — so much has happened with this plant so fast since I got it six months ago.

I never spray it. I use Zephryhills water (7.5? ph) because i drink it.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by tedro

Roberta, I hope you saw my repot video (Shared album - Ted Rogers (ichi) - Google Photos), yours was the only name I mentioned!

Great advice! Indeed, that’s what I will do!
I have a timer WITH A BATTERY! (can’t believe they sell them without batteries!)

How does my distance (attached) look?

I thought it may be getting too much, but we’ll try it!
Thank you! 🙏

Here is the setup that I arrived at... it did start with one orchid... that didn't last long. This was the spare bedroom of the condo that I lived in at the time.
http://orchidcentral.org/GrowingAreas/indoor.jpg

You mentioned peroxide in your video (by the way, looks like a great repotting job!) Don't use it on roots - it can damage the tiny hairs on the growing tips of roots. If things are nasty when I go to repot, I just wash off the crud with flowing water. The plants seem to heal up just fine once they are in a more airy environment, without any further treatment. Physan is pretty benign if you do want to go after stuff on the surface (it's not systemic) but a good growing environment is likely to be all that you need. The roots on your plant appear to be in quite good condition.

[tedro]

Originally Posted by Roberta

Here is the setup that I arrived at... it did start with one orchid... that didn't last long. This was the spare bedroom of the condo that I lived in at the time.
http://orchidcentral.org/GrowingAreas/indoor.jpg

You mentioned peroxide in your video (by the way, looks like a great repotting job!) Don't use it on roots - it can damage the tiny hairs on the growing tips of roots. If things are nasty when I go to repot, I just wash off the crud with flowing water. The plants seem to heal up just fine once they are in a more airy environment, without any further treatment. Physan is pretty benign if you do want to go after stuff on the surface (it's not systemic) but a good growing environment is likely to be all that you need. The roots on your plant appear to be in quite good condition.

Oh my! looks wonderful! I had a large indoor garden once upon a time, not orchids, though.

Here is where the 3% peroxide w/ water came from:
Repotting a Phalaenopsis Orchid - YouTube

And, the videos I've watched that one ^^^ and this one:
Talk from orchid expert Peter White. How to repot an orchid - YouTube ... Indicate this to me: I should have removed low "baby" leaves; should have planted deeper. :/
Redo has crossed my mind. but idk, maybe too late now.
let's see how he does.

I put the lamp closer; it was somewhat closer my old way, I guess... zero heat emission, so... we'll have to see. and I still have 10 of 20 big buds that hopefully at least some will open.

[Roberta]

I your potting job looks fine. Leave it. As far as information on YouTube... Don't believe everything you see. People who advocate using ice cubes to water Phals also exist on YouTube. As do those who see fusarium in every little discolored blemish on orchids. In short, be a bit skeptical. An advantage of a place like Orchid Board is that you can get lots of opinions... and most will give the reasoning behind those opinions (which can help you sort out what will work for you) You can also suss out the experience level of the various members, which will help you evaluate the advice. (There's a whole bunch of years of collective experience to draw from here)

[Ray]

Originally Posted by Roberta

(There's a whole bunch of years of collective experience to draw from here)

That’s true, but “years of experience” may not directly translate to “knowledge”.

A former employee used to accuse my boss as “having one year of experience, twenty-five times”.

[tedro]

Originally Posted by Roberta

I your potting job looks fine. Leave it. As far as information on YouTube... Don't believe everything you see. People who advocate using ice cubes to water Phals also exist on YouTube. As do those who see fusarium in every little discolored blemish on orchids. In short, be a bit skeptical. An advantage of a place like Orchid Board is that you can get lots of opinions... and most will give the reasoning behind those opinions (which can help you sort out what will work for you) You can also suss out the experience level of the various members, which will help you evaluate the advice. (There's a whole bunch of years of collective experience to draw from here)

Thank you, Roberta!
I just noticed you’re a Super Moderator! sweet! — I always attract the “mods.”

---------- Post added at 05:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:29 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Ray

That’s true, but “years of experience” may not directly translate to “knowledge”.

A former employee used to accuse my boss as “having one year of experience, twenty-five times”.

i took three years of French in high school! French I three times.

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Ray

That’s true, but “years of experience” may not directly translate to “knowledge”.

Still, since orchid growing is at least as much art as science, those who have had enough time to make mistakes (if they can learn from them) have an edge. Since orchids do everything so slowly (they mostly even die slowly...) one can carry a little more authority if they have successfully nurtured an orchid through several growing and hopefully, blooming, cycles. It can take that long to figure out whether an intervention worked or not.

[tedro]

should go back to my initial Beginner's forum thread to update, but here it is:

i took off the two lower smaller turneing/turned yellow leaves, what someone called "baby" leaves.

i moved my light (bulb) closer -- within 12". i run it 7am-8pm.

i have watered (and fed) again since the repot, so twice in 3-4 days. — this medium will, as i was told, require watering a lot more often than the original once a week. something to consider when choosing repot medium. I wanted to try the drier method for this first timer.

the MSU feed (granular) says use 3 in 4 waterings, each 4th just water. when i water, i water in a way tgst flushes through twice -- the feed indicates to to do this, too... water through once, then feed with a through again.

i think those things have helped what i'm sure is quite a shock. hoping for at least one of my remaining 10 buds open -- then i'll feel like it's doing ok.

right now seems to be ok, but i can't be quite sure.
personally, i think taking off leaves that aren't really helping, helps it redirect and move forward.