It is a common Phal hybrid and there is plenty of info about them in the FAQ on this site. There have also been countless messages about this type of plant for years on this forum which are readily available. My advice would be to avoid getting hooked on orchids by giving that plant away as quickly as you can. Orchids are worse than crack and hybrid Phals are a gateway drug. How bout a nice ficus?

Thanks for the quick reply. The plant was already bought & we already have ficii. It's also my mom's plant, so I can't exactly give it away. :-p Am I correct that these are accurate care instructions? Thanks again!

Please ignore MrBreeze ;) Most of us love being enablers here. That is a beautiful phal. Does it have good growing roots? If it's potted in moss, like many commercially grown phals are, it's easy to overwater and rot the roots.

Your link describes good culture. Most of us feed our orchids weekly, using a weak solution (1/4 to 1/2 tsp/gal). We use this for three weeks, the fourth week the plant gets a good flushing with plain water to remove any salt build-up.

Take good care of Mom's plant!

Hi Pitch ~ You might prefer the culture notes here (copy & paste into your browser):

http://www.canadianorchidcongress.ca/cculture/phalaenopsis.pdf

Or try the culture notes linked, below.

That is a beautiful Phalaenopsis! Keep the forum posted on its progress--and if you need it, there is a lot of help here just for the asking.

Sweetcicely

Here is a link that might be useful: Phal Culture for the New Orchid Grower

Thanks so much for the information and links! I sent all the care instructions to my parents since I'm not at home often, but since I am now I will move the plant to a location where it's getting less light since the bottom leaves are yellowing and one has fallen off. Do you think I should put it outside for summer or would it do better indoors?

Phals tolerate being indoors quite well - you can try growing outdoors but I found that at least in my case, that took a lot more monitoring. Lower leaves die naturally, but usually fewer than 3 leaves is somewhat alarming on an older plant that isn't a seedling (yours isn't a seedling). I would venture to say that perhaps it is not less light your plant needs, but fresh moist medium, warmth, and good light.

PS what is that marvelous thing behind your plant? It looks like a cross between an antique scale and a set of free weights...irregardless it looks great!

So, would you advise repotting it & putting it a north or east facing location (it current faces south, but under a huge old copper beech tree)? It should be room temperature where it is, but I'll check.

And you got it absolutely right, it is an antique scale with free weights that you can put on either side to level it out.

(Sorry, Sheila; didn't mean to step on your post--I didn't see it before posting the other response.)

Pitch ~ There are lots of questions here, and that's just fine, but I want to try not to be too wordy (ha!).

Indoors/Outdoors ~ This is a matter of preference. As Calvin said, Phals do fine indoors if they have good light. In order to avoid bug infestation, I do not put my plants outside. As a "window sill" grower, I use no artificial lights. This limits me to medium light species.

Sun/Light ~ Phalaenopsis is a low-medium light genus, with some variation among its species. These orchids do well with ENE, E, ESE, SE, SSE, S, SSW, or SW exposures--best in the middle of this range. During the times of day when sun on the plant is direct, some of these require screening through semisheer curtains--or pull back from direct light. If a leaf in the sun feels warmer than the hand you lay on it, it can burn. As the sun moves with the seasons, the orchid placement may need adjustment.

Temperature ~ There are lots of guidelines about this, but I do not find it to be a big issue. The temps around my Phals range from 86 to 58 (high - low, summer - winter). On average, lights in the grow area can be 5-10 degrees cooler than the 70 degrees suggested. In summer the A/C doesn't go on until the temp reaches 79 and the orchids are well away from any A/C or heat vents.

Water ~ I use two methods to judge when my Phals need watering. If it is planted in sphagnum moss (strands of blonde to brown fluffy stuff) one can gently stick a finger down into the middle of the media--about up to the second knuckle or more. If it feels damp in there, don't water; if it feels barely moist, do water. Keep water out of the crown of the plant and joints (axils) of the leaves as this can cause rot. Do water thoroughly with enough water to flow through the pot. When I fertilize, I use 1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 gal. water and place the pot in another container to soak for a few minutes. Then I drain and stand the pot on paper towels to suck out any water that stays in the pot. (Note: I do not fertilize a blooming Phal as I lose blooms when I do so.)

Another way to test for watering is to round off the point of a bamboo BBQ skewer and gently work it 2-3" into the media about halfway between the pot edge and the plant and leave it in place. To test, pull out the skewer and lay the tip end against your upper lip or cheek. If it is cool and damp, it isn't time to water. If it is almost dry, it is time. (When it is blooming it needs water before it gets too close to dryness.) My large Phals can take anywhere from 6 to 11 days before they need water. It varies according to any number of factors: temp, sun, humidity, growth, etc.

Leaf Loss ~ I have a Phal which signals a spike by losing its oldest leaf--slowly turns yellow and drops off. Then, often, as the spike matures, the plant loses the next oldest leaf the same way. The plant never keeps more than three leaves for a full year, But it has very big leaves, which seem to fill its needs.

Repotting ~ Some growers repot every new orchid as soon as they get it. These are not usually people new to orchid growing. Repotting an orchid with a tall flower spike, preserving the flowers and spike, is no easy task for anyone. Unless there is something wrong with your mom's Phal, it should be ok in its current pot until after blooming. One way you can check is to see if you can pull the plant a little way out of the pot and check the roots. They should look plump and green or silvery over green.

Whew! Sorry to be so lengthy, Pitch. Needless to say, these are my own methods and others could well have their own successful techniques.

Sweetcicely

Thanks for all the help, sweetcicely. I'll let you know how everything goes!

Oops, typo:
"On average, lights in the grow area can be 5-10 degrees cooler than the 70 degrees suggested" Should read:

On average, NIGHTS in the grow area can be 5-10 degrees cooler..."
Sc

Good care links and instructions already, but I do want to comment on the "should it go outside". I keep my phals outside, and they do well. But, as Calvin said it takes a lot more monitoring to make sure they don't get too dry/hot/sun etc etc. Also, they are phalzzzzz. The temptation to just abandon a single phal to its own devices has to be really huge.

Keep it inside til it has lots of pals.