Phalaenopsis Collection Update Aug 2024

Most of my Phalaenopsis are at the end of their blooming season and are now growing new leaves. This brief video shows how my collection looks like this time of year.

The small seedlings are Phal. lueddemanniana var. coerulea that I deflasked last May. There are also some novelties and species, such as tetraspis, schilleriana, amboinensis, and aphrodite, and hybrids such as the fragrant Liodoro.

Another large portion of my collection is made of variegated or mottled leaf Phals, the latter of which are also very fragrant.
The largest plants in the back are regular big box store Phalaenopsis that I have grown for several years to large sized plants.

They are all growing on a South-West facing windowsill layered with some bug screen that filters direct sunlight. The small ones are potted in sphagnum moss, medium sized ones in a mix of sphagnum and bark, and the largest ones in bark and pumice mix.

They get watered when dry with fertilized water and then flushed with just tap water half an hour later. As I flush them, I direct the shower into every part of the plant to thoroughly clean all the leaves (top and bottom), the crown and all the parts of the stem to wash away dust, bugs, and spores that might otherwise infest my orchids.

Despite regularly wetting the crown, I never have crown rot problems because my climate is very dry and my Phals get watered in a time of day when the sun gets through the windows and dries them up quickly. A large ceiling fan running 24/7 also provides good air circulation at all times.