The most common and unpretentious in care are considered Phalaenopsis orchids. These plants got their original name due to the outward resemblance of their beautiful flowers to night butterflies. From Greek, phalania translates to “butterfly,” and opsis translates to “resemblance.”
Phalaenopsis is a type of monopodial orchid: they do not form rhizomes and pseudobulbs, and their shiny hard leaves are collected in a rosette from which peduncles and
aerial roots grow
. A single plant stem is usually shortened. Coloring of flowers can be very different: white, hot pink, lilac, yellow, orange and even green. Before buying, it is advisable to learn in detail all the nuances about Phalaenopsis orchids: how to care for them, how to transplant them and propagate, what conditions they should provide. We will deal with everything in order.
Orchids phalaenopsis. How to care for them and what conditions should be created for them?
This plant perfectly coexists in the climatic conditions of a standard city apartment: in the warm season, it needs a temperature of 25 ° C to 30 ° C, and in the cold period - from 20 ° C to 25 ° C. For phalaenopsis, it is important that there is a difference between day and night temperatures in the range of 5-7 ° C. This is a necessary condition for laying flower buds. Do not expose the plant to a prolonged decrease in temperature: a day or two, the home phalaenopsis orchid will survive calmly at a temperature of 10-15 ° C, but several cold days can have a detrimental effect on the plant. It is advisable to control that its leaves do not touch the cold glass in winter, and do not expose the orchid to drafts. As for lighting, in principle, a window for phalaenopsis is suitable for any: both western, and eastern, and southern, and northern. But it is worth remembering: in the summer, on the southern window, the plant must be shaded, protecting from direct sunlight. And in the winter it is advisable to illuminate the orchid, so that daylight
hours were no shorter than 12 hours. Phalaenopsis periodically needs to be rotated 180 °, as the plant tends to lean toward the light source. It is not worth moving it during the formation of buds on the peduncle. Orchids require high humidity (from 60% and above). Dry, hot air from a central heating battery in winter can be detrimental to phalaenopsis. It is advisable to prevent hot air masses from getting on the flower. It must be sprayed at least once a day, in the morning, and also periodically put the pot on a pallet with small pebbles and a small amount of water.
Orchids phalaenopsis. How to care, water and fertilize?
Phalaenopsis is watered in summer every two or three days, in winter - once every two weeks, and in the rest of the year about once every 7 days. Do not flood the plant. The orchid will normally tolerate a slight drought, but excessive watering can affect it very badly. Watering should be carried out only when the soil dries well. Usually moisten the soil by immersing the pot in a container with water until the substrate is completely wet. Water for irrigation should be cold, soft and clean. You can use distilled water or filtered boiled. Fertilizers for orchids should be water soluble and not very concentrated. They are introduced solely into the wet substrate, and then the solution is allowed to drain. If the flower has any root problems, it can only be fertilized by spraying.
Orchids phalaenopsis. How to care: soil, transplant and pot
The plant is transplanted quite rarely - on average once every two to three years. Before planting, rotten and too long roots are cut off at the phalaenopsis, and the places of the cuts are treated with cinnamon or hive and kept for about 2 hours in air. The plant is placed in a pot and the container is filled with a substrate to the base of the rosette of leaves. Leave 2-3 cm to the top edge of the pot. After transplanting, orchid is watered every 4 or 5 days.
As for the soil, it must be hygroscopic, breathable and must retain its properties for a long time. As components for the substrate, pieces of bark, charcoal, moss sphagnum, expanded clay, etc. are used. The condition of the substrate must be checked periodically, and if it is destroyed, it must be promptly replaced. A special
substrate for orchids can be purchased at the store, but you need to take into account its composition and, if necessary, add the necessary elements to it (bark or moss).
How to propagate the phalaenopsis orchid? On the peduncles of the plant, airy babies form, which can be carefully separated and planted in the moss sphagnum.