The Process of Phalaenopsis Reblooming
Sharing knowledge about the orchid plant Phalaenopsis, this is a narrative of the reblooming process. Detailed content will be shared next.
Many orchid enthusiasts think that once the Phalaenopsis flowers fade, they should be thrown away. However, this is not the case. Phalaenopsis has a good reblooming nature. Here we briefly describe the reblooming process of Phalaenopsis, so that orchid enthusiasts can have an understanding of the entire flowering season.
Phalaenopsis has two flowering grades, one in the spring and the other around June. The first flowering usually has the best effect, while the second is weaker. Therefore, some orchid enthusiasts do not allow it to bloom a second time. Here we mainly talk about the second-year flowering. After the flowering period of Phalaenopsis, we can cut off the flower spike and carefully take care of it, and there will be new flower spikes the following year. Let's see how to care for it.
When choosing a pot for planting Phalaenopsis, it should have a certain depth. The pot should be selected based on the length of the plant's roots, slightly deeper pots are preferable. The pot does not necessarily have to be large, but a pot with a certain depth allows the Phalaenopsis roots to fully stretch out and have room to grow, facilitating nutrient absorption.
Choosing Planting Material
Newly purchased Phalaenopsis should be left to acclimate to the home environment for two days, and then repotted with new planting material. Phalaenopsis is an epiphytic orchid, so breathable sphagnum moss is suitable as the planting material. Generally, after a year, the nutritional value of the moss is not high, and it can be replaced. Remove the old moss, trim the Phalaenopsis's残根 (I'm assuming this is a typo and should be "remaining roots"), and if conditions allow, soak the roots in a "Duo-jung-ling" solution to sterilize and disinfect. Then, repot with new moss.
Fertilizing Phalaenopsis
At first, I used to fertilize by adding a few drops of Phalaenopsis-specific liquid fertilizer to the water during each watering, but the effect was not significant. Later, I gave up this special fertilizer and directly used "Monopotassium Phosphate" as the nutrient fertilizer for Phalaenopsis, which immediately showed results. The increase in phosphorus, potassium, and other trace elements made the flower spikes sturdy and powerful, with many flowers on the branches and a long flowering period. It became common to have a flower spike bloom for several months.
Watering Phalaenopsis
Phalaenopsis has thick roots, and excessive water can be catastrophic, leading to root rot. Generally, there are two points to master when watering: when the moss in the pot becomes dry, and when inserting your hand into the bottom of the moss feels dry, it's time to water. If you're still not sure, pinch the leaves of the Phalaenopsis; if they feel soft, then start watering. Add a little "Monopotassium Phosphate" fertilizer to the water, then either use the immersion method or repeatedly water the moss in the pot until all the moss has absorbed enough water. Usually, you can spray water on the leaves of Phalaenopsis, especially in the hot summer. Of course, in the height of summer, it is important to provide Phalaenopsis with some shade and good ventilation. Generally speaking, Phalaenopsis has almost no common diseases or pests. However, poor ventilation can lead to diseases and pests, so this is especially important to watch out for in the summer.
The above information provides a complete narrative of the Phalaenopsis reblooming process for everyone to learn and understand!