SEATTLE — The Phalaenopis (moth orchid) is a popular one to give, especially around the holidays. Ciscoe Morris has a few tips to get them to stay blooming and then re-bloom later.
It's not hard to believe that the gorgeous Phalaenopis (moth orchid) native to India, southern China, and Southeast Asia is the most popular orchid for home display, especially during the holidays. What is hard to believe is that the delicate looking moth orchid with its elegant, arching wands of colorful moth-shaped flowers, is one of the easiest orchids to grow in the average home.
These tropical forest plants prefer a bright location out of direct sunshine. Water only when the pot feels light when lifted, but don't let the planting mix dry out completely. When it comes to fertilizing, never feed your Phalaenopsis orchid when it is in bloom as that can cause it to lose its flowers early. Feed anytime there are no open flowers every two weeks in summer and every three weeks in winter with a 1/2 of the recommended dose of an organic soluble house plant food. if your Phalaenopsis is planted in bark mix, feed with plant food that is highest in nitrogen (first number ) with a formulation such as 4-4-1 or as close to that as you can find. For those planted in other types of potting medium such as sphagnum moss feed with a formulation where the phosphorus (middle number) is highest, such as (2-4-1 ).
When the last flower fades, cut to a node 2/3rds of the way back on the wand. A new flower stalk should grow from that location. It won’t happen, however, unless you use a trick. Although Phalaenopsis prefer day time temperatures around 70 degrees, in order to set blooms they must experience nightly temperatures that are about 10 to 15 degrees lower (mid 50’s). Hence, during the day keep your orchid in normal daytime temperatures in the house, then put it in a back room that is allowed to get cooler at night. Don’t, however, let night temperatures drop too low. If they sink into the 40s, you can forget about flowers. Dead plants just don’t bloom well.
Although Phalaenopsis is one of the easier orchids to grow, they all require a bit of extra attention, and I admit most Phalaenopsis end up in the compost bin. It's usually because people forget to water them, water them too much or never get around to feeding them. Don't feel bad if your Phalaenopsis dies (it's happened to me more times than I want to admit). Even if it only flowers once in its lifetime, the bloom display often lasts for four months or more. Just make sure the one you are buying has lots of buds that haven't opened yet. Then if it doesn't survive past the flowering stage, don't worry about it. You got your money's worth!
Segment Producer Suzie Wiley. Watch New Day Northwest at 11 a.m. weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.