How to keep a Phalaenopsis orchid alive after the flowers fade, and when is the best time to cover it with plastic film?

The blooms of the Phalaenopsis orchid look as lively as dancing butterflies, and once you see them you can't forget them, which is why orchid sales ranked among the top during this year's Lunar New Year flower season. However, although its flower shape is unique and beautiful, it can't possibly bloom forever. Once the flowers fade, how should you handle it? How can you get the Phalaenopsis orchid to bloom again?

When the Phalaenopsis orchid flowers gradually fade, by no means should you just throw it away. You can first find a transparent plastic film and cover the whole thing, flower pot and orchid together, to create a warm and humid little environment, because this little environment can help it produce new flower buds again, and at the same time the film cover can also reduce water being carried away by the air, keeping the orchid roots moist all along, which is good for the health of the orchid plant.

Second, after the Phalaenopsis orchid's flowering period is completely over, the flowers are basically in a wilted state. Although it hurts to look at, this is actually the Phalaenopsis orchid entering a dormant state, so when caring for it you must control the watering well and not spray water heavily, otherwise it won't be able to get through the dormant period smoothly. In addition, note that you must not fertilize again, because giving fertilizer at this time will only stimulate the plant's growth and cause the Phalaenopsis orchid to neglect the formation of flower buds.

Besides paying attention to the points mentioned above, the Phalaenopsis orchid is naturally fond of sunlight, so you should reasonably give it a certain amount of time to supplement enough light. Note here that you cannot put it directly under the sun to bake; you should place it in light some distance from the window. This is called scattered light, and this kind of light can help it sprout new flower buds and continue to bloom beautifully next year.

Finally, when it comes to care, pay more attention to its leaves in normal times to see whether the color is normal (emerald green is normal, yellowing or blackening is not normal), and also look at its orchid roots and the sprouting parts. The benefit of paying more attention to its condition is being able to discover early whether the Phalaenopsis orchid has a problem. If there really is something wrong, you can step in and deal with it right away, so that it doesn't reach a point where it can't be saved.

In short, when you find that the Phalaenopsis orchid's flowering period is coming to an end, you first need to cover it, pot and all, with plastic film, then control the amount of watering and stop fertilizing, and next choose a spot indoors with better sunlight.