What an informative essay! Thank you for taking the time to write. I am not sure what post you are referring to that states heat retards spike. It is actually the other way around, cool conditions will stall a plant/ hold buds. I am battling that myself this cool summer. We have had a few consecutive days of higher heat (hovering around 90F) My buds are coming out of stall. Usually light and heat work together but this has been an exceptionally cool summer. At the end of the week it will return to mid 70's day and mid 50's nights.

By "standard" I take it to mean species plants? Hybrids are often bred to tolerate heat better than species plants. (Arthur please correct me if I am wrong). Thus your findings are quite accurate! That is one of many reasons why hybrids are made, temperature tolerance, although I am not sure I would keep my plants outside in extended 90+º weather.

I have read a lot of comments about keeping phals indoors and not putting them out. You have just disspelled that myth. As long as one keeps an eye on the crown after a rain to make sure that there is no standing water, they do quite well outside when mother nature has the heat and light right!

Well done! I think you have found your niche!

Clara

Almost of my species phals and primary hybrids are in spike now too. I have several different P. amabilis plants and I think they all spiked within a day of each other.

I do have several phals that I don't expect spikes on until fall with the temp drop experience but these are all several generations away from species.

Brooke

Hi, Clarita. Thanks for the kind remarks. I'm never sure what inf will be helpful and what will be redundant.

I agree about the warmth, I think they relish the extra warmth they get outside. Even if the hottest days stress them, they get the warm nights. From my jasmine-growing and spring-bulb growing days I know that *warm nights* is the secret to all kinds of plant growth.

By "standards" I mean the white, pink, stripe phals with"soft" textured flowers from amabilis, stuartiana, etc parents.

Most of mine have no more than 40% soft in their ancestry, and have amboinensis, lueddemaniana, venosa, etc for the other 60%. One of mine in spike is a standard, french dots.

Hi, Brooke. Thank for the information about Ky. I guess your weather is about like this, maybe a bit warmer in winter? Are you saying your amabilis have spiked already this summer? That's really very interesting. I really thought they had to have the long nights. A lot of myths out there.

Very observant, mehitabel. I grow my phals with my catts outside for the last couple years and the growth/blooms have been wonderful. You're essay really put the benefits very succinctly.

One thing I do want to point out:

Quote: when the top looks good, the roots are good underneath.

As many newbies can atest, this is just not true, especially with plants coming out of big box stores, though to certain extent vendors as well. Its the other way around: When the roots are good, the top is good. Plants can survive looking fairly decent in a greenhouse without roots because they have the humidity to keep them plump. The problems show when you put them in less humid conditions.

Being a little nit picky here, I know, considering your overall message is impressive, but its still important to point out. Howard or someone (can't remember who) is ALWAYS extolling the importance of roots over leaves.

mehitabel,

I almost wish I like phals enough to grow them ;)

Seriously, What an excellent article! Truly well done! My Mom does have a number of phals, so I'm going to print this and send it to her.

Many thanks,
Carolyn

mehitabel,
Never underestimate the power of redundancy. Its always good to be reminded, regardless of growing ability!

Clara

I can second the higher than expected light requirement for healthy growth. I chucked my phals out about 1.4 months ago outside under similar conditions (early morning full sun, later afternoon dappled shade) and I too am noticing fat succulent root growth and new foliage. My phals tend to spike in the winter though, so we'll see what happens when cooler weather comes.

Never, ever put your Phals outside comments i've made in the past apply to here, not necessarily NE USA.

As far as getting flowers, if you read the first post plus the in depth FAQ on the subject it all begins to make sense .

There are the two groups of Phals. those that need a cool down and those that need a warm up to flower. (though perhaps day length might apply to some species)

Some that need a warm up (here) are Phal.violacea and Doritis pulcherrima

Phal.equestris blooming seems to be triggered by a cooling down.

Cheating. (Phal.equestris x Dor. pulcherrima) x Kingiella philippense bloomed late summer for years in my conditions. After reading various posts i though i would try to make it bloom in the spring so i moved it to my warmer growing conditions in Autumn. Worked like a charm.

I agree with the comments about increased light but of course it all depends where you are. No Phal will survive summer or winter outside here, Too hot (sometimes) Too cold (sometimes) and low humidity when the wind blows from the interior of the Continent. Leaf Burn is a function of light plus high temperatures.

mehitabel I have three amabilis, two mounted and one in a 4" pot and they are all in spike.

My weather is basically the same as yours. I am due east of St. Louis in central KY.

I wish my Doritis pulcherrima would get it's act together and spike. I have beautiful foliage but no spikes.

Brooke

I certainly support and agree with Mehitabel's observations. More light short of burning is never a bad thing if you can swing it. Less light, if you must, only becomes a problem when the phal no longer grows anymore and 'stalls'.

I have to mention something that so far has not been clearly stated. The practice of using warm temperatures to retard blooming is done by raising the night temperatures. The daytime high is irrelevant. It has to be warm enough of course to establish the parameters of a 'warm climate' and therefore should be in the region of 80F but phals are thermophilic. They aren't going to croak at 90F like an Odontoglossum or Cochlioda, they will take any daytime max you are capable of dishing out.

The nightime temp though if it stays over 80F is said to inhibit blooming in phals and apparently it works reliably enough that commercial growers can use successive warm nights to time and therefore stage mass displays for shows.

H

Mehitabel,

This is getting copied to the Phal culture folder. Thank you - and to everyone who added to it.

Related - I underwater, and several spikes have gone on and opened that last bud that usually never blooms - because the Phal was underwatered, as near as I can tell.

Because of the lathe house - lattice - mine don't get the direct sun that yours do, unfortunately. In the shade, it gets up to the high 90s, usually with high humidity and nice air movement. Still, Phals are looking happy, and many are blooming and spiking.

Gotta agree with the roots vs leaves, though. In April, I got some small, healthy-looking plants from a vendor @ the MAOC in Chicago, and 1 of them had no roots when it got repotted right after blooming. It's in Richard stone mist therapy. Another had 4 of the 5 leaves get dark and fall off. Hopefully, the few roots will take hold.

Thank you for the thoughtful post. I LOVE Phals! What freedom to shout it on this Forum, after all the skulking around, lying by omission. Hee hee Apologetic no more.

Whitecat8

Hey, Whitecat. I love phals, too. They are easy and undemanding and bloom and bloom. One I got in spike (from Norman's) called Sogo Champion, bloomed for me for eleven months, and still had a flower or two, but I took pity and cut off the spikes. That was May, and it has a new spike already, about 9" high, with tiny buds already showing.

In fact, each time I get a new little spike or see a single flower lasting over two months, or some little $5 guy start showing 6" leaves, or visit a phal photo gallery, I love them more.

Last year I wore myself out trying to give catts enough sun to bloom and enough shade not to burn. And you know what? Only a few were worth the trouble in terms of beauty, and the blooms don't last. Now, as each catt comes into bloom I compare it to a beautiful phal, and a whole lot don't make the grade.

I think it's time for phal lovers to get out of the closet, too.