How to encourage your Moth Orchid to bloom again
Moth orchid (Phalaenopsis). Very beautiful and one of the most popular flowering plants. Seeing gorgeous orchid flowers in the store, many people are tempted to buy this plant. But after the blooms are over, not everyone waits for them to bloom again. In this article we will look at reasons why this happens and what to do about it, taking the Orchid Phalaenopsis as an example.
The Moth Orchid is both very easy and very difficult to care for. This plant in nature grows attached to trees and rocks. It takes everything it needs directly from the air: moisture, food, air, and this makes it unpretentious. However, the natural habitat of the plant is specific, and the Orchid needs these specific conditions in order to feel well indoors. Only in ideal (or close to ideal) conditions can the Moth orchid bloom. How to achieve these conditions we will consider below.
The basis of the soil should be pine bark with a small admixture of sphagnum moss. That should be sufficient. But if the package is not transparent, and you want to make sure that it is inside the bark - look at the composition on the label, and feel the filling. To the touch you can easily tell whether the soil is peat or bark.
A small amount of peat, roots and perlite is allowed in the soil. But the basis must necessarily be bark.
The container for the orchid is also very important. The roots of this plant are involved in photosynthesis, so the pot must be transparent. And besides, it is very important that the container has a lot of drainage holes so that excessive moisture is not trapped in the soil.
The amount of watering directly depends on the stage of growth:
If you notice that your Orchid does not change in any way, most likely it has entered the dormant stage (by the way, since this is a tropical plant, it does not have an obvious hibernation stage, so this can happen at any time of the year). At this time, your plant does not need to be watered at all. You can only sprinkle a little water on occasion.
If the plant is just starting to gain strength and develop, watering should be moderate.
And if the Orchid grows in full force, builds new roots, leaves and actively blooms, it needs abundant watering. But in any case do not allow water stagnation.
But more than that, the Orchid needs high humidity, because in its natural habitat humidity reaches up to 90%! So don't forget to sprinkle your plant, or you can increase the humidity by installing a humidifier nearby.
But for temperature, it is important to control not daytime but nighttime temperatures. The ideal night temperature for Moth Orchid would be 61.5 to 71 °F. The maximum night temperature should be no higher than 75 °F.
These are the most important conditions under which you will get your orchid to bloom. As for fertilizers - they are not that important for Orchids because, as we described above, they naturally grow on trees and get all needed nutrition from the air. That is why they don't really need that much fertilizer.
But if you still want to feed and stimulate a bloom, we recommend spraying once every two weeks with a solution of Hibiscus flowers:
Hibiscus is a very useful plant, but in the context of Orchid we are interested in the flowers. Whether they are dried or fresh, they can be used to make a solution to spray on your plant to stimulate flowering.
Fill 1 flower (or 1 teaspoon of dried Hibiscus flowers) with 33 ounces of water. You can also use cold water, but warm water, about 120 - 160 °F, is more effective. It is not necessary to infuse for a long time; spray immediately after it has cooled. The color of the solution should be light pink. If the solution is darker, dilute it with water.
By following the rules described above, you can get your Orchid to bloom abundantly for up to a whole year. Do not neglect them and you will turn your home into a tropical oasis full of life and bright colors!
The Moth Orchid is both very easy and very difficult to care for. This plant in nature grows attached to trees and rocks. It takes everything it needs directly from the air: moisture, food, air, and this makes it unpretentious. However, the natural habitat of the plant is specific, and the Orchid needs these specific conditions in order to feel well indoors. Only in ideal (or close to ideal) conditions can the Moth orchid bloom. How to achieve these conditions we will consider below.
Soil
As we pointed out above, Moth Orchids do not grow in soil, so standard soil-mixes are not suitable for this plant. However, the soils labeled "For orchids" are sometimes not of high quality. So how to choose the soil in which Phalaenopsis will feel good?The basis of the soil should be pine bark with a small admixture of sphagnum moss. That should be sufficient. But if the package is not transparent, and you want to make sure that it is inside the bark - look at the composition on the label, and feel the filling. To the touch you can easily tell whether the soil is peat or bark.
A small amount of peat, roots and perlite is allowed in the soil. But the basis must necessarily be bark.
Replanting and container
Replanting for Phalaenopsis should be done about once every 2 to 3 years or it is the case of urgency.The container for the orchid is also very important. The roots of this plant are involved in photosynthesis, so the pot must be transparent. And besides, it is very important that the container has a lot of drainage holes so that excessive moisture is not trapped in the soil.
Watering and humidity
Watering is one of the most important aspects of Orchid care. It is important to understand how, how often and how much to water Phalaenopsis. You can calculate how much water your Moth Orchid needs with the Watering Calculator, but remember to consider the conditions, but there are some general rules that can be followed.The amount of watering directly depends on the stage of growth:
If you notice that your Orchid does not change in any way, most likely it has entered the dormant stage (by the way, since this is a tropical plant, it does not have an obvious hibernation stage, so this can happen at any time of the year). At this time, your plant does not need to be watered at all. You can only sprinkle a little water on occasion.
If the plant is just starting to gain strength and develop, watering should be moderate.
And if the Orchid grows in full force, builds new roots, leaves and actively blooms, it needs abundant watering. But in any case do not allow water stagnation.
But more than that, the Orchid needs high humidity, because in its natural habitat humidity reaches up to 90%! So don't forget to sprinkle your plant, or you can increase the humidity by installing a humidifier nearby.
Lighting and temperature
The lighting is simple: Phalaenopsis Orchids like from partial shade to bright sunlight. You can check the level of your Orchid using Light Meter.But for temperature, it is important to control not daytime but nighttime temperatures. The ideal night temperature for Moth Orchid would be 61.5 to 71 °F. The maximum night temperature should be no higher than 75 °F.
These are the most important conditions under which you will get your orchid to bloom. As for fertilizers - they are not that important for Orchids because, as we described above, they naturally grow on trees and get all needed nutrition from the air. That is why they don't really need that much fertilizer.
But if you still want to feed and stimulate a bloom, we recommend spraying once every two weeks with a solution of Hibiscus flowers:
Hibiscus is a very useful plant, but in the context of Orchid we are interested in the flowers. Whether they are dried or fresh, they can be used to make a solution to spray on your plant to stimulate flowering.
Fill 1 flower (or 1 teaspoon of dried Hibiscus flowers) with 33 ounces of water. You can also use cold water, but warm water, about 120 - 160 °F, is more effective. It is not necessary to infuse for a long time; spray immediately after it has cooled. The color of the solution should be light pink. If the solution is darker, dilute it with water.
By following the rules described above, you can get your Orchid to bloom abundantly for up to a whole year. Do not neglect them and you will turn your home into a tropical oasis full of life and bright colors!
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