The problem with phals in baskets..... - Orchid Board

tucker85 · #1 04-01-2012, 12:37 PM

I planted three keikies in this wood basket with just some tree fern chunks. They do fine as long as I water every day. Unfortunately I missed a couple of days and more than half the buds turned yellow and fell off. I watered in time to save a few buds and now they've opened. Phals definitely need water when in bud.

jai_star · #2 04-01-2012, 03:43 PM

I have Phals on mounts and I have missed days too , you can really see the effects by the dehydration on the leaves and its hard for them to recover. Sry to hear sbout your buds. But the flowers look really nice give the Phal some more TLC and it shoukd be ok

Paul Mc · #3 04-01-2012, 04:24 PM

I have my first mounted phal, but it was an expensive one! I paid about $80 for it. The reason I did it though was my research indicated the Cornu cervi species did well mounted. When I first mounted it, I noticed the roots were dying, do I added a ball of sphagnum moss under it. Seems to be doing good thud car, but no new visible root growth, just a tip of a new leaf.

Hope I'm not stealing your thread, but I was wondering if a bit of sphagnum to hold some water might help, and if I personally was just wrong in my assumptions about my own.

tucker85 · #4 04-01-2012, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Mc

I have my first mounted phal, but it was an expensive one! I paid about $80 for it. The reason I did it though was my research indicated the Cornu cervi species did well mounted. When I first mounted it, I noticed the roots were dying, do I added a ball of sphagnum moss under it. Seems to be doing good thud car, but no new visible root growth, just a tip of a new leaf.

Hope I'm not stealing your thread, but I was wondering if a bit of sphagnum to hold some water might help, and if I personally was just wrong in my assumptions about my own.

I've also heard that species phals do well mounted. I think you should put some sphagnum under it until it develops some more roots. You may want to consider using a root enhancer like KLN or my favorite Maxicrop liquid seaweed.

sweetjblue · #5 04-01-2012, 04:35 PM

Even though it lost some of its buds it still looks healthy. Good Save!! Blooms are very pretty!!

Judi

Bud · #6 04-01-2012, 04:39 PM

Stunning flowers. I have seedling Phals in an "olla" clay jar and I have to wet it everyday while the plant are establishing; even if the jar is full of water...beter add some coconut fibers around the roots and line all sides of the basket to retain moisture...Phal roots can dry out fast even if you have humid atmosphere...

camille1585 · #7 04-01-2012, 05:04 PM

They look really great!! Shame about losing some buds though. I just can't deal with the daily watering, so all my Phals grow potted. Some species may prefer mounts, but I think for me it's easy they do good potted or die mounted.

Paul Mc · #8 04-01-2012, 05:13 PM

I hear you Camille. Issue was/is that I ran out of room do needed to mount things for more space.

I agree that you saved your flowers just in time and they still look awesome!!!

kalanchoe · #9 04-01-2012, 07:17 PM

Good save! Looks like it worked out in the end, though it is always painful to lose buds, isn't it?

The spikes look really graceful arching below the basket like that.

Brenda Aarts · #10 04-01-2012, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Mc

I have my first mounted phal, but it was an expensive one! I paid about $80 for it. The reason I did it though was my research indicated the Cornu cervi species did well mounted. When I first mounted it, I noticed the roots were dying, do I added a ball of sphagnum moss under it.

Paul, I grow several Cornus in pots and manage ok. Most are in a bark mix and get watered once or twice a week. Good that you tucked some spag around roots if they were struggling on the mount. I give mine a fair amount of sun.