Phalaenopsis Orchid Care

Here are some tips for Phalaenopsis (moth) orchids. These are the most common orchids found in the stores. The most important tip is to buy these orchids already potted in bark, not sphagnum moss.

	4 elements to a healthy reblooming orchid: 1. fresh potting mix (less than 2 years old) 2. correct amount of light 3. watering and fertilizer (bloom food and grow food) 4. for phals: lower night temps in the late summer, early fall.
Dry roots watered roots Crown	Watering and Fertilizer: Watering orchids is different from other house plants. When you water the plant the water runs very quickly out the bottom and we think there is no way this can be good. It is, in the wild orchids are attached to the sides of trees and water runs down over the roots, that's why we pot them in bark so the water can flow out of the pot quickly. Orchids are used to this type of watering, don't worry. When I first get an orchid I spray the potting media with superthrive to help the orchid adjust to it's new environment, it also helps to reduce the chance of bud blast occurring (buds will die off from the shock of it's new environment). Typically these orchids require watering every 7 to 10 days in the winter and more often, maybe twice a week in the summer. Always use tepid water, not cold, not hot. To determine if your orchid needs watering look at the roots (This is why I use clear pots). See pictures, if the roots are gray/white the orchid is dry, if they are green they do not need watering. Water first then fertilize. Fertilizing every other watering or fertilizing weakly weekly (meaning using ½ the recommended amount of fertilizer per gallon) is recommended. When the orchid has blooms use bloom food, in the summer when it does not have blooms use grow food. Use fertilizer that does not contain Urea, this is shown to kill Phal Orchids. Also do not water with softened water, the salt will kill the orchid.  You can also use superthrive when the orchid is not blooming to encourage root growth. I put 2 drops superthrive into the gallon of grow fertilizer. I also use superthrive when my orchid is blooming but the leaves are listless. I use superthrive in a sprayer and spray four or five times into the potting mix to perk up leaves. I use superthrive only a couple times so I don't stop the blooming cycle. Warning: If when you water you get water in the crown of the orchid take a piece of paper towel and dab in the crown to remove water, you can also spray with peroxide to make sure bacteria does not grow in the crown and kill the orchid. Once you spray the crown with peroxide wait a few minutes and dab the remainder from the crown.
Potting mix clear pot with holes orchid in sphagnum moss only. The moss is packed so tightly that it will smother the roots. top view of sphagnum moss bark chips potting mix. A better option when buying an orchid.	Potting: Do not repot this or any orchid while it is blooming, or your blooms will die. Repot once blooming is finished. I think why people believe orchids are difficult to grow is because they apply what they know of other house plants to orchids. We plant house plants into bigger pots so the roots have room to grow and plants that are root bound are seen as a bad thing. The opposite is true for orchids. They thrive when they are underpotted which is counter intuitive, believe me I know, I killed my first three orchids because I didn't believe what I read. Once I listened and stopped overpotting my orchids they thrived. Phal orchids should be repotted every two years, usually late spring. This is the biggest mistake people make, not repotting their orchid. Potting mix will break down and acid will build up. If an orchid mix looks old or something looks wrong-- dead roots, listless leaves, or the orchid is potted in Sphagnum moss only etc., I will sometimes repot right away even if the Orchid is blooming.  I use superthrive in the water to keep the orchid from the shock of repotting. I don't like Sphagnum moss only as a potting mix as it tends to smother the roots and kill the orchid. It's fine for green houses with huge fans but for the home it just does not work. The potting mix I use is 1/3 bark, 1/3 pearlite, 1/3 sphagnum moss. I first put on plastic gloves to protect my hands from splinters and also to protect the orchid from bacteria. Then I remove the orchid from the pot, remove old potting mixture, rinse the roots in the sink, then spray the roots with peroxide. I use peroxide to kill of any bugs, eggs, or mold. Cut off any dead roots. Then I repot using the new mix. I also use clear pots with many holes in the pot (I use an old screwdriver heated on the stove to make the holes). The holes allow air to get to the roots easier, The clear pot allows photosynthesis to occur. Phal orchids like to be under potted so keep that in mind when choosing the new pot. There are a bunch of youtube videos showing you how to repot the orchid. I like missorchidgirl the best. Warning: If your orchid has air roots do not put them in the bark as they will die off. Also dip your scissors in alcohol to sterilize them before you cut any roots.
	Light: Phals require little light and will sunburn if placed in direct sunlight. East and West windows are best. However I have mine in a North window and they do just fine. Phals also grow well under fluorescent lights. Light for 12 hours a day is typical.(medium to low light 1000-1500 foot candles) Reduce the light per day when trying to induce blooming.
	Bug spray: I use a mix of 1 cup alcohol, 1 cup water, 1 tsp. Soap. Spray the whole orchid and let it sit for 24 hours then flush the potting mix. This should work, otherwise use the bug spray of your choice. I use Bayer 3 in 1 except if you have a dendrobium it might not be good. For a fungicide or bacteriacide I use Physon 20.
I put my phals on the windowsill let them get warm during the day (75 degrees) Then at night I close the blinds and the curtains so the temp drops (60 degrees or so) soon a spike is initiated. They look like this at first. The end kind of looks like a mitten. After a couple of weeks the spike looks like this. It will take 8-10 weeks for your spike to grow and blooms to open. Be patient. Once your spike is about 6 or 7 inches or so then begin training it to grow upright to the spike. Use a shoelace or ribbon and every couple of days tighten it a little bit more until it is next to the stake and then add a clip.	Re-blooming: Phals left to their own devices will bloom. As long as the media is good (repotted every two years, it is getting fertilizer, and cooler night temperature (55 – 65 degrees) for 3-4 weeks should trigger re-blooming. Place your orchid in an area that has lower night temperature. Once you see a flower spike, start giving it Bloom food instead of Grow food. See Pics to the left.
	Summer outdoors: Phal orchids do well outdoors in the right conditions. This is the time the orchid grows and it will grow more outdoors. Place the orchid in an area that does not receive mid-day sun. Early morning sun and shade for the rest of the day would be best. Place them outdoors once the night time temp is above 55 degrees. Try to simulate the conditions the orchids have indoors, so they are not shocked at being placed outside.
blooms cut at new node and now sprouting new buds node #1 Where to cut once blooms are finished to get this node to bloom. (most nodes will not have developed a sprout) Where to cut the spike when it is finished blooming.	Flower spikes: once your orchid starts to spike, after it is a few inches long, place a bamboo stick close to the spike and carefully place a ribbon around the spike and the stick. Every couple of days pull the ribbon closer to the spike, eventually the spike will be right next to the stick and you can add a clip. The spike should now grow upright. Thank you missorchidgirl for this tip! After the first blooms have finished the node below the old blooms may begin to grow more blooms. After the blooms are finished cut the spike above the node. This will allow the node to develop and you will have more blooms. (see pictures) Most nodes look like node #1 when you cut the spike. Once the orchid is finished blooming cut the spike above the node closest to the leaves and begin watering with grow fertilizer. Make sure to sterilize your scissors before cutting the spike.
	New Orchids: When you purchase a new orchid, if that orchid has pests or molds you can transfer them to the other orchids in your collection. One of the ways around this is to quarantine your new orchid for a few months and look for pests and molds. If you are like me and don't want to wait that long you can drench your new orchid. Use a systemic insecticide that contains imidacloprid. I use Bayer 3 in 1 as it also contains a miticide. Mix up a drench and pour it into the potting mix. Keep your new orchid separate for 24 hours. The drench is absorbed into the roots and then transmitted throughout the plant. Then you can place your new orchid into your collection.