How to care for Phalaenopsis Orchid?

dougie24

Hi Ladies and Gents,

Was given a phalaenopsis orchid, its beautiful, has three thick green leaves and to main shoots which have about 10 flowers on each!

I have just learned from after doing a search that I should not be watering the actual plant as it can rot!!_pale_

Only had it about a month, it has two other shoots which looked withered and dead - I have cut them? Not sure if I should have really!!

Just wondered if anyone has any advice and how often they should be repotted as this one looks like it may need it already!!

Thanks!

Jayar

Not sure about this plant in particular (hopefully someone with more experience will come along). However, about re-potting: I only ever re-pot a plant when it has all but filled the pot it's in. The gardening gurus say that it is better to let a plant grow out of a pot rather than grow into it.

loulvj

Hello dougie24,

Firstly the good news: Phalaenopsis is supposed to be the easiest orchid to care for, I've had one for a few months and it's still alive so I suppose it could be true! :rotfl:

My Granny has incredibly green fingers and here is how she told me to look after it:

1. Water once a week (preferably with rain water although mine seems to be doing fine on London tap water). I do this by taking the inner plastic plant pot out of its outer pot and over to the sink. I gently run the tap onto the compost (not on the leaves, you are right that this could rot the plant) and let the water drain through. Be sure never to leave the plant standing in water.

2. Feed every two weeks when the plant is not flowering with specific orchid food. I haven't done this yet as mine is only just losing its flowers.

3. Keep out of direct sunlight and drafts.

4. When flowers eventually die cut back flowering stem to one of the "bumps" along the stem. Sorry I can't remember the proper name!

RE repotting: your plant will not out grow its container, but it will need the compost changed every 2 to 3 years when it has exhausted the nutrients.

I think that the dried up shoot that you mentioned is one of the orchid's air roots which has died back. My plant has a couple and I have just left them there, I wouldn't worry too much about it if I were you.

Lastly if your plant is new and it dies back suddenly then it's probably not your fault. Orchids are very slow to react and if it dies within the first 5 weeks then it is reacting to a shock it had before you bought it.

I hope this answers your questions, good luck!

tanith

I now have 3 orchids that OH has brought home for me and they have continually flowered since he gave them to me....

I keep in a very light place but not direct sun I water them when the compost is dry by filling the sink with water place them in the water up to the pot rim and leave them for about an hour, then I leave them on the draining board for another hour, this allows the compost to become damp but no water remains in the pot... I feed them a weak solution of ordinary garden liqued feed every 3 weeks in the summer . The air roots I just leave to do their thing unless they become dry and very brittle in which case I snip them off near the stem.. remove any dying leaves and the flower stalks once the flowers are gone.. if it becomes necessary to repot you need to use proper orchid compost which I bought in B & Q its like bark...

I removed 2 flower stalks from one of my orchids last week and already a new leaf is forming and at least 2 flower stalks are budding on the stem...

Good luck they really are the easiest thing to grow with spectacular results everyone comments on them and yet they require hardly any care really...

dougie24

Thank you for step by step guide - exactly what I needed!!

Thanks for the advice both of you!! x