The Care of a Phalaenopsis Orchid

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Light Exposure

The Phalaenopsis orchid does not need a lot of sun and will be quite happy in an eastern facing window.  If you plan to place it in a western or southern window, I would recommend that you place it behind a shear drape or blind.  A good way of knowing if the lighting is correct is the shade of the leaves.  Dark green leaves say that the plant is not getting enough sun.  Be careful when you start adding light because the leaves will burn if they get too much sun.

Planting Medium

Your Phalaenopsis will usually come in one of two mediums (stuff that is in the pot).  One is a combination of bark and charcoal.  The other is peat moss.  Both of these mediums will hold water for the orchid's use and allow the roots to be free of too much water.  It is important that the roots not sit in water for any length of time or the orchid will drown.  If you find that your medium has dried out sit the pot in warm water for about 20 minutes and then drain completely.

Watering

It is best to water all your orchids in the morning.  This is important especially for the Phalaenopsis because of its leaf formation.  The leaves come out from the center and create a cup that holds water when it is misted and it loves to be misted.  If the plant does not get a chance to dry off by nightfall it could be exposed to a fungus called crown rot.

Depending on the humidity of the plant, water your Phalaenopsis from twice a week to every day.  Water and let drain.  Check the medium for moisture and mist any exposed roots. 

More Information

There is so much I could tell you about the Phalaenopsis that I am just not sure where to stop.  So here is just a little more information to get you started.  If you have any questions I did not answer just ask.

Cinnamon is a known anti-fungal and have been sprinkled on plants to kill active fungus.  This should be done with care because if it is too thick on your plant it will interfere with the photosynthesis. 

I have learned a watering tip from an orchid grower when I received a new Phalaenopsis for my wedding.  This is simple and easy for all us busy gardeners.  One or two ice cubes in the pot will slowly melt and water the roots.

Mature Phalaenopsis Orchids can develop bloom spikes two to three times a year and blooms can last up to six months. As you learned last week, there is a possibility that an old spike will through off a new spike and bloom again.

Thanks for reading this blog.  I hope that it has been helpful.  Please give me some feedback.  Any questions can be added to this blog or sent to me at houseplantsos@gmail.com .

Sincerely,
k.k.jones

The Plant That Called Me A Liar

 I have always felt that no matter what I tell you about plants there will be one stubborn plant that will call me a liar.  If I tell you it likes the sun, your plant will tell you it likes only partial sun.  If I tell you that a plant should do one thing, it will do the opposite.  But I can explain that.  Plants are living, breathing entities.  Each plant is a little different.  Each has its own "personality".

Here is my newest independent thinker.  This is a Phalaenopsis Orchid.  For those of you who do not know what a Phalaenopsis is I have added a picture of the bloom so you will recognise it.  The plant is usually made up of large leaves near the pot and then flowers form on a long spike towering over them. After the blossoms fall I have always been taught to leave the long empty stalk on the plant until it grows brown because the green stalk is full of nutrients that the plant will continue to use for the next blooming.  Sometimes, though I have not seen it very often the stalk will send off a side stalk and will bloom again.  Usually, it just sits there looking ugly.  So what the heck, I cut it off and stuck it in the dirt of a large plant to see what would happen.

Well, I did do a little more than that.  I started with three stalks.  Cutting them just under a flower node, I dusted them with rooting hormone and then I stuck them in the dirt.  I did not expect anything.  I watched two of the stalks turn brown and waited for the third to follow suit.  You can imagine my delight when it did not turn brown but developed buds.   Phalaenopsis are not suppose to like dirt.  They like their roots to be able to breath in moss or bark or coconut fiber.  I am not sure how this will turn out.  It is not wise to disturb the roots of a flowering plant so I cannot tell you what is happening down there yet. But I will keep you posted.

Next week I will tell you about the care and feeding of the Phalaenopsis Orchid so stay tuned.  I hopefully will have an update on my buds. 

Please tell me about your plant and its unusual behaviour.  Send me photos that I can post here along with your story.  You can post them yourself on this blog or email me at joneskathee@gmail.com

Until next time,
k.k.jones

Orchids for Easter

The Dendrobium Orchid

Since Easter is right around the corner, I thought I should start a series on the favorite flower to give at this time of year, the Orchid.  It is hard to believe that only 20 to 30 years ago, Orchids were considered exotic plants that only connoisseurs with the big greenhouses grew and an Orchid corsage was once the ultimate in Easter finery.  We can thank the big box stores for making them available to you and me.  They were the first to feed the masses by adding them to their choice of houseplants.  Now you can even find them in grocery and drug stores at this time of year.

The Orchid family is the largest family of flowering plants in the world and can be found in all types of environments.  The Dendrobium, one Orchid that we are familiar with has 1200 species alone and we know only one.  This is actually a hybrid Dendrobium Phalaenopis.

How Does It Grow?

Since most of us get our first Dendrobium as a gift and in full bloom, let's start there.  I received the Dendrobium seen here as a Christmas gift.  As you can see it is in full bloom.  The blooms are all on one long stalk and come from the top of a thick stem-like growth called a pseudobulb.  It is now February so you can see that the flowers last a long time and can continue to bloom from the top with the right growing conditions.  Once the pseudobulb is finished blooming, it will rarely bloom again unless it is from the same stalk.  The pseudobulb that is next to the blooms in the picture is where the last blooms were and the small pseudobulbs at the bottom of the pot are from when the plant was much younger and stalks of flowers were not as well developed.

I am pointing out the smaller pseudobulbs because I want you to notice that they have no leaves on them.  The Dendrobium Orchid  is known to be an evergreen Orchid but some will drop their leaves leaving them to look like dead stalks in an empty pot.  Please do not throw them out.  They are not dead, just sleeping.  Leave them alone and when you start seeing new growth in the bottom of the pot, start watering and fertilizing.  The new pseudobulb will usually grow taller with each blooming so be prepared to stake it to keep it from fall down.

Caring For The  Dendrobium Orchid

Happily, the Dendrobium is very easy to care for.  Like most Orchids, it does not like wet feet (roots standing in water) so it will come in a pot that will drain easily.  If your Orchid came with a decorative outer pot, remember not to let water stand in it for more than 20 minutes.   If you like you can mist the whole plant every day but a good soaking once or twice a week will be enough as long as the planting material stays moist.  Dendrobiums are usually planted in a bark or moss which holds water for the plant until it is needed.  This allows the air to circulate around the roots but still gives the plant water.  The Dendrobium likes a sunny location but does not like to be directly in the sun.  I like to give mine a morning sun which becomes more shady as the day goes on.  A southern window will do well if you step it away from the window by about 2 feet or place it behind a sheer drape.  That is about it. Oh!  Don't forget to fertilize.  The best way is a small amount every time you water.  If you are watering with a mister, be sure to clean your plants leaves now and then to keep the salt of the fertilizer from doing damage.  It is best to use an Orchid fertilizer and my favorite is Schultz.  It has a formula of 19-31-17 which is great to promote blooms.  For general healthy plants forgo the bloom for a good basic formula which again I favor Schultz with a formula of 10-15-10. Schultz Fertilizer Here is a link to make it easy to fine.

Thanks for spending some time with me.  Please keep your questions coming.  You can post on this site or email me at joneskathee@gmail.com .  If you would like me to send you a copy of any new postings right to your email box, just drop me a line and I will add you to my mailing list.

Yours until next time,
k.k.jones