What size pot for a large Phalaenopsis orchid, and how often to spray fertilizer?

Friends who grow Phalaenopsis orchids often run into this situation: the large plants at home keep growing sturdier and sturdier, but you don't know what size pot to repot them into; you want to spray a little fertilizer to supplement nutrients, but you can't quite pin down the spraying frequency.

Generally speaking, a large Phalaenopsis orchid refers to a plant over25cm tall, with4 - 5mature leaves and a fairly well-developed root system. When choosing a pot for it, don't be greedy for a big one! If the pot is too large, it holds a lot of potting medium, which doesn't dry easily after watering; the Phalaenopsis roots sit soaking in a damp environment and are especially prone to rot. Usually a pot with a diameter of12 - 15cm is fine. Common plastic nursery pots or breathable red clay pots both work. If you only have a large pot on hand, don't worry: you can put extra expanded clay pebbles or broken brick pieces in the bottom of the pot to increase drainage space, then plant the orchid in it, which also reduces the risk of waterlogging. When repotting, also be careful not to press the roots too tightly; let the roots spread out, placed naturally against the pot wall, leaving enough room to breathe.

Spraying fertilizer on large plants is meant to make them grow strong and bloom beautifully, but don't do it too often! Generally, spraying once every7 - 10days is enough. If you spray too frequently, fertilizer accumulates on the leaves and in the potting medium, easily burning the plant. There's also a right time for fertilizing: it's best to choose the evening, when the temperature has dropped, the leaf stomata are open, and the fertilizer can be absorbed better, and it's less likely to cause fertilizer burn from high temperatures.

As for the type of fertilizer, during the growing season you can use a compound fertilizer with fairly balanced nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, diluted to1000 - 1500times the strength. For example, Peters Professional1, mixed with water according to the instructions, put in a spray bottle and sprayed evenly on both the front and back of the leaves, and also on the surface of the potting medium, so the roots can also "eat" the nutrients. When it's about to bloom, switch to a high-phosphorus, high-potassium fertilizer, such as monopotassium phosphate or Peters Professional2, also diluted1000 - 1500times, to help flower bud differentiation and make the flowers bloom bigger and more vivid.

There are also a few tricks to spraying fertilizer. If you happen to hit cloudy or rainy days with high humidity, don't spray for now, otherwise the fertilizer won't dry easily and residue left on the leaves may cause disease. After spraying fertilizer, on the next morning it's best to spray the leaves again with clean water to wash off the remaining fertilizer, which is safer. In addition, if you notice the Phalaenopsis leaves turning yellow or growing slowly, don't blindly increase the spraying frequency; first check whether there's a problem with watering or light, find the cause and then treat it accordingly, so you don't mean well but end up doing harm!

In short, when choosing a pot and spraying fertilizer for a large Phalaenopsis orchid, the key is to adjust flexibly according to its growth condition and the season. Master these little tricks, and your Phalaenopsis will surely grow like crazy,