Phalaenopsis

needs are easy to fulfill for a phalaenopsis as most will thrive with 2 to 3 hours of early morning or late afternoon direct sun a day.

• In a greenhouse, shade cloth is required to reach about 1,000-2,000 footcandles (10,750-21,500 lumens), depending on the plants.  
• Indoors, an east-, north-, or west-facing window where they will get about 1 to 4 hours of direct sun is ideal. 
• Many types of phalaenopsis will grow well under artificial light.  Use lightbulbs or LEDs of your choice that are about 1-2 ft (30-60 cm) above the plant and emit greater than 10,000 lumens per square yard/square meter.  The lowest number of lumens for growth is about 2,000, though flowering may be poor.

depends on the hybrid/species, but in general, phalaenopsis are happy with 55F-72F (12.7C-22.2C) nights and 70F-85F (21.1C-29.4C) days.  If growing indoors, there is no need to worry about temperature; room temperature all the time is fine.  Fluctuating temperatures can cause bud drop. Buds are most susceptible when they are about pea-size.  Additionally, most standard phalaenopsis will fail to initiate spikes if the temperature at any time goes above 82F (27.7C). It should be noted that standard phalaenopsis will bloom at much higher temperatures if the spikes have already started. High temperatures, especially at night, result in stretching the inflorescence. 

For standard phalaenopsis, temperature becomes critical when the plant is ready to set buds. Spiking in a phalaenopsis begins with a drop in day temperatures to below 80F (26.7C) and a corresponding drop in the night temperature of about 10 F (5.6C). Temperatures of 82F (27.7C) or more for even a day will delay spiking or prevent it altogether. They will spike with nights in the 60-69F(15.6-20.6C) range if the days are not hot. 

Novelty phalaenopsis appear to flower at about any time if given sufficient light.

When thinking about water for epiphytes such as phalaenopsis, you must keep in mind that they like to have quick wet-to-dry cycles. Phalaenopsis like to go dry in between waterings but like to be immediately watered when their media hits dryness.  This is especially critical for phalaenopsis because they have no major water-storage organs other than their leaves.  Phalaenopsis must never completely dry out.  Plants should be thoroughly watered and not watered again until nearly dry.  In the heat of summer in a dry climate, this may be every other day; in the winter in a cool northern greenhouse, it may be every 10 days or longer.  Water only in the morning so the leaves can dry before night and avoid letting water collect in the crown as this can cause one type of crown rot.

• If growing mounted plants in a greenhouse, you should water daily by thoroughly drenching the mount. 
• Indoor phalaenopsis should be grown potted and can be taken to the shower or sink and be watered, drip dry, then placed back.  Again, the potting medium should be thoroughly drenched with water. The frequency will depend on how fast it takes for the medium to dry in your conditions.  Indoors, you can get away with watering less frequently by letting them sit in about .5 inch (1.27 cm) of their own flow-through for a day or two.

Always use lukewarm water as cold or hot water may injure plants. Hard water or water softened by a salt-based water softener should also be avoided. Substitute water sources are rainwater, bottled spring water, or reverse osmosis water. 

for phalaenopsis is a bonus but is not necessary for growing these well.

• In a greenhouse, air should always be moving around the plants to prevent fungal or bacterial disease, especially if high humidity or cool and wet conditions exist.
• Indoors, if phalaenopsis are well-watered and frequently watered, you do not need to worry about humidity.  If you are not as frequent with waterings, then humidity should be brought up to about 55 to 85%.  If you raise the humidity, the plant will be slightly more robust, but not incredibly so.

regularly to produce strong plants.  Use regular strength to half strength of a plant-balance fertilizer (10-10-10).  Do not fertilize during the winter.

 is best done in the spring, immediately after flowering, but can be done any time if the roots are kept as intact as possible, especially if plants are grown indoors.  phalaenopsis plants must be potted in a porous mix.  Repotting is usually done every 1 to 3 years.  

• Seedlings usually grow fast enough to need repotting yearly and should be repotted in a fine-grade medium.
• Mature plants are potted in a medium-grade bark mix and can grow in the same container until the potting medium starts to decompose, usually about 2 years.  Root rot occurs if plants are left in a soggy medium.
• Indoors, phalaenopsis do best when potted in a fine bark mix, regardless of size, and in a net/mesh pot that is slipped into a larger plastic (ideally clear plastic) or ceramic pot.  The idea is that they can sit in about .5in(1.3cm) of water, which wicks up into the media but allows the roots to breathe.

It is also ideal, when repotting most phalaenopsis, to pot them leaning forward at about 45 degrees or more.  This will prevent the roots from “searching upwards”.  To repot, trim soft, rotted roots and spread the remaining roots over a handful of medium in the bottom of a new pot.  Fill the rest of the pot with medium, working it among the roots so that the junction of the roots and the stem is at the top of the medium.

• Phalaenopsis, The Genus

Further information can be found on the Phalaenopsis genus page.

Best orchid care practices are also provided for watering, repotting, and fertilizer types. There are also detailed discussions of growing orchids indoors, outdoors, or in greenhouses.

For more information on genus name changes, see Taxonomy.