(Photo: pixabay.com)
✅ Checklist orchid Phalaenopsis.
The phalaenopsis - also known as the butterfly orchid - is a frugal, easy to care for and very flowering plant. They come in a wide variety of colors, sizes, and shapes.
By Andrea Fleschutz 🕑 January 22, 2020
Location
- Bright location without direct sunlight, preferably east or west side.
- Comfort temperature circa 20 °C
Watering
- Water every 1-2 weeks with room-warm, decalcified water or immerse or spray
- Never water into the "heart" of the plant (danger of rotting!)
Fertilizing
- Fertilize between March and October, about 1 - 2 times a month.
- Add fertilizer to irrigation water, dip or water the orchid
- Drain well
Tip: remaining fertilizer water can be used well for the other houseplants
Leaf and flower care
- During flowering, shoots need support (danger of kinking!), fasten to panicle holder with clips
- Remove dried flowers and leaves
- Remove dust on the leaves with a damp cloth
- Care of the leaves with leaf shine spray or spraying with water
Repot
- Every 2-3 years, any time after flowering, ideally in spring.
- Remove clips and panicle holders
- Remove plant from pot and completely remove soil from between roots
- Cut off rotten, scrawny or diseased roots
- If roots are very numerous and long, shorten them → encourage growth
- Use transparent new orchid pot → roots need light
- Use clean and not too big new pot → plant likes it narrow
- Use special new orchid soil → adapted to the needs of the plant
- Put some soil in the pot, insert orchid roots (twist them in), carefully and loosely fill soil in the gaps
- Inserted root neck should be at the level of the edge of the pot
- If necessary, shorten shoot (above 3rd bracts/eye) → promotes flower growth
- First watering after repotting only after 1 week