Keep Wimberley Beautiful

A popular orchid flowering plant available in the grocery store is the Phalaenopsis orchid. There are many kinds of orchids but the Phalaenopsis orchids are perfect for growing inside the house in a sunny window.

When people first receive an orchid they are amazed at how long the flowers last. The only care they require is water and light. Softened tap water is very bad for the orchids, but rainwater and unsoftened tap water (like you have in the hose outside) is fine. Do not let the orchid sit in water or allow water to sit in the crown where the newest leaves come out. If water gets there accidentally, soak it up with a dish towel or paper napkin. If your tap water is not softened, an ice cube sitting on the roots works well for many people.

To fertilize I use the slow release pellets but dilute liquid fertilizer is fine also.

Eventually the flowers fade and there are no new buds. Often you can get a second round of blooms by cutting the spike right above the first or second node on the stem.

This fall 3 different people gave me their non-blooming orchids that looked good, but were not blooming. When fall arrives and the night temperatures outside go down into the 60’s, it is time to put the orchids outside in the shade. I leave them outside as long as the night temperature does not go below 50. This requires careful monitoring of night lows as I bring the orchids inside when it gets too cool and take them out again when the nights warm up. After about 6 weeks of this treatment flower spikes appear and you can put the plant in a sunny window as the spikes slowly develop buds and neventually bloom. So far this procedure has worked on 2 of the 3 orchids I received from friends.

Written by Jackie Mattice, Hays County Master Naturalist