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1. S

   sriraecha

   about 3 years ago

   Watch MissOrchidGirl on Youtube. She has the absolute best orchid info!

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2. J

   Jen

   about 3 years ago

   Yes, ice is a bad idea. You may not see a problem for a while, but for the most part, orchids are tropical plants- they are not used to freezing cold water, and ice can actually cause physical damage to sensitive roots.

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3. 

   MeasomerPi

   about 3 years ago

   I agree with the above suggestions! And will add that orchids do not stay in bloom forever and that is perfectly natural. Most Phalanopsis bloom for around threes months every year. (There is a way to encourage a second bloom but it can affect the number of blooms you get the following year) When the blooms fade, pick the spent ones and when the last one is gone cut the inflorescence back to the base of the plant. Over the next year it will gather resources for the next round of flowers. Water when the media dries out. If your plant is in a transparent pot, look for silver roots (silver = dry, green = wet). My orchids are in mostly bark so when I water, I soak the pot for 10-15 minutes. For my setup, that works out to once a week. You will need to evaluate your media and adjust the frequency accordingly. My experience with plants that come in sphagnum need much less water. Those I water every two to three weeks. Make sure you do not leave water in the crown. That is a great way to encourage crown rot. Each time I water, I use fertilizer at 1/4 strength. One a month I flush with pure water to reduce salt buildup (this is especially important if you are using synthetic fertilizer). I stop fertilizing while in bloom and restart when the plant begins active growth. Put your plant in in bright but indirect light. Direct sun will burn a phal pretty fast. Too low and you won’t get blooms. I have mine an a west window that is shaded by landscaping. They get absolutely no direct sun. If the edges of the leaves turn reddish you know you are at the max limit of sun for your plant. Once it is finished blooming is a great time to repot. Typically, when you bring home a plant, they are in sphagnum that is tightly packed. That’s not a great setup for the home grower. Or the ones in bark have media that is beginning to break down. Generally, you’ll need to repot every 2-3 years or when the media is broken down. If you feel like it’s is time to repot, I would first give it a good soak as things are easier when hydrated. Take the orchid out of the pot and gently remove the media from the roots. Try get it all, but it’s fine if you have to leave some so you don’t damage the roots. And don’t worry if you damage some roots. It isn’t great but it happens. Just try to minimize as much as possible. Examine the roots for health and pests. Trim off any dead or dying roots. Dead roots are papery or mushy, black or brown. Healthy roots are firm and green when wet, silvery when dry. Deeper into the media you may encounter pale yellow roots. It just means they haven’t been exposed to light. They are fine as long as they are firm. I would leave any wrinkled roots as long as they are firm. If the plant will not fit in your current pot, upsize so that the roots just fit in the pot. They like a tight fit. If you have to upsize, orchid pots with additional ventilation are very helpful. They are typically clear so you can monitor root development, like the one it’s currently in. If you don’t have one, you can add holes to a growers pot or any other plastic pot you have on hand. To minimize transplant shock, use a similar mix to what it currently is in. If your plant is in sphagnum, I would repot using a mix of 50% sphagnum 50% bark. That will allow moisture to hang around long enough for the roots to take in what they want without cutting off air circulation. If you are a heavy waterer you can reduce the amount of sphagnum in your mix. My preference is straight bark. The key is a loose airy mix that will allow the roots to dry between waterings. Regardless of what mix you use, gently work it around the roots. I use an old chopstick for the job. The goal is to firmly seat the plant in the pot without packing the media. You want an airy mix that allows the roots to grab the water they want and then dry out. Orchids like their water but the LOVE for their roots to dry out. Orchids have a reputation for being finicky. But this is mostly undeserving for Phals. They are very resilient. Good luck!

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