Phalaeonopsis Orchid

These tropical beauties are very popular these days, with good reason. Their butterfly-like flowers are sensational!  And the stunning blooms should last for at least a month. The blooms in the top picture are over 4 months old and are just beginning to fade! With diligent care, they hold up well.

Many varieties  are available on the market, most of them are white, sometimes with rose or purple. The new hybrids have brought us some other variations like the bright purple one seen here. You can find them almost anywhere you can buy plants.

The white blooms pictured above are from my own orchid plants. I've owned one of these plants for a long time and it has happily bloomed every  year, usually beginning near winter's end. The vibrant purple blooming phalaeonopsis belongs to a neighbor of mine. It was a gift to her and after awhile was declining in health. I told her the best secret that I have found to successfully growing orchids: when watering your orchid, make sure you put the pot in a sink, water it thoroughly and let it drain well. Gently spray the leaves, while you're at it.

The phalaeonopsis is an epiphytic orchid, meaning they grow in trees not from the ground. They naturally grow in exotic places such as the Philippines, Indonesia, and New Guinea.  

Care Instructions-- 

• For the Phalaeonopsis and most orchids--Bright indirect light or an hour or two of direct sun. They thrive in a north facing window or with a little morning sun. They can be placed in lower light for awhile, but should be returned to higher light eventually.  
• Give them water when dry about 1/2" below the soil surface.  Water thoroughly in a sink so that the water is evenly distributed. Let the excess water drain away in the sink for a few minutes before returning the plant to its decorative pot or saucer. That way it won't sit in water.
  
• The leaves like a cleaning and appreciate the moisture, too.  If your home is fairly dry, a daily mist of water would be very welcome as they do need some humidity. 
• Fertilize regularly and it should bloom once a year, usually beginning during winter, for at least a month, often longer.  

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***View short videos from my 90's TV series here:   The Indoor Garden TV show

©2012

Oncidium flexuosum

 Oncidium flexuosum

Showy sprays of joy are the gift of the Oncidium flexuosum! They produce splendid flowers that are bright yellow with just of kiss of bright red. I've had this orchid living happily in a north facing window for a few years. It brightens up my family room and brightens me up whenever I see it.   

I've found the Oncidium to be one of the easiest of the orchids to grow indoors. With devoted care, which is pretty minimal, it will be bloom for a couple of months or more, every year and at various times of the year. It prefers a pretty tight container and as it appears to outgrow its container, you can separate the pseudobulbs by division and start new plants. That is how I've managed to keep mine in a smaller pot for so long.  

Sometimes called "dancing dolls" or butterfly orchids,  these epiphytic orchids (meaning they grow in trees) naturally grow in Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

 Care Instructions:

• Oncidiums prefer very bright indirect light or a little direct sun. A north-facing window is just about perfect. Morning sun from an east window is great. They should do well within a few feet  from a sunny southern or western exposure.
• For plants in 6"diameter pots, water thoroughly when the media feels dry about 1/2 inch or so below the top of the orchid media, for best results. Water them in the sink so that they get an even watering. Orchid media can be difficult to water evenly with a watering can. 
• While your plant is in the sink, give the leaves a good misting too. 
  
• A daily misting is helpful but they adapt well indoors if the air is not too dry or too warm.
• Fertilize regularly with orchid food or regular houseplant fertilizer

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*** To see short video clips from my 90's TV series, click below:

 
 The Indoor Garden TV

©2009