Fun Facts About Phalaenopsis Orchids

Temperature Needs

• Although moth orchids naturally grow in tropical habitats, you do not need to create a rainforest atmosphere for their normal growth. Commonly grown indoors, these perennials simply need mild temperatures during night with some warmth across daytime. In general, maintain for your moth orchids an indoor daytime temperature range between 70 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit, such as the temperature in an east-facing bathroom. Their location's nighttime temperature should not drop below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Excessive cold causes flowering failure, but moth orchids need some cool nighttime temperatures, about 60 degrees Fahrenheit, to stimulate blossoming in wintertime.

Humidity Myths

• Soaking moth orchid roots in water on a constant basis does not simulate their natural habitat and actually contributes to fungal issues. In nature, these epiphytes grasp tree limbs with their roots as they gain moisture from the air. Their roots are never soggy; moisture condensing or falling onto the exposed roots is absorbed slowly into the plants. Your home-grown moth orchids should have a water saucer filled with gravel under their well-drained container. Water evaporating from the saucer moves around the plants. As a result, your orchids receive the humidity they need without their roots being waterlogged.

False Dormancy

• Although your moth orchids may appear to have a dormant period in fall, they are actually quite active at the root level. Encourage prolific blossom buds in January by placing your orchids in a cool, north-facing position indoors with indirect sunlight. With reduced sunlight, the plants have a chance to direct all of their energy to root development. Once January arrives, stimulate blossoms by relocating the plants to their original, warm position. This stark temperature change gives the plants a trigger for bud formation.

Container Care

• Moth orchids perform best in a root-bound state. So use only orchid-growing mediums, such as bark, for them. Because these orchids do not grow out of soil in nature, they do not need their roots suffocated. Loosely arranged bark in a well-drained container allows breezes to touch the roots as they absorb surrounding moisture. Repot each moth orchid every two years after it blooms; the growing medium typically is spent after that time period. Remove each orchid's blossom spike after all the flowers are spent as well to direct all photosynthesis energy into leaf and root growth.