Awesome video, Dustin. Ive been growing for over 20 years and you have answered some questions for me. A lot of the information that I sort of knew but you clarified some things. I love your collection and they look super great. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Dustin, this was an excellent video; your love of the hobby really shines through in it! Thank you for so generously sharing a decade worth of trial-and-error knowledge. I hope that you guys and plants are well.
Such great feedback. Thank you. I tried to pack a lot into this one and for me much of the information in this video took time to find, understand and apply. So I’m thrilled you’re finding it helpful too 💚
Do you sell your seedlings? I agree, you know your stuff and explain all this in a manner a beginner or master grower can understand. Outstanding video!
By coincidence your video pop up in my RUclips. i m 3 years late, wish i knew you earlier.. i watch many videos about orchid growing, yours is the best. you had explained adequately, generously, truely n honestly. i learnt alot from this video of yours.. thank you n thank you. i have subscribed.
Hahaha. Glad you’ve found the info helpful. And yeah, the flowers are generally fine to touch as long as you don’t get too rough with them. Avoid touching newly-forming buds though, they can abort easily if there’s too much stimulation. AND on open flowers, be careful with the nose-if you bump the pollen cap off the flowers often drop a few days later
This was great. I just got a doritaenopsis pulcherrima hybrid that looks a lot like 'meg'. It was outside in the nursery's tropical shade house. It was around 90°F and very humid. I keep the apartment around 75°F, I hope the new buds continue to develop and open. I had no idea there were warm/ seasonally cool/cold growing phalaenopsis when I bought my first two mini phalaenopsis that were out of bloom on clearance. I bought another 1 from a grocery store and at least know what the flower will look like if I can achieve the cool down. I rescued 2 more out of bloom mini phalaenopsis from Walmart last week. They had them outside and the tags said the maximum temperature was in the 80s but it was easily 100 degrees when I was there. They were starting to show heat stress but hadn't passed the point of no return/a ton of hard rehab work like all of the other phalaenopsis and tropical houseplants in general. None of them were meant for the desert heat of Tucson, AZ
Thanks for this video! I've been getting more into Phals lately, and your video has inspired me to go check out the different subgenuses and species. And don't worry, the spot on your lip wasn't visible to me at all until you pointed it out (y)
Thanks so much for making this video! I've recently gotten back in phals, and apparently my favorites have long been the "hot growing" ones. This video & the spreadsheets on your website have been a HUGE help with addressing adjusting setups and watering/substrate differences from other phals & orchids. Great info, & so very appreciated! And mild plant envy. Haha
I came across your channel last night, and watched your flasking series. Brilliantly explained. I subscribed after the 3rd one. Just watched this one and I am bowled over with how well you explain yourself. Being that English is my second language, I was able to understand everything you tried to convey. Thank you for clearing up the confusion I had about my orchids ❤👏
Thanks for this I am very new at trying orchids and also live in Canada, east coast. I have only killed one orchid so far, and now have three as after a couple years could not resist trying again. With your helpful information, I hope to do better 😊
Hahaha - Thanks for listening. I've considered podcasting too but I think in a lot of situations visuals are necessary, so for now I'll stick to this. Thank you so much for following along and for the kind message :)
Hello Dustin! I have not seen new videos for awhile. I hope you are still doing them. I have a question on the orchid at 25:34. What kind of substrate do you use with that one and how do you water it. I have one similar and want really badly for it to succed. Thank you so much in advance!!
Thank you for putting together this video! Your phals are beautiful so you must be doing something right! :) I have always hesitated purchasing a warm growing phal because it's pretty cool in my grow room during the winter - 16 -18 degrees Celsius. A heat mat might do the trick to keep their roots warm, though!
Yes Caroline, heat mats work for that. Depending on the type of Phal, some of the warmer growing ones are still more tolerant of “not hot” conditions. For example, Phal bellina is better with temps lower than Phal violacea, because bellina comes from higher areas in the mountains and trees-it’s for that reason they also are generally easier to care for. The leaves are thicker and they are better able to handle drought than violacea. Try to find phals that grow above 500-1000M in altitude and they should be better suited to manage your cooler temps.
Thank you so much for the advice! It's very warm here (Tennessee) and humid right now but the winters can be cold and the humidity is very low. But, if your warm, summer blooming phals can handle your winter climate, than I should have no problem!
Thanks Paulo! Sorry, I work in Marketing & Web Development; it's been very busy lately and unfortunately my side projects have only given me little bits of time to water the plants. I'm hoping to do an update video this weekend though. Thank you for checking in
wow your Mok Choi Yew is the healthiest ive seen 😮 can you give some specific care tips on it? What humidity does it receive year round? What medium does it do well in for you? How often do you feed it and how many ppm? Would love to get these 3 answers from you, new sub here love the content very very helpful 🤗 😊
Liked the drawing and flowers of the phal gigabell and bellina . 😊 i have a phal. Hainanensis. And it’s a cool growing one, according to your description. Currently it has only one leave. Thanks for the video.
I appreciate this channel about orchids, esp. Phals. I live in Asia , temp. In our area is 26 to 33deg. do you have a video on fertilizer mixtures ? And importantly how to rescue or revive Phals that hav wilted after flowering?. Thank you, I aopreciate your work
I love this video! You really kind of opened my eyes to phalaenopsis. You see so many of them you kind of lose interest, but I definitely need to get some of the ones you have!
Omg!!!!.....where in Canada you from. I came across your channel and I'm learning alot. I just rescued 3 orchids that most likely were going to the garbage by the store owner. I know nothing bout orchids so hopefully I will revive them through your vids. Thank you!! 👍👍. BTW I'm in Sauga.
Where have you been my friend for so long. So happy that I come across to you channel. I really enjoyed what I have seen so far. So informative. Keep the videos coming. Greeting from Greece
Lives in Greece - I'm so jealous! Once worked for a lady and she went to Greece and walked up the steps of the Parthenon! She was elderly, in her 80's and said she didn't like traveling alone, I said I'm not doing anything, I could go with you and she said are you going to pay half your way? Really? I work for you for $7 an hour and that's all I have I'm on disability)and you ask me that? She normally went with her grandson. She said when they went to Greece they weren't going to be there but maybe a week so her grandson stayed up all night even walking around. She said there were prostitutes propositioning him. I said what'd he say? She said, hopefully no! I love all the architecture, the caryatids and how they've redone them in some photos and added back their arms. There was one that was removed and put in a museum, I wonder if it's in better shape. I heard the ones that are presently there on the building are copies.
Please show us your orchids in July. Even a quick little video would be appreciated,I’d like to see what blooming for you to compare what’s blooming for me. The Phal video you did is really helpful . Thanks
Hi Dustin, Thank you so much for the information. I live in the same city as you do and still new to growing orchids. Only have a few phals for now but I'm getting addicted. I wish I came across your channel before I transferred 6 of them in water culture. I am learning so much from you. Where do you get your orchid barks, fertilizer and perlites here? Thanks in advance!
Gem Orchids awesome! I’m thrilled my advice is helping. I get my orchid media at Greengate Garden Centre; “WillGro” perlite, orchid media, pumice, and charcoal-but I get my sphagnum moss from Forestview Gardens (shipped from BC)-“Spagmoss” brand. If you’re not already a member of the Foothills Orchid Society, you should consider joining!
Thanks so much for this comprehensive video about Phals. It has helped me better understand them . You mentioned ph in Paphs could you expand on that. I have a small collection of Paphs both green leafed and spotted leaf and am not sure what to do with them. I don’t have IDs for all of them.
A good chunk of the paphs species grow in limestone areas, so some people believe that they do better with more alkaline water (7-8pH). If you have a hybrid and it’s growing, I would t worry. Just avoid giving them very acidic water
Very cool, I'm a new sub. I am major passionate about Phal species and primary hybrids as of late. Only have 6 so far, seedling size, 2 are bloom size, one has a little spike starting and looks like slow- going ( ah, must become so friendly with patience). I want so many more! Glad you have many! Good info, thanks. Love seeing these Phals on videos. I'm spellbound! 🌱💚
Here...but Not ...I have to pop back in here to tell you with such enthusiasm that I watered / fertilized your method -monsoon style- 😃 and I had such fun! I mean, we all had a great rainfall soaking time and it was liberating! 😁 I also used a water bottle and Water was flying all over. I was a bit of coward and paper toweled a few crowns, but it was early with good light warmth and breeze coming in so I then let them dry naturally. By the way, just ordered 7 more Phal species. 👍 Sorry for how long this is. Thanks!
Patricia-SWEEEET! And dab the crowns out if you’re nervous! I’m glad I’ve helped liberate your watering experience 😂 I hope it goes as well for you as it does for me. What phals did you order?!
Here...but Not --happy to tell you! A Cornu Cervi ( young, but that's ok), L.S. Happy Eagle, Sapphire Galah, Hannover Passion, Zheng Min ' Joy ', Magic Panther, EquestrisxBellina, most 3" bl sz... Can't wait to get them and be patient, ha! What I want So Much is a Tetrapsis C1. ... And all the others!
Patricia-wow! Sweet haul. I really love the look of the KS Happy Eagle, Sapphire Galah, Zheng Min Etching ‘Joy’, and the bellina x equestris! Like...wow! They’re all beautiful but I definitely would put those on my wish list.
Schilleriana will spike in warm conditions but it won't initiate buds without a drop. See my ten foot Schilleriana spike. I've repeatedly bloomed complex hybrids under hot conditions as well.
Question about spikes. Ive got a large white noid phal. Blooming since early march. One spike i cut. One branched and bloomed. It branched and is getting an ready to bloom. Its now late June. For plant health should i cut the main spike after the buds bloom. Or cut off now to better help the plant thrive. Its in good shape with healthy roots. Thanks
Do you use heat mats for your warm growing pals ? I'm still learning about growing phals . I've killed 5 so far one of them being a Phal "summer Candy Girl" . I also have a Sogo Pony. Both bought from a unreputable dealer. I do have one grocery store no id thats thriving. ( can't figure out why as its treated the same as the rest). I also see you don't grow your orchids in slotted pots. I thought thats was a thing ? My Sogo Pony is not doing great but i did get a new leaf this spring so thats a good sign. I like your explanation about watering needs between species . I'm in far Northern New Jersey. My growing environment is similar to yours . Just trying to figure out what i'm doing wrong.
Oh dang, I'm one of those "beginners or people who've killed a few", as you put it onyour website, and I've ordered two hybrids that I'm now pretty sure are warm growing! I am doomed... Btw., I love your Phal. schilleriana. I suspect the care is not as easy as with multihybrids...
The reasons for spike cutting typically revolve around space, appearance, tidiness, and genetics. You addressed most of that in this video, but it really comes down to personal preference. I disagree that it doesnt matter if you cut them or not, but I know it isnt every situation where it works. That being said, I've kinda switched over myself lol. I havent cut any that didnt die on me, and I used to be an avid spike cutter, because I have had consistent fantastic blooming that way, but I wanted to explore it and see what happens. I maintain my reasons for why cutting the spike is helpful, but I dont claim to say it is better. I'm going to continue to leave them and see what happens, and I have several still green! Hoping for great results like you have as your plants are stunning! Just hoping I can get past my distaste for bare spikes 😳
It always comes down to preference; but at the end of the day there is a right way and a wrong way to get more flowers out of your plants. If you don't like scraggly spikes...stake them better. I have 2 other subgenus complex phals in bud (from a brand new spike) right now out of season, and they're only creating 4-5 flowers on an entire 3-foot-long spike. I had cut the old spikes off those two plants...so the logic that cutting old spikes yields more flowers, is clearly inaccurate. The reason they're only producing 4-5 flowers is because it's too warm right now and the bud formation stopped. Temperature, nutrients, and light is what play the key roles in flower production, not "taxation on the plant by a dormant (and photosynthetic) spike". On my Miva Smartissmo in the video (the pink spotted phal)...had I cut that spike, I'd have missed out on an additional 3 months of flowers. And in that case...maybe i could have gotten an additional 3-4 flowers on next spring's blooms...but again, I feel more strongly that temperature will play a major role in that. Also, If i had cut the spikes on the NOID red phal, I would have to have waited for an entire spike to grow (which is arguably more taxing on the plant, than just leaving the existing spikes). I get what you're saying...and I fully disagree. Of course, as with all things in orchid culture, It's entirely up to the grower...but if you want more flowers and healthier plants, i dont feel cutting old spikes that are still alive is the way to go...
Here...but Not I agree that it is inaccurate to say it yields more flowers. But to me it yields cleaner spikes without the excess length, and that's all I'm saying now. Staking has nothing to do with that, and is even problematic when you are limited on height in your grow space. But with that being just about the only downside(visual and space constraints) I'm not disagreeing and I actually completely agree(I realise I havent in the past but I've since experienced more of it) that you end up with more flowers. I've also admitted this before. You've "opened my eyes" so to speak. My focus now is seeing what differences I experience with leaving them intact in my growing environment and which plants perform best leaving the spikes on. I can only think of one that I have that refuses to keep its spikes after the first flowering no matter what, my "Mukalla". It's a schilleriana cross but idk what else is in the background because it's technically still a noid
I see that you have your Vanda potted. Could you share a video how you pot your Vanda and the kind of media you use. I live in USA and we have similar weather Thanks
Hi Dustin, thank you for all your work here on RUclips and also on your website: IT helps so much! 😊 It's intresting how warm growing phal can also live in tour houses during winter time. But if in summer you have not to let their roots dry out, the same must happen in winter? When night temperatures slow down to 18 or also 16 °C, do you let them always wet?
My goal isn’t continuously wet summer or winter, just moist. In winter, I suppose I try to keep them slightly drier by shortening the soak time to, but my goal is not a hard dry like is often good for “classic phals”. Also, if the potting mix is very dry (to the point the plant or roots are starting to show signs of water stress - like slight wrinkling), then I’ll soak longer.
@@HerebutNot Thank you. Next winter is the first with some polichilos for me, I hope to give appropriate conditions and your experience is important. 🥰
@@tom8928 you may find select types from that group easier to grow than others then. For example, violacea tends to like warm temps, but a lot of the species from the Philippines are more tolerant of variable conditions. Those include: bastianii, mariae, pulchra, etc. So test a couple varieties out as you’re figuring out what does and doesn’t work for you
Hi, Great video. I'm looking into artificial lighting for my phalaenopsis orchids can you please let me know what is a good one that doesn't cost a fortune. Thank you in Advance Roxanne
Hi Roxanne-thanks for watching. Uhhh, so here is my perspective on lights: more is generally better, and quality of light counts. I am a big fan of the newer strip LED grow lights-but they’re still going to run you about $100-200 depending on the length. The SunBlaster LED grow lights I like the most, run me about $150 for a 36” strip. All of the “cheap” lights I’ve tried are awful. I don’t like the red/purple tint ones either. So...for you, if you can’t find SunBlaster LEDs, I recommend going to a hydroponic shop and asking what they have in terms of latest LED full spectrum grow lights. It sounds dodgy, but cannabis and those indoor growers know their stuff when it comes to good lighting. That’s probably not the answer you’re looking for. If you’re looking for cheap and cheerful, the only other brand I would recommend is Jungle Dawn LEDs for incandescent fixtures. The bulbs are really good. Probably still cost a bit ~$35-60+
That is Phal Mok Choi Yew - it's a primary hybrid with phal giantea (the largest phal species). Here are some more photos of that plant, all the way back to when I got it in 2017: herebutnot.com/phalaenopsis-mok-choi-yew-gigantea-x-violacea-care-culture/
I grow some species phals, but now need some advice! I’ve just purchased a young 3 leaf Joy Spring Tina Anaconda. Up til now I’ve only bought FS ones, is there anything different I should do or watch out for! I’m asking because I see you are ‘raising ‘ a tray of NFS ones at the beginning of your video. Thanks in anticipation, 🤞🤞
My general recommendations for raising seedlings: 1) Still raise them like regular phals - I see a lot of people trying to put them into humidity chambers and they end up getting rot because the conditions are stagnant...I grow mine just like my other phals, but in smaller pots; 2) pay attention to moisture - smaller pots will dry faster, so you want to try to keep the roots evenly moist and water just as they're approaching dryness...using sphagnum moss can be helpful for this if you find bark is drying too much (anywhere from a blend of bark & sphagnum to 100% sphagnum - just be aware that in larger pots sphagnum may not dry fast enough); 3) make sure your nutrients & light are pretty honed in for best growth...if your growing them too bright or too dark, they'll be slow and it will take longer for them to reach maturity. If you're not offering an optimized (& ph-adjusted) fertilizer routine, they will also grow slower. If you want to know more, I tracked my entire experience in this post: herebutnot.com/deflasking-phalaenopsis-seedlings-how-to-first-time-experiment/
I don't think a lot of beginners know about the cool down period for some phalaenopsis, let alone how you water them and let them drain out. I once met a guy at a thrift store and he had these phals that were all dried out and I said are those for sale? He said no I think you have to stress them out to get them to bloom. I tried to tell him, but he was dead set on what he was doing and they were dead set on dying. They were desert orchids I guess cuz you know dry as a bone! Horrible. We appreciated the exceptional drawing you did, the Sun and the Ice Cube- I thought the round peg in the corner was the Sun! LOL! I just want to add on another Channel I heard someone say, it takes a lot of courage to admit you killed a pothos. I laughed I said that should be a t-shirt! So funny!
Should be easy enough to put that together. The easy and most direct response: 1) I have a pH meter (cost $100) to test pH, 2) I use "pH Down", a product I got at a hydroponic shop; it's phosphoric acid and drops the pH of my water (I use 30 drops per gallon to go from 7.5 to 5.8)--it's very acidic, so be careful not to get this on your hands, eyes, or spill it.
It is a pity that the videos do not have the Spanish translation activated. Some things are very technical and we did not find out, in case you can take it into account, greetings from Spain.
Thanks Nelson, I'll see if I can look into this more. Admittedly, I don't know much about this area in general and don't write or speak Spanish. It may be something down the road that RUclips just does...they seem to have the tools to do so. But I'm not even sure how i would go about doing this myself, you know?
You're very knowledgeable and have a great interest it seems but I would not call these advance tips.. If you're basing your thoughts on small, store bought orchids grown in your apartment, maybe thats part of the struggle. I'm a flower designer at a busy flower shop in NYC mainly doing live orchid arrangements and the boss, who is a master florist, well.. Lets say, great information but could use more insight. We get premium long stemmed and mini orchids from multiple nurseries from around the world daily. Its just a different level with high quality, mature, well taken cared of plants and people paying crazy amounts, so it HAS to be top quality and the arrangement has to look like its worth the price.. Great job, though and nice orchid color profiles!
Kisschai - I would love to...but I’m pretty sure my partner will kill me if I have the plants take over any other area of our home. Hahaha - I have been thinking about installing a flask wall (light, shelf, light, shelf, etc)...I got in trouble when I asked. 🤐
TheFloatingflower I have seen a few that it could be. I thought maybe Zheng Min Parakeet or Tying Shin Baby Smile 'Rojo' AM/AOS. The only reason I don’t think it’s the Parakeet is because the flowers on mine fade to a purple fuchsia rather than a warm orange-red. 🤷🏼♂️ there are a few red clones that look similar. Sogo Grape I think is another
Next time you get a chance, please show this Phal. very closely and extensive on the screen please. I own a couple of these, Sogo grape as well.Maybe I can compare it with mine...the same applies to all your other seemingly NOIDs. I would like to see those from the close with a good camera...and good light. Daylight. Like orchid wisperer shows her plants. Maybe I know the IDs of your NoID´s. One looks like Phal. Florida. But you could also ask Orchid wisperer or Missorchidgirl, they also know a lot of Phals. I love Phals, as they are truely beautiful plants, no matter how often they are sold everywhere. @@HerebutNot
Am I the only one who can barely hear him? So much knowledge and I either have to hold my phone up to my ear to hear and then I can't see what he's talking about😢
Hi Patty 👋🏻 sorry to hear you can’t hear the audio. In newer videos I have started using a mic, but I haven’t had any other people comment about audio problems. Try turning your phone audio up
Hello Here...but Not, please don't get me wrong, im not a keyboard warrior, i think we share the same hobby. Regarding the comment, you can use water+nutrients with a pH value between 4.5-8.5pH only if you use chelated nutrients. Chelations occurs when a micro-nutrient molecule is surrounded by a chealing molecule which prevents the oxidization of that molecule by either oxygen or hydroxides in the root zone. You can find chelated ingredients at most hydroponic products. For example: EDTA or DTPA are synthetic chelatants that you will find in many hydroponic lines of nutrients. The derived from list will read: Copper EDTA, Zinc EDTA, Iron DTPA, ect. Fe2 is often chelated with DTPA because Fe2 wants to turn into Fe3 in the presence of oxygen or hydroxides. Fe3 is a non-bioavaliable form of iron,whereas Fe2 is a bioavailable form of iron. This just keeps the nutrient solution available to the plants and free of superfluous nutrient build ups. Regarding orchid's, every orchid's lover should know at least the PH and nutrients availability and how PH affects plant nutrient uptake.
Antonio...riiiight. But I’m not using hydroponic fertilizers. And...more to the point of my statement in this video, many lythophytic species have adapted to survive in high pH environments where they are better-able to absorb iron in nature where freely available iron is less (because the pH is higher from interactions with water and limestone). My point about high pH is that many ppl have struggled to care for lithophytes (such as Phal lowii and cochlearis), and I believe it’s because those species can suffer from iron toxicity at lower pH levels where iron is more abundantly available to the plant. This nutrient toxicity affect is known in many alkaline-preferring plants that have adapted to high-pH environments (but are then grown in low pH environments and struggle). This same issue happens for people who grow lithophytic paphs and phrags (such as kovachii). Getting to the point of your comment...am I an orchid expert? Sure I am-I grow and care for over 250 plants and that makes me, in some capacity, an expert. Am I a biologist or chemist? Naaaa... If you don’t find value in my videos, no problem; feel free to block or hide my channel. You live in Portugal where growing orchids is EXPONENTIALLY easier than growing in a climate like mine. Thanks for the comment-enjoy your day.
He explained this better than one of those people in orchid society in California
Hahaha - That's awesome heh heh; sometimes when I film these, I'm worried i'm rambling too much. Glad you found it informative
@Magnus Clay f off
Awesome video, Dustin. Ive been growing for over 20 years and you have answered some questions for me. A lot of the information that I sort of knew but you clarified some things. I love your collection and they look super great. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Linda!!
This is by far the best informative vid on RUclips. Thank you dear!
Hi Dustin, this was an excellent video; your love of the hobby really shines through in it! Thank you for so generously sharing a decade worth of trial-and-error knowledge. I hope that you guys and plants are well.
You have such a gift with orchids! So beautiful. Thank you for sharing this information. :)
Solon - you bet! I’m happy to help others understand orchids better
This video is so useful, I have watched it atleast ten times already! Thank you, Dustin.
Such great feedback. Thank you. I tried to pack a lot into this one and for me much of the information in this video took time to find, understand and apply. So I’m thrilled you’re finding it helpful too 💚
Do you sell your seedlings?
I agree, you know your stuff and explain all this in a manner a beginner or master grower can understand.
Outstanding video!
By coincidence your video pop up in my RUclips. i m 3 years late, wish i knew you earlier.. i watch many videos about orchid growing, yours is the best. you had explained adequately, generously, truely n honestly. i learnt alot from this video of yours.. thank you n thank you. i have subscribed.
what insanely beautiful flowers. stumbled across your channel as i make sure my super market rescue orchids will be ok- thank you for everything!
although i silently screamed when you touched the flowers! i thought we were to never do that
Hahaha. Glad you’ve found the info helpful. And yeah, the flowers are generally fine to touch as long as you don’t get too rough with them. Avoid touching newly-forming buds though, they can abort easily if there’s too much stimulation. AND on open flowers, be careful with the nose-if you bump the pollen cap off the flowers often drop a few days later
This was great. I just got a doritaenopsis pulcherrima hybrid that looks a lot like 'meg'. It was outside in the nursery's tropical shade house. It was around 90°F and very humid. I keep the apartment around 75°F, I hope the new buds continue to develop and open. I had no idea there were warm/ seasonally cool/cold growing phalaenopsis when I bought my first two mini phalaenopsis that were out of bloom on clearance. I bought another 1 from a grocery store and at least know what the flower will look like if I can achieve the cool down. I rescued 2 more out of bloom mini phalaenopsis from Walmart last week. They had them outside and the tags said the maximum temperature was in the 80s but it was easily 100 degrees when I was there. They were starting to show heat stress but hadn't passed the point of no return/a ton of hard rehab work like all of the other phalaenopsis and tropical houseplants in general. None of them were meant for the desert heat of Tucson, AZ
Thanks for this video! I've been getting more into Phals lately, and your video has inspired me to go check out the different subgenuses and species. And don't worry, the spot on your lip wasn't visible to me at all until you pointed it out (y)
Thanks so much for making this video! I've recently gotten back in phals, and apparently my favorites have long been the "hot growing" ones. This video & the spreadsheets on your website have been a HUGE help with addressing adjusting setups and watering/substrate differences from other phals & orchids. Great info, & so very appreciated!
And mild plant envy. Haha
I came across your channel last night, and watched your flasking series. Brilliantly explained. I subscribed after the 3rd one. Just watched this one and I am bowled over with how well you explain yourself. Being that English is my second language, I was able to understand everything you tried to convey. Thank you for clearing up the confusion I had about my orchids ❤👏
Thanks for this I am very new at trying orchids and also live in Canada, east coast. I have only killed one orchid so far, and now have three as after a couple years could not resist trying again. With your helpful information, I hope to do better 😊
I absolutely LOVE the science behind your information. Thank You!
Dude. I would just listen to u talk in a podcast all night lol. U have so much to say and so much for me to learn!
Hahaha - Thanks for listening. I've considered podcasting too but I think in a lot of situations visuals are necessary, so for now I'll stick to this. Thank you so much for following along and for the kind message :)
@@HerebutNot 2 years later... I now own orchids (15 of them) haha took me long enough
I enjoyed this comprehensive video a lot, thank you! Your Mok Choi Yew (I guess) is beautiful and so are the others.
Thanks Bumblebee's Orchids! Yes, that’s a Mok Choi Yew...the leaves get bigger every year...I’m curious to see just how big they will get.
great information on novelty pals , i'm getting into them and your diagram really helped! xoxo plant peeps
Hello Dustin! I have not seen new videos for awhile. I hope you are still doing them. I have a question on the orchid at 25:34. What kind of substrate
do you use with that one and how do you water it. I have one similar and want really badly for it to succed. Thank you so much in advance!!
Thank you for putting together this video! Your phals are beautiful so you must be doing something right! :) I have always hesitated purchasing a warm growing phal because it's pretty cool in my grow room during the winter - 16 -18 degrees Celsius. A heat mat might do the trick to keep their roots warm, though!
Yes Caroline, heat mats work for that. Depending on the type of Phal, some of the warmer growing ones are still more tolerant of “not hot” conditions. For example, Phal bellina is better with temps lower than Phal violacea, because bellina comes from higher areas in the mountains and trees-it’s for that reason they also are generally easier to care for. The leaves are thicker and they are better able to handle drought than violacea.
Try to find phals that grow above 500-1000M in altitude and they should be better suited to manage your cooler temps.
Thank you so much for the advice! It's very warm here (Tennessee) and humid right now but the winters can be cold and the humidity is very low. But, if your warm, summer blooming phals can handle your winter climate, than I should have no problem!
This is one of the best Phal videos I’ve seen..thank you!
Thanks Jack!
How do you water winter growing phals? Do you let them dry out? Or what? Im confused. Thanks for sharing your very knowledgeable experience
I miss your videos. I hope everything’s ok (with you and your plants). Please, give us an update!
Thanks Paulo! Sorry, I work in Marketing & Web Development; it's been very busy lately and unfortunately my side projects have only given me little bits of time to water the plants. I'm hoping to do an update video this weekend though. Thank you for checking in
wow your Mok Choi Yew is the healthiest ive seen 😮 can you give some specific care tips on it? What humidity does it receive year round? What medium does it do well in for you? How often do you feed it and how many ppm? Would love to get these 3 answers from you, new sub here love the content very very helpful 🤗 😊
Thank you very much for your informative channel and your blog! I have learned a lot. Hope you well!
Your sketch is so cute Dustin! Thanks for the video. Love it!
Liked the drawing and flowers of the phal gigabell and bellina . 😊 i have a phal. Hainanensis. And it’s a cool growing one, according to your description. Currently it has only one leave. Thanks for the video.
Thanks Mende 976 - Phal hainanensis looks awesome. Hopefully you can get it to grow well/better for you
Here...but Not thanks 😉
now I know more about my phal. and understand mutch beter how and what to do with my orchids, thanks man !
I appreciate this channel about orchids, esp. Phals. I live in Asia , temp. In our area is 26 to 33deg. do you have a video on fertilizer mixtures ? And importantly how to rescue or revive Phals that hav wilted after flowering?. Thank you, I aopreciate your work
I love this video! You really kind of opened my eyes to phalaenopsis. You see so many of them you kind of lose interest, but I definitely need to get some of the ones you have!
New sub..great video im getting back into the novelty types..just ordered 2 bellina,s❤
I absolutely love your channel. So much to learn from you, really educational. Thank you 😊🌸💜
That was very helpful!
Thanks a lot for this detailled and clear information.
Omg!!!!.....where in Canada you from. I came across your channel and I'm learning alot. I just rescued 3 orchids that most likely were going to the garbage by the store owner. I know nothing bout orchids so hopefully I will revive them through your vids. Thank you!! 👍👍. BTW I'm in Sauga.
Where have you been my friend for so long. So happy that I come across to you channel. I really enjoyed what I have seen so far. So informative. Keep the videos coming. Greeting from Greece
Lives in Greece - I'm so jealous! Once worked for a lady and she went to Greece and walked up the steps of the Parthenon! She was elderly, in her 80's and said she didn't like traveling alone, I said I'm not doing anything, I could go with you and she said are you going to pay half your way? Really? I work for you for $7 an hour and that's all I have I'm on disability)and you ask me that? She normally went with her grandson. She said when they went to Greece they weren't going to be there but maybe a week so her grandson stayed up all night even walking around. She said there were prostitutes propositioning him. I said what'd he say? She said, hopefully no! I love all the architecture, the caryatids and how they've redone them in some photos and added back their arms. There was one that was removed and put in a museum, I wonder if it's in better shape. I heard the ones that are presently there on the building are copies.
Please show us your orchids in July. Even a quick little video would be appreciated,I’d like to see what blooming for you to compare what’s blooming for me. The Phal video you did is really helpful . Thanks
Do you think self watering pots would be a good idea for warm growing phals?
Hi Dustin,
Thank you so much for the information. I live in the same city as you do and still new to growing orchids. Only have a few phals for now but I'm getting addicted. I wish I came across your channel before I transferred 6 of them in water culture. I am learning so much from you. Where do you get your orchid barks, fertilizer and perlites here? Thanks in advance!
Gem Orchids awesome! I’m thrilled my advice is helping. I get my orchid media at Greengate Garden Centre; “WillGro” perlite, orchid media, pumice, and charcoal-but I get my sphagnum moss from Forestview Gardens (shipped from BC)-“Spagmoss” brand.
If you’re not already a member of the Foothills Orchid Society, you should consider joining!
Thanks so much for this comprehensive video about Phals. It has helped me better understand them .
You mentioned ph in Paphs could you expand on that. I have a small collection of Paphs both green leafed and spotted leaf and am not sure what to do with them. I don’t have IDs for all of them.
A good chunk of the paphs species grow in limestone areas, so some people believe that they do better with more alkaline water (7-8pH). If you have a hybrid and it’s growing, I would t worry. Just avoid giving them very acidic water
Here...but Not Thanks. The Paphs are growing well so I won’t sweat it.
Stumbled across your channel today, really enjoying your content. Refreshing.
Thank you so much. Glad you’re enjoying it
Very cool, I'm a new sub. I am major passionate about Phal species and primary hybrids as of late. Only have 6 so far, seedling size, 2 are bloom size, one has a little spike starting and looks like slow- going ( ah, must become so friendly with patience). I want so many more! Glad you have many! Good info, thanks. Love seeing these Phals on videos. I'm spellbound! 🌱💚
Hi Patricia! Yes...they definitely teach patience! Love phals!! Tnx for following!
Here...but Not ...I have to pop back in here to tell you with such enthusiasm that I watered / fertilized your method -monsoon style- 😃 and I had such fun! I mean, we all had a great rainfall soaking time and it was liberating! 😁 I also used a water bottle and Water was flying all over. I was a bit of coward and paper toweled a few crowns, but it was early with good light warmth and breeze coming in so I then let them dry naturally. By the way, just ordered 7 more Phal species. 👍 Sorry for how long this is. Thanks!
Patricia-SWEEEET! And dab the crowns out if you’re nervous! I’m glad I’ve helped liberate your watering experience 😂 I hope it goes as well for you as it does for me. What phals did you order?!
Here...but Not --happy to tell you! A Cornu Cervi ( young, but that's ok), L.S. Happy Eagle, Sapphire Galah, Hannover Passion, Zheng Min ' Joy ', Magic Panther, EquestrisxBellina, most 3" bl sz... Can't wait to get them and be patient, ha! What I want So Much is a Tetrapsis C1. ... And all the others!
Patricia-wow! Sweet haul. I really love the look of the KS Happy Eagle, Sapphire Galah, Zheng Min Etching ‘Joy’, and the bellina x equestris! Like...wow! They’re all beautiful but I definitely would put those on my wish list.
Thank you for sharing! When you mention temperature cycling to lengthen the spikes, do you mean intraday cycling (warm day - cool night)?
i love the the abundance of eye-rolls 😂
Schilleriana will spike in warm conditions but it won't initiate buds without a drop. See my ten foot Schilleriana spike. I've repeatedly bloomed complex hybrids under hot conditions as well.
Your orchids and amazing. I live in the Caribbean in Trinidad 🇹🇹 and we only drop to about 20 degrees and i get my phils to bloom 🙂
Question about spikes. Ive got a large white noid phal. Blooming since early march. One spike i cut. One branched and bloomed. It branched and is getting an ready to bloom. Its now late June. For plant health should i cut the main spike after the buds bloom. Or cut off now to better help the plant thrive. Its in good shape with healthy roots.
Thanks
Do you use heat mats for your warm growing pals ? I'm still learning about growing phals . I've killed 5 so far one of them being a Phal "summer Candy Girl" . I also have a Sogo Pony. Both bought from a unreputable dealer. I do have one grocery store no id thats thriving. ( can't figure out why as its treated the same as the rest). I also see you don't grow your orchids in slotted pots. I thought thats was a thing ? My Sogo Pony is not doing great but i did get a new leaf this spring so thats a good sign. I like your explanation about watering needs between species . I'm in far Northern New Jersey. My growing environment is similar to yours . Just trying to figure out what i'm doing wrong.
Oh dang, I'm one of those "beginners or people who've killed a few", as you put it onyour website, and I've ordered two hybrids that I'm now pretty sure are warm growing! I am doomed... Btw., I love your Phal. schilleriana. I suspect the care is not as easy as with multihybrids...
I wish I could give a five star like. Love your videos.
Thanks so much Henry! Appreciate the love
Great information, thank you so much. Also, look out for those flying limbs when you're horsing around. 😜😂
The reasons for spike cutting typically revolve around space, appearance, tidiness, and genetics. You addressed most of that in this video, but it really comes down to personal preference. I disagree that it doesnt matter if you cut them or not, but I know it isnt every situation where it works. That being said, I've kinda switched over myself lol. I havent cut any that didnt die on me, and I used to be an avid spike cutter, because I have had consistent fantastic blooming that way, but I wanted to explore it and see what happens. I maintain my reasons for why cutting the spike is helpful, but I dont claim to say it is better. I'm going to continue to leave them and see what happens, and I have several still green! Hoping for great results like you have as your plants are stunning! Just hoping I can get past my distaste for bare spikes 😳
It always comes down to preference; but at the end of the day there is a right way and a wrong way to get more flowers out of your plants. If you don't like scraggly spikes...stake them better.
I have 2 other subgenus complex phals in bud (from a brand new spike) right now out of season, and they're only creating 4-5 flowers on an entire 3-foot-long spike. I had cut the old spikes off those two plants...so the logic that cutting old spikes yields more flowers, is clearly inaccurate. The reason they're only producing 4-5 flowers is because it's too warm right now and the bud formation stopped. Temperature, nutrients, and light is what play the key roles in flower production, not "taxation on the plant by a dormant (and photosynthetic) spike".
On my Miva Smartissmo in the video (the pink spotted phal)...had I cut that spike, I'd have missed out on an additional 3 months of flowers. And in that case...maybe i could have gotten an additional 3-4 flowers on next spring's blooms...but again, I feel more strongly that temperature will play a major role in that.
Also, If i had cut the spikes on the NOID red phal, I would have to have waited for an entire spike to grow (which is arguably more taxing on the plant, than just leaving the existing spikes).
I get what you're saying...and I fully disagree. Of course, as with all things in orchid culture, It's entirely up to the grower...but if you want more flowers and healthier plants, i dont feel cutting old spikes that are still alive is the way to go...
Here...but Not I agree that it is inaccurate to say it yields more flowers. But to me it yields cleaner spikes without the excess length, and that's all I'm saying now. Staking has nothing to do with that, and is even problematic when you are limited on height in your grow space. But with that being just about the only downside(visual and space constraints) I'm not disagreeing and I actually completely agree(I realise I havent in the past but I've since experienced more of it) that you end up with more flowers. I've also admitted this before. You've "opened my eyes" so to speak. My focus now is seeing what differences I experience with leaving them intact in my growing environment and which plants perform best leaving the spikes on. I can only think of one that I have that refuses to keep its spikes after the first flowering no matter what, my "Mukalla". It's a schilleriana cross but idk what else is in the background because it's technically still a noid
I live in MN and use 100% spagnum moss. I water once every 2 weeks or so. Sometimes up to 18-19 days. And it works amazingly. For complex hybrids
That’s great! Your tap water must be really pure
I see that you have your Vanda potted. Could you share a video how you pot your Vanda and the kind of media you use. I live in USA and we have similar weather
Thanks
Dustin is so cool! We need a Q&A Livestream :D
What does over-potting your orchids mean? They grow in nature without any pot at all.
Thanks for this informative video!!! :)
Great Content! Thank you! Wasn't aware of a lot of information you explained.
Thanks for the feedback!
Hi Dustin, thank you for all your work here on RUclips and also on your website: IT helps so much! 😊 It's intresting how warm growing phal can also live in tour houses during winter time. But if in summer you have not to let their roots dry out, the same must happen in winter? When night temperatures slow down to 18 or also 16 °C, do you let them always wet?
My goal isn’t continuously wet summer or winter, just moist. In winter, I suppose I try to keep them slightly drier by shortening the soak time to, but my goal is not a hard dry like is often good for “classic phals”. Also, if the potting mix is very dry (to the point the plant or roots are starting to show signs of water stress - like slight wrinkling), then I’ll soak longer.
@@HerebutNot Thank you. Next winter is the first with some polichilos for me, I hope to give appropriate conditions and your experience is important. 🥰
@@tom8928 you may find select types from that group easier to grow than others then. For example, violacea tends to like warm temps, but a lot of the species from the Philippines are more tolerant of variable conditions. Those include: bastianii, mariae, pulchra, etc. So test a couple varieties out as you’re figuring out what does and doesn’t work for you
@@HerebutNot I have 2 violacea, 2 bellina and 1 tetraspis. 😅 I'll let you know next spring if they'll be still alive. 🤞🏾
Hi, Great video. I'm looking into artificial lighting for my phalaenopsis orchids can you please let me know what is a good one that doesn't cost a fortune. Thank you in Advance Roxanne
Hi Roxanne-thanks for watching. Uhhh, so here is my perspective on lights: more is generally better, and quality of light counts. I am a big fan of the newer strip LED grow lights-but they’re still going to run you about $100-200 depending on the length. The SunBlaster LED grow lights I like the most, run me about $150 for a 36” strip.
All of the “cheap” lights I’ve tried are awful. I don’t like the red/purple tint ones either. So...for you, if you can’t find SunBlaster LEDs, I recommend going to a hydroponic shop and asking what they have in terms of latest LED full spectrum grow lights. It sounds dodgy, but cannabis and those indoor growers know their stuff when it comes to good lighting.
That’s probably not the answer you’re looking for. If you’re looking for cheap and cheerful, the only other brand I would recommend is Jungle Dawn LEDs for incandescent fixtures. The bulbs are really good. Probably still cost a bit ~$35-60+
Great informative video. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you and could you please tell me the name of that first big one in front with purple flowers and huge leaves? It’s gorgeous!!!
That is Phal Mok Choi Yew - it's a primary hybrid with phal giantea (the largest phal species). Here are some more photos of that plant, all the way back to when I got it in 2017: herebutnot.com/phalaenopsis-mok-choi-yew-gigantea-x-violacea-care-culture/
I grow some species phals, but now need some advice! I’ve just purchased a young 3 leaf Joy Spring Tina Anaconda. Up til now I’ve only bought FS ones, is there anything different I should do or watch out for! I’m asking because I see you are ‘raising ‘ a tray of NFS ones at the beginning of your video. Thanks in anticipation, 🤞🤞
My general recommendations for raising seedlings: 1) Still raise them like regular phals - I see a lot of people trying to put them into humidity chambers and they end up getting rot because the conditions are stagnant...I grow mine just like my other phals, but in smaller pots; 2) pay attention to moisture - smaller pots will dry faster, so you want to try to keep the roots evenly moist and water just as they're approaching dryness...using sphagnum moss can be helpful for this if you find bark is drying too much (anywhere from a blend of bark & sphagnum to 100% sphagnum - just be aware that in larger pots sphagnum may not dry fast enough); 3) make sure your nutrients & light are pretty honed in for best growth...if your growing them too bright or too dark, they'll be slow and it will take longer for them to reach maturity. If you're not offering an optimized (& ph-adjusted) fertilizer routine, they will also grow slower.
If you want to know more, I tracked my entire experience in this post: herebutnot.com/deflasking-phalaenopsis-seedlings-how-to-first-time-experiment/
Awesome video! Thank you!
I don't think a lot of beginners know about the cool down period for some phalaenopsis, let alone how you water them and let them drain out. I once met a guy at a thrift store and he had these phals that were all dried out and I said are those for sale? He said no I think you have to stress them out to get them to bloom. I tried to tell him, but he was dead set on what he was doing and they were dead set on dying. They were desert orchids I guess cuz you know dry as a bone! Horrible. We appreciated the exceptional drawing you did, the Sun and the Ice Cube- I thought the round peg in the corner was the Sun! LOL! I just want to add on another Channel I heard someone say, it takes a lot of courage to admit you killed a pothos. I laughed I said that should be a t-shirt! So funny!
How can I get a hold of ur seedlings
Nice info...
Thank you this helps!!
Are you a member of your local Orchid Society?
I am, there are many really wonderful people there and I’ve come to value the society more than just for the plant sales
Can you do a video on how you check ph and how you modify the water for the correct ph.
Should be easy enough to put that together. The easy and most direct response: 1) I have a pH meter (cost $100) to test pH, 2) I use "pH Down", a product I got at a hydroponic shop; it's phosphoric acid and drops the pH of my water (I use 30 drops per gallon to go from 7.5 to 5.8)--it's very acidic, so be careful not to get this on your hands, eyes, or spill it.
Some people use citric acid which is safer. You'll still need a pH meter to test the water.
It is a pity that the videos do not have the Spanish translation activated. Some things are very technical and we did not find out, in case you can take it into account, greetings from Spain.
Thanks Nelson, I'll see if I can look into this more. Admittedly, I don't know much about this area in general and don't write or speak Spanish. It may be something down the road that RUclips just does...they seem to have the tools to do so. But I'm not even sure how i would go about doing this myself, you know?
What will happen if the summer phal or any type phals, received way too long hours of light?
You’ll start to get chlorosis - yellow mottling one the leaves, or red edges
@@HerebutNot 😌 no wonder the leaves slowly turned yellowing light green. Thanks
Love you videos and advice awesome!
Are you planning to sell your orchids.
All of your production? Tissue culture? Beatuful.
hi, perhaps you already knew, CS has a facebook group where they are starting to list pics of orchids in bloom for sale. Are you interested to join?
Catnip2011 in Canada?
Thank you for sharing🌿
Beautiful
Thank You.
You're very knowledgeable and have a great interest it seems but I would not call these advance tips.. If you're basing your thoughts on small, store bought orchids grown in your apartment, maybe thats part of the struggle. I'm a flower designer at a busy flower shop in NYC mainly doing live orchid arrangements and the boss, who is a master florist, well.. Lets say, great information but could use more insight. We get premium long stemmed and mini orchids from multiple nurseries from around the world daily. Its just a different level with high quality, mature, well taken cared of plants and people paying crazy amounts, so it HAS to be top quality and the arrangement has to look like its worth the price.. Great job, though and nice orchid color profiles!
We didn’t notice your lip until you pointed that out. And for the rest of the video I was staring at your lip.
rotfl! I didn't notice anything.
What’s the name of the speckled phal?
Phal Zheng Min Anaconda maybe? The orange one?
I think u should put a novelty phalaenopsis living wall behind your couch!!🥰🥰🥰😭
Kisschai - I would love to...but I’m pretty sure my partner will kill me if I have the plants take over any other area of our home. Hahaha - I have been thinking about installing a flask wall (light, shelf, light, shelf, etc)...I got in trouble when I asked. 🤐
Nice video!
Thanks a lot!!!
😍😍👍👍
25:53 looks like the Zen Ming Parakeet Peter.
TheFloatingflower I have seen a few that it could be. I thought maybe Zheng Min Parakeet or Tying Shin Baby Smile 'Rojo' AM/AOS. The only reason I don’t think it’s the Parakeet is because the flowers on mine fade to a purple fuchsia rather than a warm orange-red. 🤷🏼♂️ there are a few red clones that look similar. Sogo Grape I think is another
Next time you get a chance, please show this Phal. very closely and extensive on the screen please. I own a couple of these, Sogo grape as well.Maybe I can compare it with mine...the same applies to all your other seemingly NOIDs. I would like to see those from the close with a good camera...and good light. Daylight. Like orchid wisperer shows her plants. Maybe I know the IDs of your NoID´s. One looks like Phal. Florida. But you could also ask Orchid wisperer or Missorchidgirl, they also know a lot of Phals. I love Phals, as they are truely beautiful plants, no matter how often they are sold everywhere. @@HerebutNot
I’m on Instagram as @here_butnot I have a bunch of these as single photos
@@HerebutNot I´m not in social media. :-))
Oh, no prob! Sorry
subscribed :0) Be back later to check your videos out Carolyn
What happened to him?
Too many plants. Got into breeding and growing orchids from seed and they took over
Still posting updates on Instagram regularly though:
instagram.com/p/CjMswE-uWlj/?igshid=NjQxMzA2Mjk=
Am I the only one who can barely hear him? So much knowledge and I either have to hold my phone up to my ear to hear and then I can't see what he's talking about😢
Hi Patty 👋🏻 sorry to hear you can’t hear the audio. In newer videos I have started using a mic, but I haven’t had any other people comment about audio problems. Try turning your phone audio up
Earphones, my friend!
grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr... I couldn't take the interruptions. I know this is an old video but c'mon
Sorry it’s not up to your expectations. Good luck with your plants!
*edited*
edited
Hello Here...but Not, please don't get me wrong, im not a keyboard warrior, i think we share the same hobby.
Regarding the comment, you can use water+nutrients with a pH value between 4.5-8.5pH only if you use chelated
nutrients. Chelations occurs when a micro-nutrient molecule is surrounded by a chealing molecule which prevents the oxidization of that molecule
by either oxygen or hydroxides in the root zone. You can find chelated ingredients at most hydroponic products. For example: EDTA or DTPA are synthetic chelatants that you will find in many hydroponic lines of nutrients. The derived from list will read: Copper EDTA, Zinc EDTA, Iron DTPA, ect. Fe2 is often chelated with DTPA because
Fe2 wants to turn into Fe3 in the presence of oxygen or hydroxides. Fe3 is a non-bioavaliable form of iron,whereas Fe2 is a bioavailable form of iron.
This just keeps the nutrient solution available to the plants and free of superfluous nutrient build ups. Regarding orchid's, every orchid's lover should know at least the PH and nutrients availability and how PH affects plant nutrient uptake.
Antonio...riiiight. But I’m not using hydroponic fertilizers. And...more to the point of my statement in this video, many lythophytic species have adapted to survive in high pH environments where they are better-able to absorb iron in nature where freely available iron is less (because the pH is higher from interactions with water and limestone). My point about high pH is that many ppl have struggled to care for lithophytes (such as Phal lowii and cochlearis), and I believe it’s because those species can suffer from iron toxicity at lower pH levels where iron is more abundantly available to the plant. This nutrient toxicity affect is known in many alkaline-preferring plants that have adapted to high-pH environments (but are then grown in low pH environments and struggle). This same issue happens for people who grow lithophytic paphs and phrags (such as kovachii).
Getting to the point of your comment...am I an orchid expert? Sure I am-I grow and care for over 250 plants and that makes me, in some capacity, an expert. Am I a biologist or chemist? Naaaa...
If you don’t find value in my videos, no problem; feel free to block or hide my channel. You live in Portugal where growing orchids is EXPONENTIALLY easier than growing in a climate like mine.
Thanks for the comment-enjoy your day.
Here...but Not i enjoy your videos. I really do, and i understand your point of view. Im gonna edit my first comment. Take care
You having boyfriend makes my heartbreak :(((