Phal Orchid – One of the Orchid Favorites
Phal Orchids make good houseplants. They enjoy windowsill light and need constant moisture. They are similar to African violets in their needs. They like a fairly warm climate of 70-80 in the daytime, and 62-65 in the nighttime. An eastern exposure windowsill is best, for no direct sun that may burn the leaves. A sheer curtain will work if you sill provides direct sun. Some shade is all right for Phal Orchid, but beginning middle December to middle February, provide more light for growth.
Each year, your Phal Orchid will grow one or two new leaves. Watering early in the morning is best, with rain water, if possible. If you don’t have rainwater, use distilled or reverse-osmosis water. No soft water should be used. Water once every 4 to 7 days. Never allow your Phal to stand in water. This will cause bacterial or fungal rot to kill the plant.
The bottom of the pot your Phal is planted in should have a tray filled with pebbles to catch excess water runoff. Clear plastic pots are best that are slightly larger than root ball. A fir bark mixture, with New-Zealand sphagnum moss, perlite, and charcoal is the best for your Phal. This is an excellent growing medium that provides good drainage and aeration. Some Phal owners use a medium grade orchid bark mix.
Repot in the spring or fall to prevent plant shock. Medium temperatures are ideal at these times of the year for repotting. The potting mixture of your Phal orchid breaks down fairly quickly due to frequent watering. Best repotting results are achieved after flowering season. Never repot your Phal when it is in bloom or growing new spikes.
Fertilizing is recommended for your Phal orchid plant. Humidity of 50 to 70 percent is ideal, but it can adapt to lower humidity if it is watered more often. Keep a ceiling fan on low, or a small fan nearby your Phal, as they like air movement. If ‘bud blast’ occurs, when buds dry up and drop without opening, check for the following. Is the room too hot? Is there enough light? Is the soil too dry or too wet? Have you used soft water or too much fertilizer? Are their drafts or bad fumes around the plant?
The Phal is the most common house orchid because it is easily grown at home, and they stay in bloom year round. Bloom spikes on Phal orchids should be cut only after blooming.
A Phal orchid is Monopodial, which means they grow leaves from a central stem. Of the genus Phalaenopsis (pronounced FAL-EN-OP-SIS), it is one of most graceful of all orchids. It is native to Southeast Asia, the Philippines, and Taiwan. It grows naturally in shady undergrowth. These fragrant and novel plants grow vertically upward.
They will discard their leaves on the lower stems with time. The leaves drop when they are no longer able to store water and nutrients for the plant. The plant then produces new roots above the leafless stem. You can cut the stem below the new roots, and repot it. The old stem may begin to produce new little systems in a few weeks.
