Three ways to not kill your new butterfly orchid
BUTTERFLY orchids are more popular than ever as indoor plants. And yet the flowers often prove quite tricky to maintain. We asked some orchid pros to reveal how they keep theirs healthily in bloom.
There’s a reason the Phalaenopsis Orchid is better known as the butterfly orchid: The flowers of this popular houseplant look like a butterfly or moth in flight.
Perhaps it’s also not surprising that butterflies and moths are the main source of pollination for these plants. If you’re lucky enough to have one of them at home, you’ll need to follow some maintenance advice to keep your orchid in good shape.
Tip 1: Encourage flowering with cool night temperatures
When an orchid blossoms, the individual flowers last for two-and-ahalf to four months, depending on the variety and the care you give them, explains orchid specialist Joerg Frehsonke. A plant like this will usually bloom twice a year, but there are some varieties that flower continuously throughout the year.
However, many hobby gardeners have the same problem: At a certain point, the formation of new flowers just comes to a halt.
“Consistently warm temperatures guarantee good growth and healthy leaf formation of orchids, but they don’t encourage flower formation,” Frehsonke explains.
Orchids need a slightly lower night temperature, which serves as an impulse for flower formation. “Put the plants somewhere where it’s 15 to 16 degrees at night for six to eight weeks and you will soon see a new flowering shoot appear.”
Another trick: If all the flowers have fallen off a flower stem, cut it back to the second or third eye which should be a thicker part of the stem. Then a new stem will emerge within a short time.
Tip 2: plant orchids in a soil made of coarse bark
The Phalaenopsis originally comes from South and South-East Asia and thrives in outdoor environments in India, Indonesia,
Thailand, the Philippines and Taiwan, as well as in Northern Australia.
“In its natural habitat, Phalaenopsis does not grow in typical garden soil, but rather settles in the branches of large trees,” says horticulturalist Thomas Koch.
That’s why, when you’re keeping one as indoor plant, it should be planted in a loose and airy substrate of coarse bark. Frehsonke uses a mixture of pine bark and peat moss. “The pine bark retains its structure for a long time, and the moss prevents the soil from drying out too quickly,” says the orchid gardener.
Koch advises not to press the plant too firmly into the pot when repotting. “For the first six to eight weeks after repotting in a fresh substrate, leave the butterfly orchids to stand dry.” This prevents the roots from rotting and encourages the formation of new roots. If the first new root tips grow, you can resume the your normal rhythm of watering.
Tip 3: Don’t prune any roots that peak over the soil
A look at orchids in their natural habitat shows us why long aerial roots are so likely grow out of your pot. “These are roots that the orchids use to hold on to the trees,” says Koch. They also help the plant to absorb water and nutrients.
Therefore, you should not simply cut them off, but add them to the pot when repotting. In most cases, it is recommended to repot the plants about every two years after the first flowering – ideally during a warm and sunny period, when the conditions for growth are optimal. – dpa