Phalaenopsis

Someone gave me Phalaenopsis as a birthday gift and I barely knew what it was. Two years later it's my most treasured plant and I've spent more time researching it than I'd care to admit. The key discovery was watering by soaking the pot then letting it drain fully — once that clicked, the plant tr…

I started with one Phalaenopsis and now have four, all from propagation. The process is straightforward once you understand repotting into fresh bark medium every two or three years — something I picked up from trial and error rather than any guide. I display them in a grouping with other tropical …

As a complete beginner I was nervous about starting with Phalaenopsis. It turned out to be more forgiving than I expected, as long as I paid attention to watering by soaking the pot then letting it drain fully. I grow mine in a grouping with other tropical plants for humidity which is working reall…

I nearly gave up on Phalaenopsis after three months of mediocre results. Then I focused properly on providing bright indirect light away from direct afternoon sun and within a few weeks the difference was dramatic. It now lives in a bright bathroom with natural humidity and has genuinely transforme…

I'm a busy person and can't give every plant the attention the books recommend. Here's what I've learned about the minimum viable care for Phalaenopsis. providing bright indirect light away from direct afternoon sun is genuinely non-negotiable — skip this and the plant declines noticeably. Everythi…

I'd had Phalaenopsis for about eight months with acceptable but unremarkable results. Then I started really paying attention to watering by soaking the pot then letting it drain fully and the difference over the next two months was dramatic. extraordinary bloom longevity lasting weeks to months bec…

Phalaenopsis is a genuinely satisfying plant to grow, but I want to be upfront about one thing: crown rot from water sitting in the leaf crown. I've dealt with it twice now and it takes consistent attention to manage. Beyond that, wide hybridisation resulting in an almost unlimited colour range mak…

Here are my notes from twelve months of growing Phalaenopsis: Spring: rest period in summer with focus on leaf and root growth. This was the moment that confirmed the whole venture. I focused on repotting into fresh bark medium every two or three years during this period which set up the rest of th…

I've been growing plants seriously for over fifteen years and Phalaenopsis remains a reliable favourite. For anyone starting out: the most critical thing is watering by soaking the pot then letting it drain fully. Everything else follows from that. failure to rebloom without a temperature drop trig…

My first attempt at Phalaenopsis failed — failure to rebloom without a temperature drop trigger got hold of it and I didn't know what I was looking at until it was too late. I left it alone for a year before trying again. The second attempt, with proper attention to feeding with a half-strength orc…