On Fri, 10 Jun 2005 01:11:56 GMT, "Alan"
wrote:

About a month ago I posted about (what I believe to be) a Phaph that was
left behind by some folks that moved. It was (and is still) scraggly
looking, one of the long leaves had a brown tip. I was advised to cut the
brown off and apply the wound with cinnamon. Unfortunately the leaf is now
history. I had repotted it in spaguhm (sic) moss, noting the roots were a
dark brown. I give water when the moss feels dry to the touch. The water I
use is from a dehumidifier we have, and I taint it with 1/4 tsp of miracle
grow per gallon. We live in the semi tropics (Okinawa) so I keep the plant
outside in a screened area where there is no direct sunlight, lotsa humidity
and no hairy caterpillars or snails to feast on it (they can decimate a
gardinia overnight).
Today I dug my finger down to take a look at the roots and they still appear
to be the same as they were - a woody brown. So....
Is the moss a good medium for a Phaph? Any recommendations? I hate to
disturb it. Is it correct to say that a phaph is slow growing?

Another unrealized occurrence from this little rescue:
At the onset, my wife chided me about taking in a "sick" orchid. Being the
social butterfly she is, I suppose she was relating my quest with the paph
to her friends and now I have been awarded additional plants gratis. Seems
orchids here are unpopular after they drop their flowers. One is a little
tiny thing that a gal won in a raffle. It is very plain looking supposedly
indiginous to this island, so heaven knows what all these are going to look
like. I think secretly, my wife likes the idea (she teases but doesn't
complain). What did I get? I don't know, but Phals are very common in shops
here. The discriptions I get are pretty much flower colors "She said it was
bright purple" "The flowers were white"
60 days ago I had no orchids. Now I have 7. What is happening here?


Congratulations you are running an orchid hospital. Good Luck
with your patients.

IF you have no idea what you are receiving you might want to look
at some basic shapes of foliage for identification. Phal's are
very distinctive and easy to recognize vs. most other 'florist
orchids.' Then the shapes of a paph, a Cattleya, oncidium, and
Dendrobium are each distinctive. You may never be able to put
names to your rescued plants. But the Genus will give you basic
growing guidance.


SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php