Is hydroponics or soil culture better for Phalaenopsis? There's an art to choosing the potting medium

As everyone knows, Phalaenopsis is beloved for its delicate, graceful bearing and flower shape that closely resembles a butterfly. At flower markets, many stallholders place it in the "C position" of their storefronts. When it comes to choosing one, it also comes in potted culture and water culture, so how do different media affect the growth of Phalaenopsis?

In fact, once you find the right technique, both care methods work fine. First, let's talk about the common potted culture seen on the market. Generally speaking, flower growers don't use ordinary garden soil to grow Phalaenopsis, because this medium is unsuitable for orchid root growth and can also cause root rot. For this reason, the most commonly used potting medium is sphagnum moss, because sphagnum moss holds water exceptionally well and can ensure the Phalaenopsis has moisture to survive during transport. But if it's for home care, where watering is relatively regular, sphagnum moss's water-holding ability becomes unimportant, and it may also cause retained water to turn into rot. So the editor suggests that the first thing to do when you bring one home is to quickly replace the sphagnum moss and switch to bark.

Speaking of bark potting medium, there are fermented pine bark and willow bark; either one can grow Phalaenopsis well. The characteristic of bark is that it is loose and breathable, which lets orchid roots breathe freely, a state equivalent to the "native home" environment of a tropical rainforest. However, it also has a shortcoming: it can't hold water, so you can water more frequently. If you find that troublesome, just go buy orchid-specific potting medium, but note that these special potting media must be replaced every two years, otherwise the old medium will rot and the roots will be damaged too.

In addition, besides the two orchid potting media introduced above, you can also use fermented coconut coir, coconut husk fiber, as well as peanut shells, pine cones, and even pumice, expanded clay pebbles, broken tile pieces, and so on. As long as it is loose and breathable, it can be a suitable medium for growing Phalaenopsis.

Besides potted care, Phalaenopsis also has water culture care. For care, you just put the Phalaenopsis in a water bottle, but the roots should only touch one-third of the water level; otherwise, if the roots are fully soaked in water, they will easily die, while the remaining roots can be left exposed outside as much as possible to "get some air." At the same time, remember to change the water frequently, otherwise the risk of root rot will be greater.