Caring for your Phalaenopsis in Orchiata
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Watering and Feeding:
Water orchids when the top cm of Orchiata has dried out on the top of the pot. This will generally be 4-5 days in summer and up to 10 days in winter. In all cases it is important to make sure the orchid dries out sufficiently before re-watering as this is the biggest mistake people will make - overwatering. If you think it is still quite damp, then it is!
To water orchids, thoroughly drench the pots with tap water in the sink and allow to drain. Ensure pots drain fully before placing back in pot holders or on saucers. Do not sit pots in water as this will encourage root disease and cause Orchiata to break down.
Feed the orchids at least monthly with a diluted orchid fertiliser such as a 20-20-20 NPK or a standard orchid fertiliser from your garden centre.
Place your orchid in areas which are warm but not in direct sunlight; 22-25°C day temperature is perfect. If conditions are very warm (e.g. height of summer) either move the orchids to a cooler spot or give a regular but light mist with water in a spray bottle.
Getting your Phalaenopsis to flower:
To induce flowering, plants must have a drop in night time temperatures so cool nights in winter or moving to a cooler area in the house at night will generally do this. Expect to see flower spikes in early spring if conditions are met.
Continue to feed plants during flowering and the flower spikes will grow quickly. Feeding will also encourage the flowering to last a long time.
Secure flower spikes early to keep them upright, place a thin bamboo stick into the pot where the flower is coming from. As the flower spike extends, gently encourage the spike upwards and secure to the stick with a twisty tie or clip. NOTE: wrap the twisty tie loosely around the stem to allow the stem to expand during growth.
After flowering, cut the flower spike off approximately 2-3 cm above the base. This will eventually dry off.
Re-potting:
Phalaenopsisroots may creep out of the pot as they are actively photosynthesising and/or looking for water and nutrients. If lots of roots start creeping out then the orchid may require a re-pot. Only re-pot when the orchid has finished flowering.
Re-pot with a larger grade bark nugget such as Besgrow Power Orchiata. Orchids like to be restricted somewhat so use a pot which is approximately 2-3cm bigger in diameter at each re-pot. If the old media is breaking down, remove it and replace with new material. After repotting allow plants to sit for a day or two to recover or heal from any root wounds before watering and feeding again.