- TEMPERATURE:
 Phalaenopsis are warm
growing. Temperatures of 62°F nighttime low to 85°F daytime high are
ideal. Daytime temperatures in the 90’s can be tolerated provided there
is enough moisture and air movement. Plants should be protected against
temperatures (day and night) below 58°F. The exception to this rule is
in later summer or early fall when a drop to between 55° - 60° F will
help set flower spikes
- AIR MOVEMENT:Phalaenopsis like
plenty of fresh air. Gentle moving fresh air is probably the greatest
deterrent to bacterial and fungal diseases.
- LIGHT:Phalaenopsis, like all blooming plants, get their energy to
bloom from light. Phalaenopsis do best in a light range of 1200 FC to
2000 FC, based on seasonal day length. Plants must be protected from
direct sunlight and over heating.
- WATER:Successful growing of Phalaenopsis requires proper watering.
Frequency of watering as well as quality of water is important. Water
with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0 is ideal; however, most drinking water can be
used. City water tends to have a higher pH, but the plants will tolerate
the higher pH within reason. Fertilizer tends to lower the pH.
When to water: As often as necessary!
It would be impossible for anyone to give you an exact watering schedule
for Phalaenopsis or any other orchids. Each person has different growing
conditions, different potting material, pot size, drainage, temperature,
humidity, and probably most important, different air movements.
Phalaenopsis should never be allowed to become completely dry. Water
when the potting material becomes just damp below the surface. Water
thoroughly. Let the water flush through the potting material at least
every second or third watering. This will "leach" the potting material
and prevent a buildup of "salts" in the media. If a buildup of salts is
allowed, the root system will be damaged and eventually die off.
Remember, flush your pots! Do not allow a buildup of salts that can
kill your roots and eventually your plants.
- POTTING:Phalaenopsis, in most
cases, should be repotted every year, usually shortly after blooming.
Potting should be completed by the end of August to prevent interference
with flower spike production. Phalaenopsis will grow well in plastic or
clay pots; however, growing conditions will be different between plastic
and clay. Plants in plastic tend to dry out more slowly. When repotting,
25% to 30% of pot volume should be drainage material placed in the
bottom. Good drainage materials include rocks, Styrofoam "peanuts" and
agricultural charcoal. Net pots are an excellent source of drainage and
aeration. Place the net pot open-side down in the center of clay/plastic
pot and pot plant as usual. For pots 4 - 6 inches, use a 2 inch net pot;
use a 3 inch net pot for larger pots. Potting materials can be:
New Zealand Sphagnum;
New Zealand Sphagnum mixed with
charcoal;
cocoanut chips;
tree fern; or
one of several other
potting materials.
Each potting material will require some changes in cultural
requirements, especially watering.
- FERTILIZER:Phalaenopsis respond
well to fertilizer. However, these points should be kept in mind:
a.All plants use fertilizer in direct proportion to the amount
of light received:
low light + short days = less fertilizer
high light +
long days = more fertilizer b.Weak fertilizer
applied more often is better than strong applications.
c.Use
fertilizer at 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons per gallon of water every three
weeks in winter (based on Florida) and every two weeks in
summer.
d.Fertilizer can be used every time you water provided you:
use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon per gallon of water,
and
flush the pot every one to two waterings. e.Use a good
water-soluble, balanced fertilizer. If you are growing in fir bark,
then a 30-10-10 fertilizer should be used
f.Note: Throw &
Grow is an excellent time-release fertilizer, working up to one year.
We also strongly recommend Ag-Tonic and ATsE-1 as a spray foliar-feed
and all around fertilizer. Ag-Tonic will not burn the leaves or roots of
plants and contains every trace element known to be required for plant
growth and flowering.
Remember, more fertilizer will not make more flowers; in fact, too
much fertilizer can reduce the number of flowers.
- DISEASE:Bacterial - Fungal -
Viral
Probably more Phalaenopsis are lost to pseudomonas, a bacterial
disease, than to any other disease. The reason? Most hobby growers and
some commercial growers use a fungicide when the disease is bacterial.
Neem oil, Physan or RD20 is a good control for bacteria as well as for
fungus. Pseudomonas is very infectious and can be spread even by
splashing water. All suspect plants should be treated . If the diseased
area of the leaf is spreading, cut the area back _ inch into the
non-affected area. The whole leaf may need to be removed. Be sure to
spray the complete plant with neem, Physan or RD20, especially the cut
area, as well as all plants that were near the diseased plant.
Fungus:The best prevention for fungal disease problems is a combination
of:
a.good air movement;
b.keeping temperatures
in an acceptable range; and
c.making sure plants
(not potting medium) are dry before nightfall. If plants are not dry
in late afternoon, spray the leaves with 2 teaspoons Physan or RD20
mixed in one gallon of water. This should dry the leaves and sterilize
the plants.
The above care should eliminate fungus problems.
Virus:There is no known cure for viral
infections. Prevention is the only defense against viral disease!
Clean growing areas and sterile tools are essential. Sterilize all tools
before using on EACH plant. We recommend a propane torch to heat
sterilize all tools, clips, stakes, etc. Used clay pots should be soaked
for 20 minutes in a solution of 20% Clorox bleach and thoroughly rinsed.
Plastic pots should not be reused.
- PESTS:There are several insect pests that enjoy orchids: scale, mealy
bugs, snails, slugs, aphids, spider mites and others. Because of the
restrictions of insecticides and their use, I suggest that you use an
insecticide recommended by the manufacturer for the specific insect. A
good source for this information is your area agriculture extension
agent.
Neem oil is a nontoxic, biodegradable insect repellant, insecticide,
bactericide and fungicide from the neem tree of India. In India, neem is
used as a medical treatment both internally and externally. Neem oil is
not USDA approved for use on orchids. However, in experimental testing
we have found neem oil kept our houses "bug" free for six months. Our
houses were sprayed November 1, 1997 and again May 1, 1998. Neem oil is
for experimental use only.
- OTHER NOTES:SuperThrive is highly
recommended for use at _ teaspoon to a gallon of water in addition to or
mixed with fertilizer.
Node Paste is a paste to be applied to the nodes on flower stems to
grow either flower stems or kikis. Follow instructions provided with the
node paste. Node paste is for EXPERIMENTAL USE only.
Repotting Spray. At the Blue Pagoda we use the following mixture to
thoroughly spray the complete plant, especially the roots and any cut
areas. Use it to spray the entire plant after removing it from the pot,
and when repotting is complete to sterilize, give the plant a boost and
to help prevent transplant shock.
Add to one gallon of water:
2 teaspoons Physan or
RD20
1 teaspoon water-soluble fertilizer
1/2 teaspoon
SuperThrive |
160 W.
Cocoanut Ave.