Point Grey Village Flowers always carries a large section of high quality Phalaenopsis orchids and the most common question from those who have never had them before is are they difficult to look after. The answer is no. If you can grow houseplants, you can grow orchids. Like any other plant, an orchid must have the growing conditions it needs to survive. But they are amazingly sturdy and resilient. Phalaenopsis Orchid blooms can last up to 4 months and some returning customers have told me even longer.
Here is some tips to get you started and keep your Orchid beautiful:
Light and Temperature:
Your orchid will live well in medium but bright light is preferred. Avoid direct sunlight as this may cause the leaves to burn. Keep your orchid away from the heater or cold drafts. Orchids like humidity and an easy way to create humidity in the house is to have a tray of pebbles filled with water and place it near your orchid plant. Or, you can increase humidity by misting your plant in the morning. Do not mist at night, because excessive water in the crown area of the plant will create possible disease problems in the future.
Watering:
In general, your orchid plant needs to be watered by room temperature water every 7-10 days in summer and 10-14 days in winter if it's grown in moss. Before you water your phalaenopsis, make sure the top 1-2 inches of the growing media is dry to touch. If it is still wet, do not apply any more water. Do not allow your orchid plant to stand in water.
How to get your Orchid to re-bloom:
Once your orchid has finished blooming, cut one inch below the first bloom. Sometimes a branch will emerge with more blooms from one of the nodes on the stem. If nothing happens in 6-8 weeks, cut the flower stem all the way back. A new spike will form after its resting period. To re-bloom, place your orchid plant near a south window or somewhere in the house where it's warm during the day and cool at night. A 5 to 8C (10-15F) difference between night and day is required for blooming. They bloom between 17-25C (62-77F).