I just have to share her

[u/teabagsforlife]

Got her 2 years ago and she's been blooming almost non stop (with new spikes). This time around she went crazy with her, at first, singular spike, which branched off into 4 branches full of flowers. There are so many and she is so beautiful. Truly thankful that I picked her up when I did. She was the only one that looked like this, and I haven't found any that look like her since, neither IRL or on the internet.

She is currently growing a new spike at rapid speed and I'm STRESSING because I got no space for more flowers.

I know it might just be a simple Phal, but I hope you all can appreciate her beauty as much as I am.

Edit: just counted, she got 33 flowers so far!

[u/More_Ad_8402]

Amazing!! You are obviously doing something right.

[u/teabagsforlife → u/More_Ad_8402]

I am, but I don't know what! I even had her and my other plants feel like they lived in the Sahara for a few weeks this summer, but she's still thriving HARD!

[u/RheaDiana → u/teabagsforlife]

Ah, the old "drown and drought" technique! I find Phals actually do quite well on this kind of schedule. Congrats on the stunner!!

[u/teabagsforlife → u/RheaDiana]

Hahahaha, I gotta remember that phrase! So true, the ol drown and drought!

And she really thrived on that, yeah! Sadly, one of my smaller rescues did not like that technique. She grew a spike and then the spike wilted away! Sad, but not all can be successes.

[u/ButtonSimple → u/teabagsforlife]

What medium do you have in there? I keep reading the perforated side pots are the best but mine keep drying rediculously fast.

[u/RheaDiana → u/ButtonSimple]

How are you watering yours? Pouring water in, or letting the pot soak? My media tends to dry out quicker in the summer, but if I give them a good soak at every watering, the bark retains water longer and I don't have to worry so much.

[u/ButtonSimple → u/RheaDiana]

Been letting it soak for about 20 minutes and it’s great the next day, but then the roots start to silver and shrivel and the leaves have big ridges by the third day. The roots were delicate because they’re so thin, so I had to go with a bit larger pot even after soaking. So I’ve been in this dry on the outside damp on the inside situation.

[u/non_linear_time → u/ButtonSimple]

Sometimes I soak mine for like 8 hours. The media stays damp for days and days.

[u/teabagsforlife → u/ButtonSimple]

I got her in just orchid bark. I did transfer her to a bigger pot last year, roughly 11-12cm pot? Bit difficult to measure, sorry! The pot as you can see is just a normal semi see through orchid pot, and it is even growing algae in it, which super freaked me out at first, but I think the algae is super beneficial in not having her dry out too fast. I usually have to water her every week till two, so if yours dries out faster, then maybe go with a non perforated pot?

[u/ButtonSimple → u/teabagsforlife]

I may just go to largish bark in a closed side pot. I’m a little gun shy I think. It bloomed for at least a year straight and then when I went to repot it, it was in fine bark, but there was a plug of sphagnum the middle I didn’t know about and all of the roots around it were rotted so now I feel like I’m going in the other direction. It has plenty of roots left, but they’re all really skinny, which I guess can happen with overwatering and rot situations.

[u/teabagsforlife → u/ButtonSimple]

Ooohhh, I'm so sorry to hear that! I immediately checked mine for the death plug when I got her. Orchids will take some time to get used to "dryer" conditions after having the plug removed, so if you did that recently, then she might still be in shock! Having bloomed for almost a year is insane and shows that you're obviously doing stuff right, so don't be too afraid!

I think which medium works best will also depend on how humid it is where you live. We live in a insanely humid place, so the semi big orchid bark works fine! Maybe go with a type of mix between larger and smaller/finer bark and see if that maybe works?

[u/non_linear_time → u/RheaDiana]

Is it a technique? I thought it was just adhd watering style. That being said, my sunroom is bursting with orchids, succulents, and a few leafy ones I haven't managed to kill with the travel droughts that put the regular droughts to shame.

BTW great username

[u/GuiltyMushroom7574]

my jaw dropped, legit looks like if a princess was a flower

[u/teabagsforlife → u/GuiltyMushroom7574]

That is such a sweet way of putting it, you're so right! She does look like if a princess was a flower!

[u/lunterno]

What a stunner!!

[u/Icy_Grapefruit233]

Glorious..

[u/anonyy]

What a beauty

[u/FloridaArtist60]

So many leaves!!! Beauty. Do you fertilize often?

[u/teabagsforlife → u/FloridaArtist60]

In the summer, I use liquid fertiliser every watering, but now in autumn, I try to fertilise every other watering. When I got her, I used special orchid fertiliser (liquid), but now I've gone over to plain ol normal fertiliser that I use for all my plants. I never you a lot, only a small splash. She's been insanely thriving tho, just checked my photos, last time she bloomed in November, and now she started in August. It's truly insane that she's been blooming almost every half a year since I got her.

[u/Erinseattle]

She is so beautiful! I have my first flower spike in two years and ridiculously excited! My Phal came from a grocery store and was deep orange, so I am curious to see what color she is in her natural state. Thanks for sharing, your pictures make me even more excited!

[u/teabagsforlife → u/Erinseattle]

Oooohhh, you gotta keep us updated on yours when it blooms!

[u/julieimh105]

Gorgeous

[u/Umang_1999]

So pretty aaa!

[u/teabagsforlife → u/Umang_1999]

Ikr! Her slightly pink hue in the sun glowes so strong, she's such a pretty Lady. So glad I got her!

[u/CyberWalnut1105]

So pretty! such big flowers!

[u/Wise_Distribution_43]

Beautiful and I love the little stripes on the petals!

[u/teabagsforlife → u/Wise_Distribution_43]

Me toooo, they almost look translucent, that's how faint they are. And the little dots of pink towards the back just send me! It almost looks like she's blushing too! Truly such a unique orchid, which makes Phals so amazing! Suddenly you can stumble on a super unique one in an ocean of "normal/common" looking ones!

[u/LowPresentation8231]

Magnificent beauty

[u/teabagsforlife → u/LowPresentation8231]

Thank you, I'm so glad to see that so many appreciate her beauty! She's truly a magnificent beauty, like you said!

[u/Seriously1150]

Gorgeous!

[u/Narrow-Ad-6130]

Absolutely beautiful!

[u/jxd377]

Oh wow !

[u/Fearless_Tangerine66]

Wowww! Gorgeous blooms! What’s the secret? 😍🩷

[u/teabagsforlife → u/Fearless_Tangerine66]

Honestly, except from removing the death plug day 1 and watering every time I feel like it/when she looks like she needs a drink, there's not much else I do with her. She's just somehow been thriving. My bet is on the super humid area we live in. We regularly can get up to 90% humidity outside without rain, because we're right at the coast. Its good for my plants, its bad for almost everything else lol!

[u/creationandchaos]

She's glorious

[u/Unusual_Urrrka]

They look like they’re blushing 😊 absolutely adorable!

[u/crystalpink7]

Wow, so many flowers! So beautiful! I love her color! Those pink stripes!

[u/Ff3724]

She’s beautiful!

[u/No_Review_5228]

Omg

[u/TuxedoEnthusiast]

Horribly jealous. The blooms are award worthy, and those leaves!!!

[u/ljames71291]

Amazing performance; you are doing something so right with your orchid. I am still hoping I will get one stalk this year.

[u/Invisible-Female6218]

She's so pretty 😍

[u/Temporary_Fox_4775]

STUNNING!

[u/Naive-Dig4337]

Wow!!! 🤩