How to Care for Phalaenopsis (Moth Orchid) During Dormancy: Watering Methods and Precautions

When you don't know how to choose a flower, most flower shop owners will probably recommend the "Phalaenopsis" (moth orchid), because its dancing flower shape after blooming easily wins your favor. However, although the Phalaenopsis is beautiful, it isn't something you can just casually care for and grow well. You may encounter many problems in its care, so how should you solve them?

The Phalaenopsis has numerous problems, and the most urgent one is that winter temperatures drop month by month, with most indoor temperatures in the country maintained at around 5 to 10 degrees Celsius. At this time, the flower stalk may stop growing midway, the flower buds may abort, or the plant may even stop growing entirely and enter a dormant state. So how should you handle care during this period? How should you manage watering? Because the pot size used in each household is different? Next, does the Phalaenopsis have to wait until next spring for the plant to revive and continue blooming?

Faced with the various problems above, these must also be the doubts in everyone's mind. First, we can start from the physiology of the Phalaenopsis, and choose watering in a way that can be easily handled with a simple method. Taking sphagnum moss as an example, if under the current condition of 17 to 20 degrees Celsius, the moisture state of the sphagnum moss should be like a wrung-out rag, and you must not overwater or underwater.

If the overall temperature is around 5 to 10 degrees Celsius, then at this time the sphagnum moss must be in a completely dry state. The orchid at this time may be in a state of being firm but slightly wilted, and this is normal.

If the temperature is below 5 degrees Celsius, then at this time the plant's state will be dry and soft leaves and a drooping, powerless plant, and all of this is normal. At this time it has entered a dormant state, and during this period there is no need to water again, but lighting must continue, and when most temperatures rise again, the plant will gradually return to normal.

In short, the watering principle for Phalaenopsis can be controlled according to the different temperatures of the four seasons. When watering, also be careful not to pour water down from above the flower head, as this easily causes crown rot, and the leaves are also prone to leaf rot disease. It is recommended to pour from the edge of the pot or through the gaps between the leaves, as only in this way can the potting soil be evenly replenished with water.