Plant Care
'Moth Orchid' (Phalaenopsis Orchid)
These beautiful white Orchids can tolerate the dry atmosphere of most centrally heated homes. The arching stems of flowers are of unmatched elegance and can be produced throughout the year.
Orchids are easy to care for – here are some simple tips:
- Light: Bright filtered light
- Temp: No lower than 18ºC (64f)
- Feeding: Apply an orchid fertiliser every 4 weeks from spring to autumn
- Water: From spring to autumn, water freely and mist the leaves twice a day. In winter water sparingly but do not let the compost dry out and do not mist
- Pruning: When the last flower of the spike fades, you should examine the spike, looking for small fleshy bumps or nodes. From the base of the spike count out 3 nodes (count only the green fleshy nodes – ignore any that are dried out). Cut the spike one inch above the third node.
If your plant is healthy and the season is not too late, this process will wake up one or two of the nodes and in a few short weeks it may produce a new spray of fresh blooms. By trying this you could enjoy flowers for nearly 6 months of the year on the same plant.