Orchid is considered one of the most beautiful ornamental plants. According to many gardeners, the most luxurious representative of the Orchid family is the famous phalaenopsis.
This graceful plant can be distinguished from others by flowers resembling butterfly wings in shape. They are located on curved long peduncles and open gradually, one after another. The color of phalaenopsis can be the most diverse - white, yellow, pink, purple, red and even green. The leaves of this flower are fleshy, arranged in two rows, forming a basal rosette. The roots of the plant are intended to gain a foothold on any surface and supply the orchid with moisture and nutrients. In this article, we would like to consider how to properly grow phalaenopsis at home. With constant maintenance of favorable climatic conditions, the orchid will release flower stalks twice a year and delight you with its amazing flowers in autumn and spring.
How to choose a he althy flower in the store?
Now existsa large species and hybrid diversity of this plant. As a rule, species such as Stewart's Phalaenopsis, Pleasant Phalaenopsis, Schiller's Phalaenopsis, Mini Pink Phalaenopsis and Giant Phalaenopsis are most often grown at home. In order to buy a he althy plant, you need to carefully examine its roots: there must be a sufficient number of them. If the orchid is unstable in a pot, then there are few roots or they rot and die. Also, when choosing a plant, you should pay attention to the foliage mass. In appearance, it should be he althy, without dark spots. After the purchase, it is advisable to transplant the phalaenopsis into a new pot with a good substrate for orchids. To transplant, the roots of the plant are carefully separated from the walls of the container and washed with warm water, removing the old substrate and, if necessary, cutting off the rotten parts. After that, the orchid is placed in a new container and covered with substrate so as to leave about 3 cm of space to the edge of the pot.
For orchids, you should buy only specialized soil, but you can also make it yourself using ingredients such as charcoal, pine bark, sphagnum moss. A drainage layer (pebbles, pieces of bark, polystyrene) is necessarily placed at the bottom of the pot. The most practical and convenient container for growing epiphytes is a transparent plastic pot with holes in the bottom.
Phalaenopsis at home: lighting and temperature
In principle, any side is suitable for growing an orchid, the main thing is that the rays of the sun do not fall on the plant itself,especially during the summer and spring periods. On the southern and western windows, phalaenopsis should be shaded with blinds or curtains. In winter - with a lack of natural light - the plant must be additionally illuminated with lamps, thereby extending daylight hours. Important: the orchid will gradually lean towards the light source, and therefore it is advisable to periodically, every two weeks, turn the pot 180 °, the only condition is that the plant should not be disturbed during the budding period. Phalaenopsis orchid at home prefers a room temperature of at least 18 ° C, it feels most comfortable at 22 ° C - 24 ° C. In autumn, it is possible to maintain a cooler temperature - about 16 ° C. This is necessary for laying the kidneys. It should also be taken into account that phalaenopsis requires a difference between night and day values in the range of 6 ° С.
Phalaenopsis flower care at home. Watering and fertilizing
As a rule, it is recommended to water the plant twice a week, moistening the substrate well. Allow the soil mixture to dry out between waterings. How to water phalaenopsis in winter? In the cold season, drying of the substrate is allowed, so watering is carried out less frequently. It is worth avoiding soil moisture at sufficiently low night temperatures (10 ° C). Important: you can’t water the orchid at night! To moisten the flower, only soft, settled water is used, which is close in temperature to room temperature. Your phalaenopsis will not do without regular spraying from a spray bottle. When carrying out this procedure, it is necessary to ensure that water droplets do not fall on the peduncle and growth point, otherwise this may lead to a deterioration in the he alth of the plant. Remember that it is advisable to spray in the morning or afternoon, and not in the evening. As for top dressing, the orchid needs complex fertilizers during the growing season. They are diluted in a proportion of about 1 g per 1 liter and the solution is applied once every 14 days after watering.
