Phalaenopsis for Beginners Here is a link that might be useful: American Orchid Society

Just to be clear, this isn't my Phalaenopsis, I thought that you needed a picture to perhaps ID the particular Phal I was talking about. I will be receiving MY phal in the next week, but since you asked I put up a picture in case you could go recognize it in your own or someone else's collection. I'm curious if this grows just like any other Phal or if it has particular care requirements so I can grow it to its' potential.

Ginger, You need to go to the American Orchid Society Web Site and find their culture sheets for Nobile type Dendrobiums. There are other web sites that also offer detailed culture instructions for these plants. Nobile Den's. grow a bit differently from other orchids, and you will have to conform to their wants and needs to get them to bloom. First, be absolutely sure you are rid of the scale. Scale suck the juices out of the plant, and are difficult to get rid of because most contact insecticides can't get through the scale to the bug. The scale is probably not what caused the leaves to drop.....That happens to the leaves every year. Next, any of the old canes on your plant that are shriveled, and DEAD, can be removed. Sharp sterile blade, and cut them off at the base. Be sure they are completely dead, because the old canes are storing nutrients for the plant as long as they remain alive. Now, growing the thing.....In the spring when new growth starts at the base of the plant...(Nobiles are prone to producing Keikis on old canes, and that's ok. Leave them on and let them bloom then remove them and pot up as new plants.....you need to really grow the plant. Lots of sunlight, water, and 30-10-10 fertilizer. You want those new growths to really grow big and healthy. In the early fall, the leaves will begin to yellow, and fall off the plant...normal..... At this time you should stop feeding the high Nitrogen fertilizer...use 10-10-10, or just stop fertilizing until spring growth starts again. If you are not growing the plant outside, it would be best take it outside in the fall. Let the plant stay outside until it experiences several nights of very cool temperatures....even a light frost won't hurt. When the weather gets too cold, bring the plant in and enjoy the blooms. When the blooms fade, reduce the amount of water you give the plant until new growth starts in the spring, then go back to the heavy feeding/growing of the plant. Once a cane blooms, its not going to ever bloom again. All leaves fall off in the winter. Bill

The bloom is Intermediate in shape between the round filled shape of Dendrobium phalaenopsis and "antelope types" Dendrobiumm phalaenopsis has had a name change, The taxonomists have decided the name is incorrect. Here is a pic. of Dendrobium bigibbum Note the Round Filled in shape. As for the Ancestry of the orchid under discussion, we will never know because Some orchid nurseries do not pay the Ten English pound required to register an orchid name. Doesn't matter all that much because orchid judges will still judge the orchid. Added this bit. The name of the orchid in the pic. is Den. bigibbum 'Matt' x 'Amanda' and it is owned by me. How to pronounce bigibbum? Easy Bi - Gibbon