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Phalaenopsis Cultivation
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ll Phalaenopsis species share common cultivation requirements, as long as vegetative seasons are taken into
account. Only a few species, mainly the deciduous and
miniatures ones from subgenera Proboscioides Aphyllæ and
Parishianæ, require specific care.
Light requirements are low, which explains the success of
Phalaenopsis cultivation more than reasonable in apartments.
A simple light source in the vicinity, like a window, provides
enough light for flowering (except for section Esmeralda). Excessive light is a dangerous event and causes foliage to turn
yellow or burn and makes growth slower.
Repotting can be performed all year round for evergreen
species, and is better during dormancy for deciduous species.
The potting substrate can be variable. Fine clean pine or fir
bark (depending on roots diameter), with appropriate granulometry (size distribution) will suit well for all species, especially if plants are watered with tap water. Other mixes, like
bark with sphagnum or even pure sphagnum can give satisfying results, depending on grower’s habits. For pure sphagnum cultivation, it is better to use New Zealand moss, which
degrades slower than Chilean moss. Expanded clay can be
used for passive hydroponic cultivation, which can be very
suitable and allows the grower to water plants only once or
twice a month. Rock wool cubes, carefully prepared, can also
be used. For those two latest substrates, growers should read
documentation about detailed preparation process, as well
as fertilizer use or type of water needed. For the terrestrial
species, such like the ones in Esmeralda section, adding peat
moss, leaf compost, or river sand to bark is better. The main
purpose of these elements is to retain more water near the
roots, while preventing them from rotting. They also allow
more organic food to be available for plants.
For classical substrates (barks), watering should be performed only when the substrate begins to dry out, but Phalaenopsis species do not have reserve organs and need regular
watering, excepting deciduous species, which might be allowed to dry more during dormancy or when leaves are not
present. Watering frequency can vary depending on temperature, light and vegetative activity, but one watering per week
is a good basis. Watering can be done more frequent during
spring and summer, or when humidity is low. On the other
hand, when the substrate is degraded, or when vegetation
growth is slow, watering should be spaced out. Plants benefit
of high higrometry (relative humidity) all year round, particularly when temperatures are high.
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Phalaenopsis | Fourth Quarter | Volume 23 | 2013
A balanced fertilizer should be used at a low dosage (half the
recommended dose for example) at every watering, as Phalaenopsis growth is continuous and that they can flower nearly
all the year. Growth can be judiciously slower during winter,
when light is weaker and when heating systems cause hygrometry to decrease. When this happens, reducing fertilizer
application is recommended. For deciduous species, fertilizer
is not essential when leaves are absent or during dormancy,
and salts built-up can even burn new roots when they appear.
Series Conclusion
As the reader will have noticed in this series, Phalaenopsis is
a varied genus and this group of plants has a lot of surprises to
give to growers. Hybrids have mostly been avoided in this paper, but some of them are really attractive, from standard giant white flowered to miniature or perfumed novelties. Many
breeders are specializing in Phalaenopsis and many new hybrids are registered every single month. Species are also more
and more selected, then interbreed, and it’s now far easier to
find attractive plants that have been artificially reproduced,
than in the collected plants that have been imported more or
less legally into Europe. These latest are even more difficult to
establish in cultivation, and all that I can do is to recommend
choosing artificially reproduced plants. New species will be
described in the future, and some species (such as P. luteola)
might be rediscovered, like what happened to me with P. regnieriana. Phalaenopsis do deserve a chosen space in an orchid
collection, and I hope that this paper will stimulate amateurs
to discover or to improve their knowledge of this fascinating
genus.
Literature cited
Baker M.L. and C.O. Baker, 1991. Orchid Species Culture vol. 1.
Pescatorea to Pleione., Timber Press, ISBN: 0-88192-208-0.
Bechtel H., Cribb P. and E. Launert, 1992. The Manual of Cultivated
Orchid Species. 592 p. Blandford Press, IS $