Orchid Tips

Quick Tips - How to Look After Orchids:

• Positioning your Orchid
• Watering Orchids
• Feeding your Orchid
• Re-flowering - Orchid care after flowering
• Repotting Orchids

Orchid Positioning

• Position your orchid in a bright room or windowsill, but one that does not receive direct sunlight.

• Do not place the plant near a radiator or draught.

• Phalaenopsis are sensitive to ethylene gas which can be produced by ripening fruit. If you place your plant too near a fruit bowl it may drop all of its flowers.

Watering Orchids

• Water your Phalaenopsis orchid once a week and never leave the roots standing in water for long periods of time; they will probably rot.
• The best way to water Phalaenopsis is to dunk the whole pot into a sink or bowl of water. If you have time, leave the pot submerged for a few minutes; this will allow the root system to absorb all the water it needs.
• Alternatively, run the pot under a tap for around 20 seconds, allowing water to drain through the bottom. If you can’t remove the plant from its decorative container, place 1-2 ice cubes at the base of the stem.
• Tap water is fine, even if you live in an area with very hard water. Phalaenopsis are extremely versatile and will adapt to your water source.

Roots & Feeding

• Dry, shrivelled roots protruding from the bark can be cut off.
• Don’t be alarmed if lots of roots start growing out of the top of the pot – this is perfectly natural.
• If you think these aerial roots are unsightly, you can re-pot your orchid (see ‘Re-potting’). Cutting them off won’t kill the plant, but it may temporarily hinder the plants development.
• Your Phalaenopsis orchid will survive without fertilizer. However, we recommend feeding once every 4 weeks if you want your plant to thrive.
• Any orchid feed will work, just follow the instructions on the label. Otherwise, a high-potash fertilizer, such as Tomorite, will do the trick – just make sure you dilute it to a quarter of what it says on the label.

Re-flowering

• After the flowers have dropped off your Phalaenopsis orchid, you can cut back the stem.
• It’s best to do this when there is still at least one flower left – this will ensure the stem is still active and will prevent it from drying back and going brown when you cut it.
• It really doesn’t matter what height you cut it back to, as long as you cut just above a node that is below any previous branch or bloom.
• If the stem has gone brown, cut it off near the base of the plant.
• Generally speaking, if you cut the stem low down, the plant will produce a larger bloom but it may take a longer to develop. If you want a ‘quick fix’, cut just above the node below the lowermost previous branch or flower. A new branch should develop fairly quickly with little effort.

Re-potting Orchids

• We recommend re-potting orchids every 4-5 years; or if the bark has begun to compost down; whichever comes first.
• Other than the above scenario, there’s no need to re-pot unless your plant is literally jumping out of its pot!
• Don’t worry if there are any gaps in the bark, orchid roots love air just as much as they love water!
• It might take a week or two for the plant to become stable whilst it regains its foot hold.