Phalaenopsis

The Phalaenopsis genus was described in 1825 by the Dutch botanist Dr. C.L. Blume, who was working at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Buitenzorg (now called Bogor) on the island of Java. The story goes that during one of his trips he saw a cluster of butterflies floating almost motionless beside a tree. They turned out to be orchids, which he later called Phalaenopsis amabilis. ‘Amabilis’ means ‘lovely’.

The genus name Phalaenopsis means ‘like a moth’ and is derived from the Greek ‘Phalaina’ (moth) and ‘opsis’ (resembling). Hence also the English name of ‘Moth Orchid’. In Indonesia the Phalaenopsis amabilis is also called ‘Anggrek Boelan’, which means Moon Orchid. The name ‘Pombo Terbang’ is also used on the Molucca Islands.

History
The genus Phalaenopsis originates from the tropical region of Asia. As far as we know, the first Phalaenopsis hybrids date from 1886 and were produced by the company Veitch & Sons in America. The main aim was to breed large, finely-sculpted flowers.

Temperature
Phalaenopsis prefers a temperature of between 20°C and 22°C. The minimum temperature for the plant is 16°C.

Positioning
In the wild Phalaenopsis grows in shadowy spots. You should therefore place the plant in a position where it gets enough light, but avoid bright sunlight. It is particularly advisable not to place the plant in direct sunlight between April and September. Phalaenopsis is also sensitive to draughts and the plant should not be placed right next to a radiator.

Water
In the wild, in a tropical climate, Phalaenopsis gets a lot of water to deal with in a short space of time, and then nothing for a while. The advice is therefore to immerse the pot in water for about 1 minute once every 7 to 10 days. After immersion allow the plant to drain thoroughly, so that the excess water can run out. It is best to use rain water: tap water often contains too much calcium and minerals. If you do not have access to rain water, the best thing is to boil the tap water first. The ideal temperature for the water is room temperature. In the winter months when the heating is on it is a good idea to spray the plant with water regularly, in order to ensure that the humidity does not drop too low. Air that is too dry is not good for the plant.

Feeding
You should only use orchid food to feed the Phalaenopsis - this can be bought from garden centres. From November to February you should feed the plant once a month, and twice a month in the other months. When feeding follow the dosage recommended by the manufacturer.

Possible flowering again
You will enjoy a Phalaenopsis plant for a long time, since it has a very long lifespan. Sometimes it is possible to get the plant to flower for a second time, you should cut a branch which has finished flowering above the second bud (counted from below).  After pruning you should place the plant is a somewhat colder position. The ‘cooling’ stimulates the growth of the new branch. After approx. 2 months you can replace the plant in order to enjoy the beautiful flowers once again for a long time.

Other information
The Phalaenopsis may grow air roots outside the pot. This is not a bad sign - on the contrary, it suggests that the plant is happy. You can simply leave the air roots where they are. They do not need to be removed or pushed back into the pot. In fact ,this is more likely to damage the plant.

We hope you enjoy the magnificent Phalaenopsis!