Don't rush to throw away your Phalaenopsis orchid - one snip and the blooms keep coming, and neighbors will be lining up to ask for one

After the flowers fade, trim the flower spike to encourage blooming

After a Phalaenopsis orchid finishes blooming, if you want it to keep flowering, there are two options: first, a second bloom in the same year; second, blooming again the following year. The two options correspond to different pruning methods.

1. A second bloom in the same year

Find a pair of scissors, first wipe them with alcohol, keep 4 nodes at the base of the flower spike, cut off everything above that, and continue growing it in a warm place with sunlight.

A Phalaenopsis orchid pruned this way will bloom again after 2-3 months, but note that this consumes too much of the plant's nutrients, which is not good for its growth the following year.

2. Blooming again the following year

Cut the Phalaenopsis orchid's flower spike off completely from the base, and supplement appropriately with a little monopotassium phosphate.

After this pruning, the Phalaenopsis orchid enters a resting stage; care for it carefully and wait for it to bloom even more flowers the following year.

Care after pruning

After the flowers fade, trimming the flower spike is the most important step, but it does not end there. If you want the Phalaenopsis orchid to grow better, the following steps are also needed.

1. Remove the plant from its pot

Gently take the plant out of the flower pot, remove the soil from the roots, and do not damage its tender fleshy roots.

2. Trim the roots and yellow leaves

Cut away the old roots, rotten roots and yellow leaves.

3. Disinfect and air-dry

Soak in hydrogen peroxide or carbendazim solution for half an hour, then place in a ventilated spot to dry slightly.

4. Wrap the roots in moss and repot

Use thoroughly soaked fresh moss to wrap the roots and repot; note that the roots should be separated evenly and not several roots pressed together.

Everyday care for Phalaenopsis orchids

Once you have pruned the Phalaenopsis orchid after its flowers fade, the next step is to carry out good everyday care, so as to ensure the Phalaenopsis orchid blooms again.

1. Watering

When to water a Phalaenopsis orchid depends on the specific situation, mainly based on how wet or dry the potting medium is; the toothpick method can be used to judge.

Insert a toothpick into the medium and pull it out after ten minutes. If the toothpick is only slightly moist, it needs watering. If it is too wet, then it does not.

2. Fertilizing

During the seedling growth stage, mainly use a balanced fertilizer (with a balanced combination of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other elements); when forcing flowers, mainly use a high-phosphorus fertilizer, such as monopotassium phosphate (light should be increased appropriately when forcing flowers); stop fertilizing once the flower buds are close to the size of a peanut kernel.

For those grown in sphagnum moss, fertilize once every two waterings; for those grown in bark, fertilize once per watering, and occasionally use a high-phosphorus fertilizer once every 1-2 months.

3. Light

Phalaenopsis orchids like diffused light and dislike direct sunlight. In winter, direct sunlight is acceptable and deepens the flower color.

4. Frequent ventilation

Phalaenopsis orchids like a warm environment but dislike being kept in a stuffy, enclosed space; maintain good ventilation all year round, and they can be placed by a window.

Common ailments

Growers with no experience in keeping Phalaenopsis orchids, as soon as they see the stems and leaves rotting and the plant looking half-dead, want to throw it away - what a shame! Huahua will teach you how to solve common ailments of Phalaenopsis orchids.

1. Stem rot

Black spots appear on the stem and slowly rot the entire stem. This is mainly caused by too much water, poor air circulation in the pot, and moisture being unable to escape, which smothers and damages the stem.

Treatment: repot, trim the rotten roots and disinfect the roots, and dig out the black spots. Apply alcohol or iodine to the wounds; after the wounds heal, repot again. Before they heal, keep the plant dry and mist the orchid more every day.

2. Yellow leaves

The tip of the Phalaenopsis orchid's new shoot shrivels, the young leaves turn pale yellow, and the old leaves also gradually turn dark yellow. The cause is prolonged waterlogging and dampness leading to a lack of oxygen in the medium, and some roots rotting.

Treatment: watering should be controlled and fertilizing stopped, and watering should be based on the actual wetness of the sphagnum moss. It can be placed in a ventilated spot to speed up evaporation of moisture from the potting medium.

3. Rotten roots

Improper watering that causes waterlogging in the potting medium, or the potting medium itself having poor permeability, can both cause Phalaenopsis orchid root rot.

Treatment:

(1) Cut off the rotten parts

Take the plant out of the pot, rinse the roots clean with clean water, cut off the rotten roots, and keep as much of the intact part as possible.

(2) Disinfection

Soak the cut surfaces and remaining roots in a 2‰ potassium permanganate solution for 10 minutes, air-dry, then coat the cut surfaces well with plant ash.

(3) Repot

When repotting, press the root crown firmly into place, water thoroughly, place in a shaded spot, cover with plastic film, and keep it at around 20°C; new roots should grow in about 20 days.

A pruned Phalaenopsis orchid can still bloom beautifully

The important thing is that it also saves the money of buying another plant!

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