I don't know what it is with the NOL. Maybe because it's still fairly small. It's put out about 15 blooms and all have been deformed and not just a little bit. Their fragrance is wonderful though. I use mainly Dyna-Gro products (fertilizers and Pro-tekt) but do use some other brands. I buy most of my supplies at a hydroponics store. I also use kelp extract and the Spray n Grow trio along with Cal-Mag Plus and Thrive Alive w/B1 and Superthrive. Not all of this is given at once! lol It depends on the condition of the plants and the time of the year. Most everything that will be going dormant stops being fed about 4 weeks before dormancy. I've heard that Miloganite is great but I just can't use it. The thought of spreading human waste, no matter how processed, just grosses me out. lol

Karyn Gotcha!! That makes sense but I've seen more than a few brugs that the inner skirts just barely show. My Double White is like that. ya have to look to see if it a double or a single. I personally don't like the inner skirts to drop down too far, unless they are proportioned well. I think that Double Peach pulls this off for such a huge blossom. Others like look awkward to me, altho I can't come up with a named example right now- I'm thinking of a white one like that, that's all long and skinny, and I believe a triple. Name eludes me! Lucky we don't all have the same tastes, eh? ~Brenda

It's split down the center, like a Siamese twin. I have been rehabbing AVs for a few years and haven't had any issues. It's the second plant to do it. The first was a plant I've owned for a long time, it had a flush of flowers after we moved. But the first flower from the second flush was split like this one. The rest were normal. I have yet to see if all of the blooms are like this, but I have a feeling they will be normal.

The answer to your question ....is that a "normal" Phalaenopsis flower has six segments, termed Tepals. Three Sepals at the rear and Three petals at the front with one modified in shape to form the "Lip" Here is a pic. of a 'Normal' flower. Phalaenopsis Bloom Note the form of the lip and the flat undistorted shape of the petals.