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 Start with a Phalaenopsis, moth orchid, that is
best suited to the home environment making it the easiest to grow.
Purchase a healthy plant with green leaves, a few open flowers, lots
of buds on a firm green flower stem and no signs of neglect.
Provide your orchid with proper care, similar to that of an African
violet, for the best results. Water thoroughly with room temperature
tap water just as the planting mix is beginning to dry. This is
usually once a week in most indoor gardens. Pour off any excess
water that collects in the saucer to prevent root rot.
Grow your moth orchid in a bright location near an east-, west- or
slightly shaded south-facing window. Plants do best when they
receive 12 to 14 hours of bright light. Give plants growing in low
light locations a boost with artificial light. Keep lights 4 to 10
inches above the plants. Placing the plants on a reflective surface
helps bounce light back up into the lower parts of the plant. Look
for one of the many economical, energy efficient and attractive
options for sale. Keep the lights on for 14 to 16 hours if this is
the only light the plant receives. You can reduce the time to five
or six hours for plants receiving natural light.
Boost the humidity around your orchid while creating a beautiful
display by placing it among other indoor plants. As one plant loses
moisture from its leaves, it increases the humidity around the
neighboring plants.
Use gravel trays to further increase the humidity around all your
indoor plants. Fill the saucer or plant tray with pebbles. Set the
pots on the pebbles, elevating them above any water that collects in
the saucer. When you water thoroughly the excess collects in the
saucer. As it evaporates, it increases the humidity around the
plants right where it is needed.
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Fertilize actively growing plants when the soil is
moist. Use a dilute solution of a complete fertilizer such as a
20-20-20 labeled for use on orchids or flowering houseplants. Avoid
excess fertilization that can cause damaged black root tips, green
floppy growth, and prevent flowering.
Once your orchid finishes flowering, continue growing it in a
brightly lit location and water and fertilize as needed. You can
either remove the faded flowers, leaving the flower stem intact and
wait for a flush of smaller flowers at the tip of the stem or cut
the flower stem back above either the second or third node, the
thickened part of a plant stem where new growth appears, from the
bottom. A third option is to cut the flower stem back to one half
inch above the leaves. This is better for the health of the plant.
It results in the best reblooming and allows the plant to restore
energy used for flowering and focus on growing roots.
If forcing your orchid to produce a second flush of flowers seems
like too much work, just treat it like a long blooming bouquet. Ease
your guilt by gifting the plant to a fellow gardener that would be
happy to accept the challenge. Then invest in a new and different
orchid to brighten your indoor garden.
Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including
The Midwest Gardener’s Handbook and Small Space Gardening. She hosts
The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” DVD series and the
nationally-syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program.
Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms
magazine. Her web site is www.melindamyers.com.
[Photo courtesy of MelindaMyers.com]
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