Orchids are probably among the most popular luxurious flowering plants. Phalaenopsis orchids, moth orchids or phals, are really lovely house plants native to Australia and southeastern Asia. These beautiful decorative plants usually have several quite broad, floppy, alternating leaves, and one or more flower spikes carrying luxurious large flowers.
The flowers can be of any color, and they can also be striped. These astonishing, decorative flowers are usually up to 4 inches in diameter and bloom on one long, elegant spike. There can be a few spikes on some larger plant, with several flowers on each, although there is mostly one spike with maybe six flowers on, but, since they are quite large, the plant looks really attractive with only a few flowers on.
There are so many species of orchids, and the problem is that each requires different type of care. Phals prefer diffuse light, preferably morning light, indirect by all means, and temperatures around seventy degrees F. Make sure your plant is really a phal first, before finding a right place for it. If you choose the east window, you probably won't make a mistake.
Although moths prefer indirect or filtered morning light, the right amount of light is really important, if you want it to bloom regularly. If it doesn't get enough sun, it won't re-bloom as it should. On the other hand, direct sunlight might burn the leaves. Finding the right balance is quite important here, and the best type of light is natural light.
Plant your new moth in a clay pot filled with bark mix, there are several types designed especially for orchids. In any case, you should never use various potting soils for this purpose. Moths require substrates that dry easily and allow the roots to get enough air. Plastic pots can also be used. The important thing is that the pot has enough holes on the bottom.
Watering is quite tricky. Too much water could make damage to the roots, and although the plant should be watered once a week, it's better to check the soil first. If the soil is wet, don't water the plant yet. When watering the orchid, pour the water only on the substrate, and do it until it starts to come out from the holes.
Feed your plant once a month with orchid fertilizer diluted in water. When choosing the fertilizer, avoid these that use urea as the nitrogen source, because it can burn the root tips. It is better to use maybe one half of the recommended amount of fertilizer, and be careful not to get any on the leaves or in between them, just in the substrate.
The best temperature is in between 70 and 80 degrees during day, and over 60 during nights. If you are buying the plant, check the roots first. Healthy roots should be silver-green with green tops. If they are brown, the plant was probably over-watered, and if they are hard and brittle, under-watered. The plant may be saved if you trim those squishy roots and re-pot the phal, but the one with brittle roots might not be saved.
The flowers can be of any color, and they can also be striped. These astonishing, decorative flowers are usually up to 4 inches in diameter and bloom on one long, elegant spike. There can be a few spikes on some larger plant, with several flowers on each, although there is mostly one spike with maybe six flowers on, but, since they are quite large, the plant looks really attractive with only a few flowers on.
There are so many species of orchids, and the problem is that each requires different type of care. Phals prefer diffuse light, preferably morning light, indirect by all means, and temperatures around seventy degrees F. Make sure your plant is really a phal first, before finding a right place for it. If you choose the east window, you probably won't make a mistake.
Although moths prefer indirect or filtered morning light, the right amount of light is really important, if you want it to bloom regularly. If it doesn't get enough sun, it won't re-bloom as it should. On the other hand, direct sunlight might burn the leaves. Finding the right balance is quite important here, and the best type of light is natural light.
Plant your new moth in a clay pot filled with bark mix, there are several types designed especially for orchids. In any case, you should never use various potting soils for this purpose. Moths require substrates that dry easily and allow the roots to get enough air. Plastic pots can also be used. The important thing is that the pot has enough holes on the bottom.
Watering is quite tricky. Too much water could make damage to the roots, and although the plant should be watered once a week, it's better to check the soil first. If the soil is wet, don't water the plant yet. When watering the orchid, pour the water only on the substrate, and do it until it starts to come out from the holes.
Feed your plant once a month with orchid fertilizer diluted in water. When choosing the fertilizer, avoid these that use urea as the nitrogen source, because it can burn the root tips. It is better to use maybe one half of the recommended amount of fertilizer, and be careful not to get any on the leaves or in between them, just in the substrate.
The best temperature is in between 70 and 80 degrees during day, and over 60 during nights. If you are buying the plant, check the roots first. Healthy roots should be silver-green with green tops. If they are brown, the plant was probably over-watered, and if they are hard and brittle, under-watered. The plant may be saved if you trim those squishy roots and re-pot the phal, but the one with brittle roots might not be saved.
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