How To Care Phalaenopsis Orchids
Phalaenopsis orchids are without a doubt not only one of the most popular of all orchid types worldwide. They are also definitely one of the most beautiful of all the varieties that orchids do come in as a rule. This specific genus of orchid is native to both Asia and northern Australia and in Asia they are grow from the Himalayan Mountains to the Philippine Islands per se. The genus Phalaenopsis can proudly boost of sixty different species and a host of cultivars in addition to add to the list. What makes Phalaenopsis orchids unique is the fact that they are have what is known as a monopodial growth habit and because of this they are able to grow upwards from a single point only.
The Phalaenopsis orchid is also called the "Moth Orchid" because its flowers look like the shape of a moth or butterfly and is considered one of the most common of all orchids because it is easy to produce by nurseries that somehow get them to bloom all year round. They can also be grown at home and can bloom for a very long time if one knows how to care for them correctly.
Two of the top things that beginners to orchid land will come to realize are that they need lots of water and lots of light. How much water and how much light you administer to orchids depend on its specific type and the requirements that go along with each one per se.
Phalaenopsis orchids are funny where water is concerned. They mostly do like to dry out between scheduled watering times on the average. Most orchids need to be watered periodically say once a week. Nevertheless, these unique orchids tend to like it a bit on the dry side. Therefore, to determine when to water them next is to do the finger test. You can insert either your finger or a wooden pencil about an inch into the orchid's media. If the medium feels not spongy and is, dry. You know it is now time to water your Phalaenopsis.
Phalaenopsis orchids also get along just fine in bright light. However, it must be indirect in its own way. This species of orchid is monopodial as was previously stated and they do not possess the same kind of leaves that hold water, as does a sympodial orchid. The leaves of a Phalaenopsis orchid grow from a centralized stem and are different from the pseudo bulbs that a sympodial orchid does have.
It is the overall culture of the Phalaenopsis orchid to get light from a windowsill as much as they can and live in moisture. Nevertheless, at times, they do enjoy being dry, you just cannot let them get bone dry between watering. This kind of orchid species does very well as houseplants and they do thrive in homes that are constantly warm as a rule.
Because of the fact that the Phalaenopsis orchid does so well in environments that are humid, sometimes, they fail to realize when the fall season has emerged and they should be going through a blooming spike once the growth phase has ceased in them for the year. So due to this fact, they need to recognize that it is indeed Fall, and the only way to do this is to expose them to a lower temperature of in the 60s for a couple of nights to promote the blooming spike that they usually go through in the Fall season.
Phals as Phalaenopsis orchids are fondly called by those who own them are truly very easy orchids to care for and are the most recognizable among the different orchid species that make up the genus classification as a rule. These specific orchids are also one of the chosen favorites of orchid growers for a number of reasons, which include its compactness and the fact that it is the perfect indoor plant.
The following is the basics for the care of your Phalaenopsis orchid. They are:
• Bright light that is sufficient in detail. However, no direct sunlight
• The water needs of mature plants versus seedlings do vary. Make sure that your mature plants do not dry out too much between watering and that seedlings get the constant attention they require
• The temperature needs also vary between mature plants and seedlings. Mature plants need a 15 to 20 F difference between the day and the night. The daily temperatures can range from 75 to 85 and the nights of 60 to 65 F. Seedlings need temperatures of that of 10 degrees above mature plants.
• The humidity needs of these orchids is a constant, as they do thrive in warm environments
• The kind of fertilizer you choose must go along with the certain variety of potting media that you are using for your orchid.
Orchid Care in Warm Temperatures As the light summer wind and bracing noon sun treats orchids in nature different during the mid-months, so you must also treat indoor and garden orchids differently yourself during the warm months.
While many plant owners will bring their indoor orchids to the fresh wind and sun of Mother Nature during the summer, precautions should still be exercised. Moisture must be maintained within potted orchids, and many “tough” orchids—such as Cattleyas—can often be watered a day later then normal.
More manageable orchids, such as oncidiums and phalaenopsis, can be watered around twice a week, while taking in a light mist every day. If wrinkling is noticed in the pseudobulbs, these orchids are likely not getting enough water. Orchid Essentials: Mid-Day Shade in the Summer Almost all orchids moved outdoors or growing outdoors require mid-day shade in the blistering summer months. Grown best in the morning, the eastern light is best followed by dappled shade for the rest of the day, with nearly full shade in the mid-afternoon. Exceptions to this rule include the Cymbidiums, which can withstand full afternoon sun.
Most other orchids, however, when exposed to noontime sun, will burn and wither. Resulting in a quick loss of moisture, these plants burn easily and acquire dull yellow and black starched areas. Two such plants, the phalaenopsis and cattleyas, will display a reddish color that will quickly turn to yellow. Summer Blooming and Growing In the summer, many orchids reach their peak blooming season, or the culmination of their blooming. To check a phalaenopsis, cut the flower stem one-half inch from the bottom, if side branches show, the orchid is ready to re-bloom. Once it has bloomed, though, it must be repotted in a bark or bark-and-charcoal orchid mix to recover in a shaded spot for a month. Once fully recovered, the phalaenopsis can be removed to its original spot. The same process can be practiced for Cattleyas in the summer months.
Other orchids reaching their peak periods in the summer, and requiring ample amounts of water and light, include the paphiopedilum and slipper orchids. They, like the phragmipediums, must be kept moist during the hottest hours of the day, often around noon. The water must be administered, and shade must be given, but not at the expense of any sun light at all, which they need to remain healthy.
If the plants reach an unhealthy state during the hot summer months, due to lack of water, air, or light, a fungus or rot will develop. This can be avoided by increasing air circulation, or by using simple fungicides.
LIGHT. The Phalaenopsis orchids grow well near bright windows, with no direct sun light. An east window is ideal in the home; shaded south or west windows are acceptable. In dull, northern winter climates, a full southern exposure may be required. Artificial lighting is acceptable. Two- or four-tube fixtures are suspended six inches to one foot above the foliage, 12 to 16 hours daily. In a greenhouse, heavy shade must be provided to allow 800 to 1,500 f-c of light. No shadow should be seen if you hold your hand one foot above the leaves. If leaves are hot, reduced light intensity.
TEMPERATURE for Phalaenopsis should be above 60 °F at night and between 70° and 82 °F during the day. Although higher temperatures result in fast leaf and root growth, lower light and good air movement must accompany. Do not exceed the limit of 95°F. Temperatures below 78 °F for three to five weeks with good light are needed for initiating flower spikes. Wide fluctuating temperatures and low humidity can cause bud drop on plants with flower buds ready to open.
WATER is especially critical for this orchid. The medium should never be allowed to dry out completely. Plants should be thoroughly watered and not watered again until nearly dry, but not until bone dry. In the heat of the summer in a dry climate, this may be every two to three days, whereas during the winter of a northern climate, it may be every ten or more days. Do not allow water to accumulate in the crown for long to avoid contract decaying diseases. Do not sit pots in standing water for long.
HUMIDITY is recommended to be between 50% and 80% of relative humidity. If RH is lower than 40% in the home, set plants on trays of gravel, partially filled with water so that pots never sit in water. Grouping plants together can slightly raise the humidity in the immediate surrounding area. In humid climates, such as in a greenhouse, it is imperative that the humid air is moving to prevent fungal or bacterial diseases to set in.
FERTILIZER During the growing season, fertilize with a weak orchid fertilizer weekly (weakly weekly, as the growers say). Cut fertilizer back to once a month during the winter and flowering season. Some growers like to give the plant a boost of blooming fertilizer in September or October to provoke a flower spike.
should be applied on a regular schedule, especially if the weather is warm when plants are actively growing. Application of a complete fertilizer, such as Miracle Gro, Peters 20-20-20 or similars, at a rate of half to one teaspoon per one gallon of good quality water at each watering. Reduce this frequency to every other or third watering when it is cool. Make sure that an ample amount of water is applied to allow some excess water to drain from each pot. Water with a high salt concentration should be avoided.
POTTING is best done in late spring or early summer after blooming has completed. Phalaenopsis plants must be potted in quick draining mixes, such as fir bark, tree fern fiber, chunky sphagnum peat, charcoal, perlite, or combinations of these. Root rot will occur if plants are allowed to sit in an old, soggy medium. Your young plants should grow fast enough to need repotting yearly and should be potted in a finer grade medium to allow good root contact. Mature plants are potted in a coarser medium may stay in the same pots for years, provided that medium is changed when needed. To repot, remove all old medium from the roots, trim off rotted roots, and spread the remaining roots over a handful of medium in a pot. Fill the rest of the pot with medium, working through the roots, so that the junction of the upper roots and the stem is slightly below the medium. Be careful not to leave large air pockets in pots. Use a stick to push the medium in between the roots. Keep plants in shade and wait for one to three days before watering.
NOTE: Each individual bloom lasts 80 to 120 days. However, exposure to the fumes and gases from gas stoves, automobiles, and cigarettes can cause all of the flowers and buds to drop prematurely in a few days.
The Phalaenopsis orchid is also called the "Moth Orchid" because its flowers look like the shape of a moth or butterfly and is considered one of the most common of all orchids because it is easy to produce by nurseries that somehow get them to bloom all year round. They can also be grown at home and can bloom for a very long time if one knows how to care for them correctly.
Two of the top things that beginners to orchid land will come to realize are that they need lots of water and lots of light. How much water and how much light you administer to orchids depend on its specific type and the requirements that go along with each one per se.
Phalaenopsis orchids are funny where water is concerned. They mostly do like to dry out between scheduled watering times on the average. Most orchids need to be watered periodically say once a week. Nevertheless, these unique orchids tend to like it a bit on the dry side. Therefore, to determine when to water them next is to do the finger test. You can insert either your finger or a wooden pencil about an inch into the orchid's media. If the medium feels not spongy and is, dry. You know it is now time to water your Phalaenopsis.
Phalaenopsis orchids also get along just fine in bright light. However, it must be indirect in its own way. This species of orchid is monopodial as was previously stated and they do not possess the same kind of leaves that hold water, as does a sympodial orchid. The leaves of a Phalaenopsis orchid grow from a centralized stem and are different from the pseudo bulbs that a sympodial orchid does have.
It is the overall culture of the Phalaenopsis orchid to get light from a windowsill as much as they can and live in moisture. Nevertheless, at times, they do enjoy being dry, you just cannot let them get bone dry between watering. This kind of orchid species does very well as houseplants and they do thrive in homes that are constantly warm as a rule.
Because of the fact that the Phalaenopsis orchid does so well in environments that are humid, sometimes, they fail to realize when the fall season has emerged and they should be going through a blooming spike once the growth phase has ceased in them for the year. So due to this fact, they need to recognize that it is indeed Fall, and the only way to do this is to expose them to a lower temperature of in the 60s for a couple of nights to promote the blooming spike that they usually go through in the Fall season.
Phals as Phalaenopsis orchids are fondly called by those who own them are truly very easy orchids to care for and are the most recognizable among the different orchid species that make up the genus classification as a rule. These specific orchids are also one of the chosen favorites of orchid growers for a number of reasons, which include its compactness and the fact that it is the perfect indoor plant.
The following is the basics for the care of your Phalaenopsis orchid. They are:
• Bright light that is sufficient in detail. However, no direct sunlight
• The water needs of mature plants versus seedlings do vary. Make sure that your mature plants do not dry out too much between watering and that seedlings get the constant attention they require
• The temperature needs also vary between mature plants and seedlings. Mature plants need a 15 to 20 F difference between the day and the night. The daily temperatures can range from 75 to 85 and the nights of 60 to 65 F. Seedlings need temperatures of that of 10 degrees above mature plants.
• The humidity needs of these orchids is a constant, as they do thrive in warm environments
• The kind of fertilizer you choose must go along with the certain variety of potting media that you are using for your orchid.
Orchid Care in Warm Temperatures As the light summer wind and bracing noon sun treats orchids in nature different during the mid-months, so you must also treat indoor and garden orchids differently yourself during the warm months.
While many plant owners will bring their indoor orchids to the fresh wind and sun of Mother Nature during the summer, precautions should still be exercised. Moisture must be maintained within potted orchids, and many “tough” orchids—such as Cattleyas—can often be watered a day later then normal.
More manageable orchids, such as oncidiums and phalaenopsis, can be watered around twice a week, while taking in a light mist every day. If wrinkling is noticed in the pseudobulbs, these orchids are likely not getting enough water. Orchid Essentials: Mid-Day Shade in the Summer Almost all orchids moved outdoors or growing outdoors require mid-day shade in the blistering summer months. Grown best in the morning, the eastern light is best followed by dappled shade for the rest of the day, with nearly full shade in the mid-afternoon. Exceptions to this rule include the Cymbidiums, which can withstand full afternoon sun.
Most other orchids, however, when exposed to noontime sun, will burn and wither. Resulting in a quick loss of moisture, these plants burn easily and acquire dull yellow and black starched areas. Two such plants, the phalaenopsis and cattleyas, will display a reddish color that will quickly turn to yellow. Summer Blooming and Growing In the summer, many orchids reach their peak blooming season, or the culmination of their blooming. To check a phalaenopsis, cut the flower stem one-half inch from the bottom, if side branches show, the orchid is ready to re-bloom. Once it has bloomed, though, it must be repotted in a bark or bark-and-charcoal orchid mix to recover in a shaded spot for a month. Once fully recovered, the phalaenopsis can be removed to its original spot. The same process can be practiced for Cattleyas in the summer months.
Other orchids reaching their peak periods in the summer, and requiring ample amounts of water and light, include the paphiopedilum and slipper orchids. They, like the phragmipediums, must be kept moist during the hottest hours of the day, often around noon. The water must be administered, and shade must be given, but not at the expense of any sun light at all, which they need to remain healthy.
If the plants reach an unhealthy state during the hot summer months, due to lack of water, air, or light, a fungus or rot will develop. This can be avoided by increasing air circulation, or by using simple fungicides.
LIGHT. The Phalaenopsis orchids grow well near bright windows, with no direct sun light. An east window is ideal in the home; shaded south or west windows are acceptable. In dull, northern winter climates, a full southern exposure may be required. Artificial lighting is acceptable. Two- or four-tube fixtures are suspended six inches to one foot above the foliage, 12 to 16 hours daily. In a greenhouse, heavy shade must be provided to allow 800 to 1,500 f-c of light. No shadow should be seen if you hold your hand one foot above the leaves. If leaves are hot, reduced light intensity.
TEMPERATURE for Phalaenopsis should be above 60 °F at night and between 70° and 82 °F during the day. Although higher temperatures result in fast leaf and root growth, lower light and good air movement must accompany. Do not exceed the limit of 95°F. Temperatures below 78 °F for three to five weeks with good light are needed for initiating flower spikes. Wide fluctuating temperatures and low humidity can cause bud drop on plants with flower buds ready to open.
WATER is especially critical for this orchid. The medium should never be allowed to dry out completely. Plants should be thoroughly watered and not watered again until nearly dry, but not until bone dry. In the heat of the summer in a dry climate, this may be every two to three days, whereas during the winter of a northern climate, it may be every ten or more days. Do not allow water to accumulate in the crown for long to avoid contract decaying diseases. Do not sit pots in standing water for long.
HUMIDITY is recommended to be between 50% and 80% of relative humidity. If RH is lower than 40% in the home, set plants on trays of gravel, partially filled with water so that pots never sit in water. Grouping plants together can slightly raise the humidity in the immediate surrounding area. In humid climates, such as in a greenhouse, it is imperative that the humid air is moving to prevent fungal or bacterial diseases to set in.
FERTILIZER During the growing season, fertilize with a weak orchid fertilizer weekly (weakly weekly, as the growers say). Cut fertilizer back to once a month during the winter and flowering season. Some growers like to give the plant a boost of blooming fertilizer in September or October to provoke a flower spike.
should be applied on a regular schedule, especially if the weather is warm when plants are actively growing. Application of a complete fertilizer, such as Miracle Gro, Peters 20-20-20 or similars, at a rate of half to one teaspoon per one gallon of good quality water at each watering. Reduce this frequency to every other or third watering when it is cool. Make sure that an ample amount of water is applied to allow some excess water to drain from each pot. Water with a high salt concentration should be avoided.
POTTING is best done in late spring or early summer after blooming has completed. Phalaenopsis plants must be potted in quick draining mixes, such as fir bark, tree fern fiber, chunky sphagnum peat, charcoal, perlite, or combinations of these. Root rot will occur if plants are allowed to sit in an old, soggy medium. Your young plants should grow fast enough to need repotting yearly and should be potted in a finer grade medium to allow good root contact. Mature plants are potted in a coarser medium may stay in the same pots for years, provided that medium is changed when needed. To repot, remove all old medium from the roots, trim off rotted roots, and spread the remaining roots over a handful of medium in a pot. Fill the rest of the pot with medium, working through the roots, so that the junction of the upper roots and the stem is slightly below the medium. Be careful not to leave large air pockets in pots. Use a stick to push the medium in between the roots. Keep plants in shade and wait for one to three days before watering.
NOTE: Each individual bloom lasts 80 to 120 days. However, exposure to the fumes and gases from gas stoves, automobiles, and cigarettes can cause all of the flowers and buds to drop prematurely in a few days.
- wedding flowers & Decorations
- Mother's Day Flowers
- Valentine's day flowers
- OCCASIONS
- Birthday Flowers
- Anniversary Flowers
- Exotic tropical flowers
- Sympathy & Funeral Flowers
- Thank you flowers
- Get Well Flowers
- New Baby Flowers
- Love & Romance
- Make someone smile
- Fruit Gift Baskets
- Seasonal Flowers
- Silk Flowers
- Flowers By Color
- Flowers By Price
- Flowers By Type
- Roses
- Calla lilies
- Orchids
- Sunflowers
- Tulips
- Plants & Dish garden
- Fresh Flowers Delivery To
