How to Care for Purple Phalaenopsis

Place your purple Phalaenopsis in a location that receives three to four hours of bright, but indirect, sunlight per day; the Louisiana State University Ag Center recommends a sunny east-, south- or west-facing window of your home.

Maintain an indoor climate for purple Phalaenopsis that is similar to its native climate. Keep the daytime temperature of your home between 70 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Lower the temperature to between 60 and 65 degrees at night to mimic the cooler nighttime temperatures that Phalaenopsis would experience if grown outdoors in its native climate; lowering the temperature at night encourages your Phalaenopsis to produce its characteristic blossom-covered spikes. Place your purple Phalaenopsis on a shallow tray filled with pebbles and water; as the water evaporates, it will provide your plant with much-needed humidity.

Give your purple Phalaenopsis a thorough soaking each time you irrigate and then allow the top 2 to 3 inches of growing medium (soil) to dry to the touch before watering again. Use a pencil to help determine when to water. Insert the pencil into the growing medium and quickly remove it; if the wood on the pencil is dry and no growing medium is clinging to it, it's time to water.

Follow a regular fertilization schedule for purple Phalaenopsis from spring to early fall. Fertilize the plant once a month with an application of a water soluble 20-20-20 fertilizer. Cease regular fertilization during the fall and winter months, but apply an application of a high-phosphorus fertilizer in November to help your purple Phalaenopsis set its buds.

Re-pot your purple Phalaenopsis every two to three growing seasons or when its roots start to outgrow the planting container. Remove the Phalaenopsis from the container and rinse away all the old growing medium. Inspect the roots; cut out any brown or mushy roots with sharpened and sterilized pruning shears. Pour 1 inch of fast-draining growing medium in the bottom of the container. Place your purple Phalaenopsis in the container and spread out its roots. Fill the container with growing medium and tamp down the surface to help eliminate any air pockets that may be trapped around the plant's roots.