Don't throw away your Phalaenopsis after it blooms - care for it this way and it will bloom every winter

Choosing a pot with holes

Regarding the choice of pots for Phalaenopsis, the first type I'll introduce is the plastic pot - and here I recommend a double-pot setup! The inner pot is a transparent plastic pot, with holes on the sides and bottom.

The outer pot is a plastic pot with no holes at the bottom, but be careful to drill holes in the side walls of the pot, with the hole height level with the bottom of the inner pot.

The second type is the red clay pot, which beginners growing orchids are most familiar with, and it pairs very well with sphagnum moss.

When choosing a red clay pot, note that you should also pick one with many holes on the bottom and walls. Newly purchased pots need to have their "fire energy" removed - soak them in water for 1 night before use.

How should Phalaenopsis be planted?

For the growing medium, we can use bark, sphagnum moss, tree fern fiber, coconut coir, clay pebbles, fine brick stones, and so on. For flower lovers in the north, where the air is relatively dry, Huahua recommends using sphagnum moss to grow Phalaenopsis!

Before using sphagnum moss, soak it in hot water, then wring it out and set aside. Before potting, first fill the root ball of the Phalaenopsis with sphagnum moss - you can place a drainage cover in the middle - then wrap sphagnum moss around the roots.

Gently press the Phalaenopsis into the pot, then use a small wire to stuff more sphagnum moss in around it. Don't pack it too tightly - about 80% firmness is fine. Once stuffed, cover the top with a layer of sphagnum moss.

Daily care

When caring for Phalaenopsis, indirect light is best. You can feel the sunlight's intensity with your hand - if it feels soft but not harsh on the back of your hand, and the leaves don't feel warm to the touch, that's fine.

Now that autumn has arrived, we should slowly increase the light, and by winter, gradually acclimatize it to full sun. However, since environments vary from place to place, adjust the light as appropriate.

2. Temperature and humidity

During the growing season, Phalaenopsis is best kept at a temperature between 20-30°C. It will stop growing above 35°C or below 18°C.

Humidity is best kept at 75%-80%. During the acclimatization period, even higher air humidity may be required - we can increase humidity by misting and using a humidifier.

3. Water

For watering, lift the pot regularly to feel its weight - when it feels lighter; or touch the sphagnum moss at the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot with your hand, or simply stick your hand into the sphagnum moss - water only when it feels dry.

If you're using bark as the growing medium, it holds water poorly, so you'll need to water more frequently compared to sphagnum moss.

4. Ventilation

No matter what kind of plant it is, if you want to grow it well at home, you need to pay attention to plenty of ventilation. Potted plants with poor ventilation not only grow poorly but can also rot, triggering various pests and diseases!

5. Fertilizing

We can start 2 weeks after the flowers fade, applying a fertilizer with complete nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. When forcing blooms, you can apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, and increase light, until the flower buds grow to the size of a peanut kernel - then you can stop fertilizing!

What should be done after the flowers fade?

For the Phalaenopsis we bring home, after enjoying its beauty and once the flowers fade, promptly cut off the flower spike to reduce the plant's energy consumption and store nutrients for the next bloom.