Temperature
When it comes to temperature, aim for a warm environment during the day, with 80°F being ideal.
It can be about 15 degrees cooler at night, but that’s not necessary. They can survive brief periods with temperatures dipping down into the mid 30s, but try to avoid that.
Give your phal really good air circulation, and don’t put it in a closed spot.
Fertilizing
Feeding your Phalaenopsis requires understanding what part of the growing phase your plants are in.
You must feed to encourage new blossoms and you should support them during their long flowering phase.
The problem is that most people buy these plants while they’re blooming. Commercial growers encourage them to bloom outside their normal phase to encourage sales.
For that reason, I find it’s best to lay off the fertilizer for at least a month.
It won’t hurt to underfeed for a short period, but overfeeding can lead to some problems that can be a challenge to remediate.
After the first month, feed plants monthly with a diluted or extremely mild fertilizer when in bloom.
Increase applications to feed every two weeks when the plant isn’t blooming.
Dr. Earth’s Pump & Grow fertilizer is an excellent option.
Dr. Earth Pump & Grow Fertilizer
It’s mild enough for regular use and balanced to give your plants the nutrients they need. Bring home a 16-ounce bottle from Arbico Organics.
Find more tips on how to feed your plants here.
Species and Cultivars
Many times, these plants will just be listed as generic moth or Phalaenopsis orchids at grocery stores, big box stores, and nurseries.
There are many, many hybrids and there are always new ones popping up. Some of the more common hybrids are bred by Mituo.
Their Diamond series features flowers with some pretty striking patterns and colors.
Amabilis
The beautiful moon orchid, as this species is often called, is one of the varieties most commonly found in stores.
P. amabilis flowers are typically white or nearly white.
Each blossom can be up to four inches across and there can be dozens on a single plant. Each of these lasts for weeks, and the plant continually sends out new flowers all summer long.
The plants themselves can grow over three feet tall indoors with proper care.
Amboinensis
This species is less common, but it’s highly sought-after on the market.
In their native habitat, P. amboinensis plants are endangered, but there are lots of lovely hybrids out there if you’re willing to do the work of finding them.
Most feature flowers with some combination of yellow, red, brown, or white petals. They’re also highly fragrant with a strong floral scent.
Plants can reach about a foot tall and each one can support multiple flowering stems at a time.
Aphrodite
This species has small white flowers, but there are some hybrids that feature pink splotches or ones with entirely pink petals.
Easily mistaken for P. amabilis, P. aphrodite flowers are about an inch smaller and pinkish-red at the base of the central petal. The plants are smaller overall, too.
Mannii
This species likes to do its best impression of a swarm of bees, with petite yellow and brown blossoms on plants that stay under a foot tall.
If you’re looking for a miniature specimen, see if you can find P. mannii ‘Black.’
It has tiny, bright yellow and brown flowers with dark black spots. They really look like bumblebees hovering around the tiny, six-inch-tall plant.
Schilleriana
Along with P. amabilis, this species represents some of the most popular flowers on the market.
P. schilleriana is super tolerant, doesn’t mind low light or some direct morning sun, and won’t collapse in a heap if you aren’t the best at watering.
The plants can be covered in dozens of small flowers in colors like white, pink, and lilac. They can grow up to three feet tall.
Maintenance
Orchids aren’t the most attractive plants when the flowers fade.
Snipping off that flower stalk can go a long way toward improving the appearance and it encourages reblooming.
Take a clean pair of scissors and snip the flower stalk as close to the base as you can.
You should repot once every year or two, but you don’t necessarily need to increase the pot size.
This job should be done in the early summer after the blossoms have faded.
One of the biggest challenges of orchid growing is to take a plant that has stopped blooming and encourage it to bloom again.
Provide about 15 degrees of difference in temperature from day to night. Temporarily aim to provide slightly cooler conditions than the usual.
