I'm new to Orchids period. I've always thought they were beautiful but I was never much of a "plant" person.
My lovely husband decided I needed a hobby to love as much as he loves his saltwater aquarium habit....I mean hobby!
So for Valentine's day he got me 2 phals and 1 Dpt. They are aptly named Yuki (Phal: Yukimai x Taisuco Kochdian), Tally (Phal: Light x Ho’s French Fantasia) and Gemma (Dtps. Taisuco Stripe x Phal Taisuco Gem). Don't ask. I’ve named every living thing I've had since I can remember and the name is either an alliteration or play on the species or appearance. This really helps when as a ten year old you try to save as many .10c feeder fish as you can from the local pet store and you have them in everything from plastic buckets to my mom’s vases.
Anyway I have my babies on a humidity tray under 4 T5’s that run from 7am – 7pm. Tally was flowering when all 3 arrived from Canada. Gemma and Yuki are just spikes that resemble asparagus. I repotted them and noticed the roots were compacted around the moss medium so tightly that I had to untangle them to dislodge the old moss. All of the roots looked to be in very good shape. One was a little gray and "woody", so I cut it with a sterile knife. I replanted Tally and Gemma into bigger pots and Yuki in the same size pot (all are clay) using a mixture of fir bark, sphagnum and angel moss. The roots looked to be in great shape on all plants but they just looked too large in the small little pots they came in. While I was spreading and packing the medium mixture, every now and again I would feel a teeny crackling, was I damaging the roots?
I wiped down all of the leaves and twisted a paper towel to get any water at the bases of the leaves. I only had to cut 2 leaves off of one of the Phals, it looked to be damaged by the cold weather while shipping (limp, getting translucent). I soaked the media, and the pots in water, so they went into their new homes well hydrated.
So far so good, the humidity level is usually 45 – 55%, lights are about 8” from the leaves, and they are indoors. The day after planting, I noticed the one Phal I had cut now has another leaf that looked like it had dried little nibbles on it, I mean literally little bitty teeth marks that turned brown. Also, the Dpts. now has two little bottom leaves that are nearest the moss that have turned yellow. Does anyone with in their infinite Orchid wisdom notice anything that I am blatantly doing wrong? Any helpful hints will be most appreciated!
Also, one more thing, Tally had Flowers and about 4 closed buds on her when I got her, my husband accidentally knocked it over and broke the longest part of the end of the stem that was flowering. There is one flower remaining, I plan on waiting until that flower drops before I cut it back and try to get her to flower again. I have not fertilized yet, still reading up and I knew I had time after replanting. I bought Green Jungle and will be using reverse osmosis water to water and will fertilize every three waterings…sound about right?
The next Orchid I would like to purchase is an Ascda. John De Baise ‘Red Cherry'. Look forward to learning all I can about one of God's most beautiful creations.
New to Orchids - still a little green - no pun intended
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will help identify the problem more?
BTW is there some super secret easy way to add photos, I'm being asked about the url of the photo??
WELCOME SCHTEN 
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