large-light-pink-phalaenopsis-moth-orchid £19.99
Commonly called the moth orchid because its flattened flower petals can look like butterflies wings, these are always a welcome present. They are possibly one of the easiest orchids to care for and the flowers will last for many weeks. These plants will come with around 16 pink flowers or buds and they sit in an attractive matt purple pot.Position: They will thrive in good light, but prefer some shade from direct sun. Try to keep them away from central heating, but they are more tolerant of this than most other orchids. They love humidity, so a bright kitchen or bathroom would be ideal.Soil: Specialist orchid compostWater: Keep the compost moist during the warmer months, but in winter you should reduce the amount it gets, and only water them occasionally. Ideally when watering, you should let them stand in a tray of water (or kitchen sink) so they can soak up as much as they like for an hour or two. Afterwards, let the excess water drain away completely. It is always best to give them a a good soak when they get quite dry, rather than watering little and often. Their preference is for soft, tepid water.Humidity: Mist the leaves with water occasionally, especially if they are in a heated room.General care: Don’t worry if the roots grow outside the pot. In their native environment, they grow in the crooks of branches, and use these aerial roots to absorb water from the air. They do not mind being overcrowded in their pots, so you only need to repot them when the growth starts to suffer. They usually only send up flower spikes once a year, however you may encourage a second flush of flowers to form more quickly if you trim back the stem to just above the first node immediately after they have finished flowering. They prefer even temperatures, so try not to have big drops at night time.Plants will be sent out with care instructions. If you order other items and wish to receive these before the date selected for your Phalaenopsis you will need to select split delivery in the shopping wheelbarrow.