Once thought of as hard to grow and exotic, orchids can now be found growing very successfully in many homes. These beautiful flowering plants are quickly becoming one of the more popular houseplants. Over the past few years there have been new cultivars that have been created to be able to grow in the average home. One of the easiest orchids to grow in the home is the Phalaenopsis orchids. They are sometimes referred to as a Moth orchid because the flowers resemble a flying moth. The Phalaenopsis orchids are one of the more popular orchids and are the ones that are most often available in the garden centres. They have large, thick leaves and the blooms grow on long arching stems that rise above the foliage. Some stems can contain as many 20 flowers. The flowers can be pink, white, purple, yellow, or striped. If cared for properly the flowers will last for weeks giving you months of enjoyment. They usually bloom once a year but can sometimes be coaxed to bloom twice in a year.
To grow a Phalaenopsis orchid successfully, it needs to be placed in the right environment. Place it in an area of the home where it will get lots of bright, indirect light. An east or north facing window or a sheltered south facing will work. Humidity is also very important, as orchids enjoy a high humidity in nature. A kitchen or bathroom window is ideal as these rooms tend to have a higher humidity because there is water being used in these rooms. We have orchids growing in our kitchen window at home that do very well. They are near the sink and the moisture in the air is high, which is what the orchids like. Another solution to create a higher humidity is to place the orchid on a pebble tray. Pebble trays are large trays or saucers, (that are larger then the pot size of the orchid) that are filled with pebbles, stones, tiny rocks, etc. After the pebbles have been placed in the tray, fill the tray with water to just beneath the top layer of pebbles. The orchid is placed on top of the water filled pebble tray and as the water rises up and evaporates it raises the humidity around the orchid. You can use large trays and place several plants on one tray. The most important thing to remember is to keep the water level just below the top layer of pebbles in the pebble tray, so that the orchids roots are not sitting in water. Water is the one thing that kills more orchids then any other thing. Most orchids are killed due to overwatering. Orchids do not need a lot of water. They prefer to be on the dry side. Give the orchid a good thorough water, using room temperature water, draining out any excess water, and then allow it to go dry before you water again. When you see that the roots that sit out of the pot turn silvery white and the foliage begins to look dull, it is time to water. When watering the orchid, try not to get water on the growing tip as this will cause it to rot. Phalaenopsis orchids enjoy, even, normal house temperatures of 20-28 Celsius during the day and slightly cooler at night. Keep them out of the drafts or from outside doors where
Phalaenopsis orchids are epiphytes meaning that they grow on trunks and branches or branches of other plants for support. They do not need soil to grow in. Orchid roots need to breathe which is why they are planted in an airy mixture that consists of bark, cork, charcoal etc. They are also planted in orchid pots, which are pots that have slits along the sides that allows air circulation. When an orchid becomes root bound every 2 years on average, it can be re-potted into a pot one size larger then the one it is in, using orchid mix as the planting medium. Only repot the orchid when it is not in bloom.
When the orchid has finished blooming remove the flower stem down to the first node below the lowest bloom, if the stem is still green. If the stem is dead, remove the stem down to near the base of the plant. Sometimes the orchid will produce a new stem, but if not, place it in a cooler area of the home which should make the orchid produce a new stem.
