Although the name is confusing, phalaenopsis orchids are among the easiest and most rewarding plants to grow at home. Jane walks us through the process of blossoming and powering ours!
Phalaenopsis Orchids, Moth Orchids, Phals whatever you want to call them, we can’t help but fall in love with them when we see them in the nursery or supermarket, their delicate, vivid flowers begging us to take them home. That is, until the blooms fade, fall off, and you’re left with a sad-looking barren stem and a couple of leaves… at which point most people give up, throw the bunch away, and purchase another. Jane, on the other hand, is here to show you that with a little bit of love and a little bit of knowledge, you can keep these orchids looking fantastic.
About Phalaenopsis Orchids
There are approximately seventy species of phalaenopsis that exist naturally, but there are thousands of cultivars and hybrids that have been produced over many years. Orchids of the genus Phalaenopsis are tropical plants that grow in the hot, humid lowlands of Indonesia, India, Southeast Asia, the Philippines, and northern Australia.
What Do They Need?
Given their origins, it’s no wonder that these orchids prefer higher temperatures, with a favored growing range of 18 to 28 degrees Celsius during the day and 15 to 18 degrees Celsius at night. This means you can grow these beauties outside in dependably warm parts of Australia, but for the most part, these orchids will do best indoors, where the weather is less erratic. Finding a nice spot at your house is as simple as looking for a warm, well lit area that is out of direct sunshine. While windowsills may appear to be ideal, keep in mind that glass can grow cold overnight, as well as air conditioners and draughts, which might throw these guys off.
But heat alone isn’t enough to keep these creatures happy; they also require humidity, which should be between 40% and 70%. Examine your orchid; if the humidity is too low, wrinkled leaves, slowed development, and even bud drop will indicate that the humidity is too low. Try standing your orchid on a plate of stones filled with water before reaching for the misting bottle or purchasing a room humidifier. This produces an ideal mini-microclimate, and the stones prevent the pot from sinking into the water, which can cause rot and fungus.
To Mist or Not To Mist?
Is it necessary to shower your orchids? While many professional growers do this, they only do it when the growing conditions are ideal, with the correct amount of light, airflow, humidity, and heat to avoid difficulties. For home gardeners, spraying the leaves of orchids can raise the risk of bacterial or fungal outbreaks, and water on the fragile blooms can see petals disintegrate swiftly. Misting the orchid has absolutely no benefit, and humidity is better controlled by using water in a tray.
Cutting the Flower Spike
Your orchid should be ready for another flush of blossoms with the correct light, heat, and humidity, but there are a few things we can do to speed up the process. Because Phalaenopsis orchids can re-bloom on the same stalk, you have three alternatives after the flowers have fallen: leave the flower spike (or stem) intact, trim it back to a node, or remove it totally.
You may receive a second flush of flowers if you leave the blossom stem alone, but they will be smaller than the first blooms. If left unattended, the stems can grow unattractive and gangly.
Pruning the flower spike back to a node nearly always results in a new cluster of spectacular blooms, usually within 8 to 12 weeks. To do so, cut the stem down the middle, leaving only two nodes the small brown lines below the blooms. A new flower spike will emerge from one of these nodes.
If the spike gets wilted, yellow, or brown, it should be cut off at the base of the plant and discarded, as it will not produce any more blooms. By removing the spent spike, the plat can focus its efforts on root development and growth, which will almost certainly result in a brand-new bloom spike!
When to repot
Moth orchids’ thick, meaty roots are sometimes seen creeping out of pots. Don’t worry; these lovely orchids are epiphytic or saprophytic, meaning they grow on trees or rocks, which explains their climbing roots and preference for loose, chunky organic potting mixtures. When it’s time to repot, either every 1218 months or when there’s no more growing medium to use, it’s best to use a bark-based commercially available Orchid Mix blend just make sure it’s tick-free and suited for epiphytic orchids.
Choose a new pot that is just around 5cm wider than the old one when repotting. It doesn’t have to be any deeper – in fact, orchids prefer shallow pots with a bit of width because their roots tend to spread out rather than down. A terracotta orchid container with holes for roots around the outside or the transparent plastic pots they are commonly marketed in are the two primary options for the amateur grower when purchasing a new pot. The clear plastic containers are believed to allow the roots to absorb sunlight and allow us to quickly inspect the roots for signs of rot or bugs. Make certain that the container you purchase has enough drainage holes.
How to repot Phalaenopsis Orchids
Orchid Mix can be used straight from the bag, with no need to mix it with other materials.
Remove the from its current pot and loosen the root ball gently. Remove any roots that are dead or damaged.
When repotting is complete, place the orchid in the center of the pot, with the crown slightly below the lip of the pot and clear of the top of the mix. Never plant them too deeply in pots; instead, use bamboo pegs to keep them in place.
Work the mix in and around the roots with your fingers or a tiny stake if needed.
Do not pack down the new pot or container; lightly tap it on the bench to assist the fresh mix settle in and around the roots.
Allow the pot to drain freely after properly watering it (until water runs out of the drainage holes). If required, top up the mixture to the recommended level.
Allow the plant to settle and acclimate by placing the pot or container in the shade for a few days before returning it to its permanent location.
The optimal time to repot a moth orchid is when it has stopped flowering (usually spring or autumn) and new aerial roots are starting to form.
After you’ve pruned or repotted your orchid, make careful to feed it. Phals, like most orchids, are hungry, thus a high-potassium orchid diet should be sprayed every three weeks to enhance flowering (or in accordance with the product instructions). Feeding can be reduced in the winter and throughout the cooler months.
When should I repot my Phalaenopsis orchid?
Repotting Phalaenopsis orchids is best done in the spring or fall, especially if you want to leave them outside for the summer. Phalaenopsis orchid repotting is best done in the spring if your plant hasn’t blossomed in a few years. That way, you may feed the plant all summer long and (hopefully!) get flowers in the fall or winter.
While the optimum times to transplant orchids are in the spring and fall, you may also repot moth orchids in the summer if you make sure the plant gets enough water during this time of year. While a Phalaenopsis orchid is in bloom, the only time you don’t want to repot it is when it’s in bloom. Due to stress and transplant shock, all of the flowers will fall off if you do so.
What is the best potting mix for Phalaenopsis orchid?
Some orchid hobbyists like preparing their own orchid medium and experimenting with different potting ingredients. Every orchid gardener appears to have their own opinions regarding the ideal orchid potting mix. Horticulturists at the University of Tennessee, for example, advocate using 3 parts fir bark, 1 part perlite, and 1 part chopped sphagnum moss in a Phalaenopsis potting mix. Botanists at Texas A&M University, on the other hand, report that their Phalaenopsis orchids do best in a potting mix made up of 80% fir bark and 20% coarse sphagnum peat.
Just Add Ice Orchids should be repotted in fresh orchid growing medium every one to two years since bark and other organic potting materials degrade with time and become less effective at providing the water and nutrients Phalaenopsis orchids require to survive. Watch the orchid care video on our website for instructions on how to repot your Just Add Ice Orchid.
When should I repot my orchid Australia?
Jane demonstrates what to do if your cymbidium orchid is bursting out of its pot!
Once your orchid has completely filled the container and all of the flower spikes have completed – generally in early November – it’s time to repot and divide it.
Steps
You may need to give the pot a couple vigorous taps to dislodge the roots before removing the plant don’t worry, they’re resilient!
Shake off the soil by tickling the fleshy roots to free them up. Clean, sharp secateurs should be used to remove any dead roots.
Divide the clusters where they naturally separate by pulling them apart. If they’re really stuck together, don’t be afraid to use secateurs or even a tomahawk. Any dead clumps with no green shoots should be removed.
Use a good orchid mix to put them up in bunches of around three per pot. Fill the pot to the top with dirt, aligning the top of the roots with the top of the pot.
Do Phalaenopsis orchids need soil?
Phalaenopsis orchids are epiphytes, meaning they attach their roots to other plants rather than growing in the ground like terrestrial orchids. In the wild, they frequently sit on jungle tree limbs, soaking in the heat and filtered light that filters through the canopy of rainforest trees. In a home garden, they’ll need a same setup, which means no dirt.
What do you do with air roots when repotting orchids?
As orchids grow linked to tree trunks and branches, here is where the surface would be in nature.
Orchids are kept in pots standing upright in our homes, although in nature they would be sideways, clinging to surfaces, which is why aerial roots end up “hanging in the air” in household settings.
Allow the aerial roots to remain undisturbed when repotting an orchid. There’s no need to mix them in with the other roots in the pot.
They can’t tolerate much bending, so if you did that, they’d probably break anyway.
So just concentrate on the roots that were already in the pot everything that was in the pot will return to it. What was in the air has the ability to stay in the air.
People have been known to clip the aerial roots if they’ve gotten too long and wild. (Not the people, but the roots)
However, if you find their appearance upsetting, this is only for aesthetic reasons. Or if they’ve begun to take up an excessive amount of space. So, while it’s not something I do or even advocate, I’ve heard of others who have.
However, bear in mind that aerial roots have a purpose, and if your plant ever loses all of its roots inside the container, the aerial roots will save it.
Orchid repotting kit
Prepare for the repotting as soon as possible. There are a few things you’ll need, which you may store in their own box until the next time you need to repot.
Do Phalaenopsis orchids like to be root bound?
A root bound orchid is one that has filled all of the available space in the pot, causing the roots to extend outward. The roots of Phalaenopsis orchids must be crushed and squeezed within their pot, and unlike other houseplants, Phalaenopsis like to be root bound.
Can I use regular potting soil for orchids?
Orchid growers who are new to the hobby quickly learn that good orchids do not thrive in ordinary potting soil. It’s too dense, doesn’t drain well enough, and most orchids grow in the airthe medium serves only to provide a surface for the roots to adhere to.
Should I water orchid after repotting?
Simply water and spray your orchid on a regular basis for the first week following repotting. Fertilize your orchid the second week after repotting, using rooting solution instead of fertilizer. During the weeks that your Phalaenopsis is fertilized, do not water it.
How do I know when my orchid needs repotting?
How to Repot Orchids: An Orchid FAQ
- Repotted orchids should be repotted when they are fresh, every year or two, or when the roots become crowded and push up and out of the pot.
- Decomposed bark mix fills in the air pockets that orchid roots require; fresh bark mix is chunky and loose.
Bark Potting Mix
- Take one part tree bark that has been grounded. Coastal redwood, Douglas fir, or Osmunda tree fern bark are all possibilities.
- Add one-fifth part perlite or peat moss to the same container and thoroughly mix it with the tree bark.
- For a high-quality potting mix, mix one part osmunda bark with three parts redwood. Before adding it to the recipe, make sure it has been soaked overnight.
Fine Potting Mix
- Fill a container with four parts fine fir bark, fine-grade coco chips, and redwood bark using a measuring jug.
- To the container, add one part fine charcoal and one part perlite. Mix until you have a homogeneous consistency mix.
- That concludes our discussion. It’s time to use your potting soil! Planting orchids with little roots, such as oncidiums or miltonias, in fine potting mix is perfect.
Sphagnum Potting Mix
Measure nine scoops of sphagnum moss in a measuring utensil. Add two scoops of medium sponge rock and one scoop of aerolite to the bucket after the sphagnum moss has been added. All you have to do now is combine all of the ingredients with a ladle, and you’re done!
Coconut Husk Chips Mix
Rinse the coconut chips thoroughly and combine 2 parts with 1 part charcoal and 1 part perlite in a mixing bowl. Allow the mixture to rest overnight after adding the water. Make sure you press out all of the extra water before putting it in a container.