Growing Orchids
Once you have purchased your orchid you will need to make a big decision. How long do you want to keep it around? Many people will discard their orchid after it finishes blooming the first time. With a little extra knowledge and attention, these orchids can live for many years and bring you beautiful flowers. The longer you care for the plant, the more flowers it will grow, and the more attached you may become. The tips below will help you learn how to grow and care for your orchid.
Potting
Caring for your orchid starts with understanding the plant in its natural environment. The phalaenopsis orchids featured on this site are known as an epiphyte. That is they grow on other plants for anchorage, but do not use them for nutrients like a parasite. These particular plants grow on trees, specifically on their bark. So in the wild, phalaenopsis' roots grow directly on bark (sometimes with patches of moss). The roots get wet when it rains, but also receive lots of air and dry out in between waterings. This is why the phalaenopsis must be planted in a mixture of large bark chunks mixed with Spanish moss. Below is a photo of a healthy and well potted orchid. If you plant these orchids in dirt, their roots will have no air, too much water and quickly rot.
More often than not, when you purchase a new orchid from a store it will be planted in straight moss. While this is a fine enough medium for a few months of flowering, they should be re-potted once the flowers have all finished blooming. Below is a photo of an orchid I purchased that was planted in all moss that should be re-potted. For the best pot, you should look for something that allows good air and water drainage. Some specially made orchid pots even have holes in the sides for extra air filtration. I have personally found basic clay pots with a hole in the bottom ideal. They are also quite cheap!
Watering
Watering is one of the easiest parts of the phalaenopsis orchid care. Because these plants require wet / dry cycles, just like in nature, you only need to water them once a week when planted in the recommended potting medium above. If you pour the water over the plant, it will quickly run off the bark. You will want to submerge the plant in water to allow the bark and moss to soak up the moisture for about 10 minutes. Then allow the water to fully drain. You should never leave your plant sitting in water for more than 10 minutes once a week. Some instructions upon purchase will simplify watering instructions when planted in moss by having you place a small number of ice cubes on the potting mixture once a week. I water my orchids once every Sunday.
Lighting
In their natural environment the phalaenopsis orchid grows in forested environments. The thick vegetation blocks out much of the sun, while these orchids will get more sun than those growing directly on the ground, they do not need full sun. These plants should get a good amount of filtered light throughout the day. If you don't live in a warm or tropical climate year around you will probably be keeping your orchid inside most of the year just as I do. Because most windows offer a reasonable amount of light filtration even with plain glass, in most cases you can place your orchid in or around any sunny window as long as it does not receive full sun all day long.
Temperature & Humidity
These plans need a lot of humidity. While there are ways of creating localized humidity with fancy decorative trays with rocks and water, there are easier alternatives. I keep my orchids in the kitchen window above the sink. This provides plenty of moisture to keep my phalaenopsis healthy. You can also keep them in the bathroom window. These rooms are also generally warmer than others in the home. Don't bother spritzing your orchids. The water will evaporate quickly in low humidity environments and provide little more than a brief immediate spike in moisture. All plants to some extent sweat and create localized humidity. Keeping your plants in close proximity to other plants will help provide ideal humid conditions. If you are able to measure humidity, aim for 50% or higher where possible. In their natural environment, it's closer to 90-100% humidity.
As far as temperature goes, the phalaenopsis is quite tolerate of a reasonable range of temperatures. They do best when the temperature is between 65-75 degrees fahrenheit. This is not only ideal temperature for the plant, but also for most humans which makes them a wonderful indoor plant.
As far as temperature goes, the phalaenopsis is quite tolerate of a reasonable range of temperatures. They do best when the temperature is between 65-75 degrees fahrenheit. This is not only ideal temperature for the plant, but also for most humans which makes them a wonderful indoor plant.
Blooming
Most people buy orchids for their amazing blooms, but when the blooms die they sometimes throw the plant away thinking it's dead. Let me assure you that with good care your orchid can, and will bloom again. So don't throw these amazing plants away when the it's done flowering. But when will it flower again?
The phalaenopsis orchid in the wild will bloom once a year upon arrival of the cool season. Because of this, if it's been over a year since your orchid has flowered, try moving it to a cooler room for a few weeks in less sunlight. When the flowering stalk begins to grow you will see a small protrusion from the core of the plant. At first ,you may mistake this for another root as roots come out in a very similar fashion. The flower-stem, unlike the root, will begin to grow upward. The older your orchid is, the larger the flower-stems will be, the more branches they may have, and the more flowers will grow. Below is a photo of miniature phalaenopsis orchid I have had for several years now. In this flowering season, the plant went through over 25 blooms.
The phalaenopsis orchid in the wild will bloom once a year upon arrival of the cool season. Because of this, if it's been over a year since your orchid has flowered, try moving it to a cooler room for a few weeks in less sunlight. When the flowering stalk begins to grow you will see a small protrusion from the core of the plant. At first ,you may mistake this for another root as roots come out in a very similar fashion. The flower-stem, unlike the root, will begin to grow upward. The older your orchid is, the larger the flower-stems will be, the more branches they may have, and the more flowers will grow. Below is a photo of miniature phalaenopsis orchid I have had for several years now. In this flowering season, the plant went through over 25 blooms.
The blooms should last for many weeks and even months. The flower buds general appear as a brightening colored version of the stem. Flowers are also the best immediate indicator that the plant's health may be struggling. If you notice flower buds that have stopped growing for several weeks, or have turned brown it's often a sign that the plant is being kept in improper conditions. Below is an image of three healthy phalaenopsis flower bud in their various phases.