Hi Keenaj, Congrats on your new orchid. You have picked a great one to start with - the phalaenopsis, far from being fragile, is one of the toughest plants around, as long as you accomplish one simple rule: don't rot the roots. Other ways to say the same thing are, don't let the roots stay wet, make sure the roots drain completely after watering, and let the roots breathe. Most phals that are commonly sold today are grown in a sphagnum potting medium. This works for the rigidly controlled environment of a greenhouse, but if you want an orchid at home that will live, grow and flower for many years, and its in the sphagnum when you buy it,you should repot it right away into a bark medium formulated for orchids, or one of the "gritty" mixes that people at GW often use. Some people put them into baskets, or special terra cotta pots with openings on the sides; the important thing is quick drainage and air movement. The next big consideration is light. They need to be shaded from the sun, medium light is good, and some people have success with them under electric light. You don't want to let them dry out at all, because they have little water storage capability, neither do you want the roots to sit in water. I have several in wooden slat baskets, outdoors spring through fall, and I drench them with the hose every morning unless it's raining. In the winter I have them in my sunroom, and I put them in the sink a couple times a week for a good water, and mist them a couple of times a day otherwise. Most people like to fertilize them weekly with a diluted fertilizer. I like to use one with a 3:1:2 ratio. Orchids are a wonderful hobby - don't be afraid of them. There are some that require very special environments, but there are also many that grow happily in our homes right beside us.

I'm not sure why the flowers have spots on them, usually this is caused by a fungus in conditions where the air isn't moving and it's is very humid. Or perhaps you are misting them when you water? In that case, try to avoid getting water on the flowers. The flowers may be wilting just because it's time for them to go, it sounds like you've had this plant for a while. I would also discourage the use of fertilizers while the plant is in bloom, some people believe this causes flowers to die earlier. As to the spot, this is most likely either a fungal or bacterial infection. Take a pair of clean scissors and cut the leaf at least 1/2 or 1 inch (depending on how fast it has been spreading) around the spot. Make sure you don't touch the scissors to the spot as this may transfer the infection. Usually spots like this are caused by conditions that are not optimal for the orchid. Some additional questions to help us with culture recommendations: How much sun is your plant getting? How humid is it where you are? What are the day and night temperatures? Please also refer to phal culture sheets by the Canadian Orchid Congress. These can help you fine tune your conditions so the orchid will bloom again for you soon. ~Jem

Hi Matty, Welcome to orchid growing. I'm sure this will not be your only one. Phallies ( as they are popularly known) are one of the most popular beginner's orchids, probably because they are so easy to care for. The most critical factor with them is light. They need plenty but will not tolerate direct sunlight except in the early hours of the day or late evening. Second is temperature; they must be kept warm throughout the year. With both factors in mind, most beginners tend to keep them as houseplants, Choose either a NW or NE facing windowsill so they get weak sunlight for part of the day, Never let temps fall below 15C 60F. If you have to have a sunnier location, shade the plant with net curtains. When you see a new leaf forming fertilize lightly with tomato (high potash) fertilizer. Be patient. As a rule they do not reflower quickly, though see my thread "Frequent flowerers" Good luck - Ian.

You'll benefit most in skill and confidence by reading as much as you can about phals from different sources. There are several good discussions of phal culture at specialist vendors. Go to Big Leaf Orchids (click the information tab), Bedford Orchids (scroll down the page) and Robert Beddard Nurseries. There are also good culture notes at the Canadian Orchid Congress and the American Orchid Society websites. Each gives you a slightly different slant on the care-to-rebloom question.