Everyone, gardening aficionado or not, is entranced by orchids, particularly the Phalaenopsis, more commonly known as the moth orchid. Having a single spray in a thin vase on your desk at work feels as if a certain graceful sophistication has been brought from the outside in. And yet, we hesitate to spend the money on them because we’ve always thought that they needed especial care and pampering to thrive. Perhaps it’s all those BBC programs we watch that show elderly ladies and gentlemen in their glass conservatories taking great pains to grow them for entry in the next flower show!
Au contraire. All this lovely needs is to be hung in diffuse sunlight near a window (not in too bright a light or it will scorch the plant), preferably in a tray with pebbles so that sufficient humidity is provided, with temperatures that are consistent with an average household-the ideal night temperature is 62 to 65 degrees F. with daytime temperatures of 70 to 80 degrees. Water your Phalaenopsis in the morning with rain, distilled, or reverse-osmosis water about once every 4 to 7 days; never use water that has been softened by a water softener. A light shade should be provided, such as a sheer curtain, but allow your plants a bit more light from the beginning of December throughout the middle of February.
Fertilizer must be provided on a regular basis because most potting media have little. A good general rule is to use a balanced fertilizer, 10-10-10 or 12-12-12, and as the pros say, fertilize “weakly, weekly.” In other words, fertilize every week at one quarter to one half of the recommended dilution.
These orchids were indeed popular with Victorian growers, but because common “parlor plants” were grown either in the front rooms, or parlors, which usually lacked heat, especially during the winter, or in the back parlors, which were typically overheated during the day, and unheated during the nighttime, the Phalaenopsis did not fare well inside. Many of the modern potted plants which we consider “new” were common house plants during the mid-late 19th century. As over 50% of the homes in London during the Victorian era had attached greenhouses, it was there, under highly controlled conditions, that the Phalaenopsis thrived. Here in the United States, greenhouses were extremely expensive and rarely found, hence the comparative newness of the popularity of this orchid.
This elegant beauty makes the perfect gift, as the blooms will last up to 6 months before falling.