Still No Success With Phals

[NYCorchidman]

I agree with everything Rosie says here except one thing. Two months are more than enough to do significant damage.
If plants die within a few days of purchase without your sunburning or freezing them to death, then, they probably were already in bad shape.

If you buy a phal that's potted in tight moss and keep the moss too wet, which many people do whether they realize or not, then it's just a matter of a few days that root rot start to set in and the plant is a goner very very very fast!

Now, phals bought at some big box stores or grocery stores, yes, it's best to buy right when they are shipped.
As Rosie points out, plants are not very well kept at such stores and it's too dark and overall environment is just not right for phals. So if you happen to buy phals that have been sitting in such places for quite sometime, then yeah, the plants are already stressed out and may die, but you could still very well help recharge the plants with proper care.

[RosieC]

Originally Posted by NYCorchidman

I agree with everything Rosie says here except one thing. Two months are more than enough to do significant damage.
If plants die within a few days of purchase without your sunburning or freezing them to death, then, they probably were already in bad shape.

To some extent I agree, however I've noticed problems within a few days, then fought to save them for a couple of months. I've had them sitting rootless in water culture for a good 6 weeks before they finally look so bad that I throw them out. I don't give up easily so a couple of months is about the life I get out of orchids showing root problems pretty quickly.