On Mar 17, 12:02*pm, zxcvbob wrote:
I have a Phalaenopsis (?) that I bought 3 months ago at Home Depot on
my desk near a window. *I haven't killed it yet, and it's still
blooming :-)

The humidity is low, and the water is hard. *I take the plant out of
its cachepot every Friday and douse the bark with warm tapwater. *Then
let it drip while I carry it back to the office, and put it back in
its cache. *That's all I've been giving it; hard water once a week.

It's starting to send up a new leaf (so I assume the flowers will be
gone soon), so should I start fertilizing it? *What do I use? *I see
conflicting information on the Internet about how much nitrogen (some
say to use low N, some say high N because it has to compete with the
decomposing bark)

Thanks,
Bob

hi everyone new to this groups, just looked at your talk about phal
"This morning several of the blooms were wilted, one had fallen off"
you normaly should not have all flowers wilt/drop off at same time, if
this is happening i find it can be from over water phal in Aust this
time of year water approx once week in open bark if realy hot(35c+)
water 2 x week, in winter sometimes 1 x every 2 weeks
phal's can be over watered easyer than most other gen orchids
fertilizing i agree with bob but you may be better using 6month slow
fertilizer as it will not smell like some liquid types if plant is
inside
new flowers will come with weather change norm i find approx 10c temp
drop for near a week brings them on
you will see on the flower stem groth knods we cut the stem off the
second one down from the first of the old flowers to help promote a
new norm half size flowers spray, if left and not cut it will not
damage the plant but we find that it some times drys up and does not
produce new flower on this stem
this is all rel to type of potting mix used and your growing
conditions what works for me may not for you and vis versa
in aust most genral public people i find that cannot grow orchids but
have no problems with other plants normaly are over watering there
orchids in some way?
hope this helps some what
leonard Kinnish
Windemere Nursery Qld Aust