Phalaenopsis Orchids, moth or butterfly style flowers

Youtube Danielle’s Orchid and Orchid girl.

Let Phalaenopsis orchid dry out (leaves begin to wrinkle) between watering. Do not water if any moisture in the pot. Leaves should be drooping.

How to Get a Phalaenopsis Orchid to Bloom and Rebloom
In the wild, Phalaenopsis orchids only bloom once a year. Spring-summer is for leaf producing. A drop in temp for a few days in Autumn signals time to produce flowers.

double blooms

Needs room between leaf layers to bloom. Usually blooms below second leaf tier as leaf layers above are too close for bud to form (without being pinch).

Once the last bloom has dropped, cut the brown stem off to no more than inch in height.
Continue caring for your plant as normal and feeding it a diluted liquid fertilizer.
After the stem has grown a new leaf, relocate your orchid to a cooler area with temperatures of 55 to 65°F and bright indirect light. After one month in this cooler environment, your orchid should produce bloom bud.

Common Problems with Phalaenopsis
Wrinkled Leaves
If your orchid’s leaves are wrinkled, you’re likely under-watering and there’s too little humidity. To increase the humidity, add a pebble tray with water below the plant, but don’t let the pot sit in the water.

Yellow Leaves
Overwatering and root rot are often the cause of yellowing leaves. Give the orchid growing medium time to dry out between waterings. If that doesn’t work, repot the plant and remove any unhealthy roots.

Buds Dropping
Orchids sometimes experience bud blast—a condition where the flower buds drop without blooming. This is usually caused by sudden changes in temperature, humidity, moisture, or fertilizer. Maintaining ideal growing conditions should lessen the occurrence of problems.

FAQ
How long do Phalaenopsis orchids last?
If cared for well, moth orchids may bloom twice a year for 15 to 20 years.

What should I do with a Phalaenopsis orchid after the bloom??
After the flowers have fallen off, cut the stem back and continue to water the orchid weekly. Apply a diluted liquid fertilizer and watch for a new flowering stem to emerge. After the second bloom, continue to water weekly and reduce feeding for a few months to allow the plant to rest.

What makes Phalaenopsis orchids bloom?
A drop in temperatures to around 55 to 60°F for a few nights usually triggers them to bloom. But the most reliable way to ensure blooms is to provide the proper light, moisture, temperature, humidity, fertilizer, and growing medium.

What window exposure is best for a Phalaenopsis orchid?
Choose a window with bright, indirect light; a south- or east-facing window usually works best.