(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

First of all, don't indulge the futility of getting obsessive-compulsive about trying to track down an esoteric style of container a plant originally came in. There are literally thousands of plastic container molds in the wholesale market and very few are available for retail sale in small quantities. Many come from Canada or overseas suppliers. They are generally used as temporary pots that will be discarded as the plants are potted on. You will, however, be able to find something locally that meets your needs I have found that plastic mesh pots work well for paphiopedilums planted in sphagnum. Terracotta is good, too -- I particularly like the rimless ones from Italy. It's too bad it is getting more difficult to find the paper pulp pots in smaller sizes these days, as they breathed well and made good containers for terrestrial orchids. Since most orchids are epiphytes, pots marketed toward orchid growers are rarely taller than they are wide (epiphyte roots have no strong geotropic tendency to grow down). You might want to look at liner pots and even some of the tree seedling products if you want a deeper pot. But if you only have a few orchids to repot, I would just get some terracotta pots locally. Here is a link to Tindara's, which sells some of the clear plastic air-cone style pots. Here is a link that might be useful: Clear plastic orchid pots from Tindara's

Thanks for the response! I was the one who put the tag there. It just has the date I got the plant and the date I re-potted it. I was thinking it was Dendrobium, but I wasn't 100% as this one looks different from the other 4 kinds of Dendrobiums I have.

It would die at my house. I have a very few plants that need special or different culture than the rest. It takes no extra time to add another orchid but it is tough to find the space. I water every day but my plants are set to not retain much water. Each plant takes a few seconds. A plant with max water retention would gum up the works...If you intend to make your collection large it too may get lost in the shuffle. Orchids are tough. If you are careful it could thrive...