Phalaenopsis is commonly known as moth orchid.
Despite what you've heard about the impossibility of growing orchids as houseplants, if you're willing to dedicate some time to the task, you will end up with attractive flowers that add grace to your home. Of the 25,000 orchid species, Phalaenopsis is the most widely sold as a houseplant. Although this is an orchid that attaches itself to trees in the wild and grows upside down, it also adapts to container culture when you pot it correctly. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Buy a container designed for growing orchids, as they have vertical slits on their sides for increased drainage. Select a pot made of clay, a porous material that allows potting mix to dry quickly after irrigation.
2. Fill the pot with store-bought orchid potting mix -- usually a blend of fir bark, peat moss and perlite -- that provides space for air and water to circulate freely.
3. Rinse the orchid roots in lukewarm water prior to potting the plant. Trim dead leaves, faded blooms and roots that look discolored. Plant the orchid with its root crown at the same level as it was in the original planter.
4. Water the orchid until excess runs through the drainage holes. Some types of orchids have an organ that stores moisture. Water them only after their growing medium completely dries. Phalaenopsis, however, requires water more frequently. Irrigate this species when most of the water has evaporated, but when there's still some moisture in the potting mix.
5. Fill a plant tray with gravel and water. Place the orchid planter in it for the humid environment. Turn a humidifier on in the room if your climate is dry, such as in the desert. Run a fan on low or open a window to prevent plant diseases that thrive in moist places from developing.
6. Repot Phalaenopsis every one to two years when the plant finishes blooming in late spring. Plant it in a pot the size of its root system. If the current planter is still adequate, rinse it, replace the potting mix with fresh material and put the orchid back in it.
Tags: growing orchids
