Common Problems with Phalaenopsis and Their Solutions: Does "keeping it on the dry side" mean not watering it?
Many people love Phalaenopsis simply because its flowers always display a dazzling, distinctive form that keeps the eyes busy. Many people, when buying one, ask the florist whether its blooming period is long and what to pay attention to when caring for it. Generally speaking, in order to get you to buy, the shopkeeper will deliberately simplify the care knowledge when explaining, making you mistakenly think it can be cared for like other flowers.
In fact, to grow Phalaenopsis, you only need to clearly understand a few common problems. As long as you do not get the care direction wrong, overall it is actually quite suitable for lazy people to grow. First, when you have just brought a Phalaenopsis home, do you have to change the potting medium right away? Actually, no! As long as the original potting medium has not rotted or started to stink, it can continue to be used. Some growers say they repot as soon as it gets home and the flowers still grow well, but that is because they have rich experience and do it that way. If you are a beginner, definitely do not do this.
Can a Phalaenopsis with a flower spike be repotted? It can, but beginner friends had best not fuss with it. If you take the whole thing apart and repot it, there is a high chance you will damage the roots and lose the flowers too. As long as the outside of the sphagnum moss is not covered with green moss or the roots are not bad, do not repot it. Some people also think that if a Phalaenopsis does not produce a flower spike, applying more blooming fertilizer will make it flower, but that is actually wrong. Producing a flower spike is mainly related to temperature and temperature difference; fertilizer only plays a supporting role.
If you see a black area on the neck of a Phalaenopsis, do not panic first, because it is not necessarily black rot; it may just be lignified. Actual black rot is when it feels black, soft and mushy to the touch. If the situation is mild, water it less and keep it on the dry side; if it is severe, you have to remove the rotten part, and even cut off the upper part to replant and cultivate it again.
People always say Phalaenopsis should be kept on the dry side, but this does not mean not watering it. It means waiting until it is dry to slightly damp before watering again, watering a little less each time, and not pouring large amounts of water quickly. Letting the medium dry faster is best for the plant. In care, if there are rotten roots, do not rush to trim them immediately. This may be caused by the long-distance transport from the flower farmer to the flower shop, and in most cases there are only a small number of rotten roots, so there is no need to pay too much attention to them. In addition, white and yellow roots are not bad roots; this is caused by not being exposed to sunlight, and some varieties even have red roots. Only those roots that are black, soft and mushy are truly bad roots.