Hey everyone! So today I wanted to show you my Phalaenopsis Orchid which is doing absolutely AMAZING so I thought I would share some of the tips that I have found with growing these Orchids!
1- Lighting: Make sure they get enough light, but not too much! The bright morning sun is ideal, and keep them shaded from the hot, afternoon sun to prevent their leaves from getting scorched!
2- Planting: DO NOT plant Orchids in regular potting soil. They ideally should be planted in moss or orchid bark (which can be found at the garden center). Also, choose to plant your Orchid in a planter with a lot of holes for drainage, and also so it can "breathe". (They have special Orchid planters at the garden center).
3- Watering: I rarely ever use fertilizer, I just use plain water most of the time. Every once in a while I use a regular Orchid fertilizer and sometimes right before it blooms I use a bloom booster. But most of the time I use plain water.
4- Flowering: One of the amazing qualities of Phalaenopsis Orchids is that they flower for a really long time (for 2-3 months). When the stem starts growing with buds on it, it's a good idea to hold it up with a stake and a couple of clips. If not the flower can be too heavy for the plant to support, and it might snap off.
5- Choosing an Orchid: It's ideal to choose a Phalaenopsis Orchid with really healthy leaves, and of coarse, a flower spike! If you want the plant right away for a party, gathering, etc, it's better to get an orchid with most/all of the blooms opened and flowering. If you are just buying the Orchid to enjoy it, it's better to get one with a couple of opened flowers (so you know what the flowers look like), and most of the flower buds still closed. This way you can get the most time to enjoy the flowers. Make sure to choose an Orchid with healthy flower buds as well. That means they should be really plump and green!
So that's all! I hope this was helpful, and let me know down below if I missed anything, and what kind of Orchids are you growing?!
