Can Phalaenopsis be divided at low winter temperatures, and will division kill them?

Once winter arrives, the Phalaenopsis at home grows sluggishly, and some impatient friends start thinking about dividing it, hoping to propagate a few more pots. But then the question comes up: it's so cold in winter, can you actually divide a Phalaenopsis? Will dividing it just torture the plant to death?

Why? Because a Phalaenopsis is just like a person - when it's cold, it doesn't want to move. Its most comfortable growing temperature is between 15-3010

"bone-and-muscle injury" division is for a Phalaenopsis. When dividing, you have to pull the plant out of the pot, and the roots will inevitably be torn and damaged. In the warm spring and autumn seasons, a Phalaenopsis has strong recovery ability, the wounds heal quickly, and new roots grow. But at low winter temperatures, wounds heal slowly, and bacteria and fungi can easily take advantage and get in, causing root rot and stem rot.

Moreover, the winter air is already dry, and after division the Phalaenopsis has poorer water absorption because its roots are damaged. Add to that the slow evaporation at low temperatures, and if you accidentally water too much the roots suffocate, while watering too little easily makes it dry out - the difficulty of care goes straight to the max! Even if you move it into a heated room or an air-conditioned room, the indoor temperature swings between hot and cold, plus the dry air, are enough to give the Phalaenopsis a hard time.

So when is it suitable to divide? The most recommended time is late spring to early summer, when the temperature is stable at around 20°C-25°C, and the Phalaenopsis has just finished flowering and new shoots are emerging. Dividing at this time means it recovers quickly, and the survival rate can improve by a big margin. Before dividing, withhold water for a few days to let the sphagnum moss or potting medium dry out a bit, making it easier to remove from the pot; when dividing, use sharp scissors or a blade (sterilize them beforehand!) and cut from where there are aerial roots, making sure each division has 3-4 healthy roots and 1-2 leaves; after planting into a new pot, don't rush to water - place it in a cool, ventilated spot to recover, and resume normal care after a week.

"division feast", and you're sure to harvest a big batch of healthy new plants!