Phalaenopsis Orchid Care: A Beginner's Complete Guide
Everything a first-time orchid owner needs to know — substrate, watering, light, pots, and the habits that keep them blooming. This is a detailed care guide with common mistakes, recommended care, and suggested alternatives.
Phalaenopsis orchids, commonly called moth orchids, or "Phals" for short, are arguably the most forgiving of all orchid varieties. They ask for less than most houseplants, and in return they reward you with flowers that last for months at a time! The trick is understanding that they're not like anything else in your home.
SUBSTRATE
COMMON MISTAKES
1. Using regular potting soil is a big no-no for Phalaenopsis. Orchids belong to a group of plants called epiphytes. In the wild, they usually grow attached to tree bark, not buried in soil. Their roots are designed to cling to surfaces, fill in gaps, and absorb moisture from rain runoff and humid air. Our generic potting soil found at department stores holds too much water and suffocates the roots from lack of airflow.
2. Burying the crown of the orchid too deep can lead to crown rot, which is almost impossible to save. This is because the middle of the pot will always dry out slowest, and if the crown is too deep, it'll stay moist for too long. Where is the crown? It's the general area where roots and leaves meet on the body of the plant. It'll do just fine buried slightly in substrate, or even hovering out of the pot with only the roots in substrate.
POTTING SUBSTRATES
The most practical option for beginners is to use dried fir bark or pine bark around 1-3 centimeter chips/nuggets, sold specifically as "orchid bark". Smaller pieces will take longer to dry. The chunkiness ensures the bark doesn't compact, and actually creates tons of air spaces — this allows the substrate to drain quickly, increase aeration to roots, and imitates the natural habitat. Orchid bark can usually be found at most garden centres, plant hobby stores, and online. Very dry bark should be soaked for 24 hours to condition it to absorb water, or else it can dry too quickly.
To add more drainage, mix in perlite, pumice, LECA, or lava rock. To hold moisture longer, mix in long-stranded sphagnum moss. Our specialty orchid potting mix is made of 2 parts fir bark, 1.5 part perlite, and 1 part sphagnum moss. Avoid anything that clumps, retains water, or compacts over time.
If your orchid came potted in just sphagnum moss, it can grow just fine! Just be careful and use less water to prevent the moss from staying soggy for too long.
Bark will break down over time, which causes compacting, longer moisture retention, and higher acidity. Considering repotting into fresh substrate every 1-2 years, even if the orchid looks fine!
WATER CULTURE
Yes, Phalaenopsis orchids can actually thrive without substrate! For this method, make sure the roots are cleaned of all old substrate, and rotted roots have been removed. Use a glass jar (ideally with a smaller opening to trap humidity) with just 1-2cm of water at the bottom. Position your orchid so that just the root tips dip into the water — not all roots have to be touching the water, and ensure the crown is never touching the water. The water can grow mold and algae over time, so change the water every 2-3 days until it can stay clear for longer periods. If the water evaporates quickly, simply top up with fresh water.
MOUNTED CORK BOARD
This is a fun way to display your orchid with an all-natural look. Cork bark is used because it is more resistant to mold, fungus, and decay. Orchids can be mounted right on these boards with or without additional substrate depending on the environment's humidity level. For high humidity spaces, just the cork bark can be enough (spray roots with water if it's too dry). For lower humidity, it's common to bundle up the roots in sphagnum moss, and then tie it to the board.
Cork boards will eventually become more fragile, poke around once in a while to see if it's still holding up!
GOOD TO KNOW
You can grow a healthy orchid in so many methods, so instead of stressing out over the type of substrate, focus on watering habits!
WATERING
COMMON MISTAKES
1 . Overwatering is the number one way people kill orchids, we might think it's time to water again when the substrate and roots near the outside of the pots look dry. However, the roots in the middle of the pot ALSO need to dry out between waterings! Signs of overwatering are: consistent mold and fungus growth, rotten/brown/black roots, bad smell, wrinkly leaves (ironically caused by lack of water because the roots have died and cannot send water to leaves).
On the flip side, many beginners are too cautious and use a mix that dries out too quickly. If your substrate is fully dried in just a couple of days, consider adding moisture-retaining ingredients, or just water more often! Signs of underwatering: wrinkly leaves, very shriveled or dried light brown roots, premature dropping of flowers, potting mix always dry.
Underwatering is more forgiving than overwatering.
2. Ice cubes. Watering with ice cubes can work for a while, but it usually won't lead to a thriving plant. The coldness is harmful to orchid roots, so it's best to use room temperature water.
3. Chlorinated Water. Depending on where you live, your tap water may be heavily chlorinated. If this is the case, leave water out overnight to help reduce chlorine.
HOW OFTEN TO WATER
Rather than sticking to a permanent schedule, check the substrate and make adjustments: water when it feels dry and the roots inside the pot look silvery-grey rather than green. Be careful though: roots along the outside of the pot will dry out and turn silver before roots in the middle of the pot. To make sure your roots and substrate are thoroughly dried, pick up your orchid pots and remember how heavy or light they feel when they are freshly watered versus dried. In most Canadian homes, watering once a week is about right during spring and summer. In autumn and winter, stretch it to once every 10-14 days. Remember to adjust according to what your plant is telling you!
HOW TO WATER
For substrates containing dry bark and other porous ingredients, it's best to soak the pot for at least 5-10 minutes. For very dry mixes, many plant parents soak for up to 1 hour. If your orchid is only in sphagnum moss, or is just more absorbent, top water or soak briefly for 10-30 seconds. Always allow your orchid pots to drain excess water, and remove any standing water left in outer pots or saucers.
GOOD TO KNOW
If water is caught in the crown (folds of the leaves), make sure to remove it with tissue or a blow a quick puff of air. This sitting water can cause crown rot.
LIGHTING
COMMON MISTAKES
1. Not enough light. It might be tempting to have your orchid displayed like a centerpiece on your table or shelf, but these areas are usually too far away from light sources.
2. Direct sun. Orchids don't like direct sunlight — their flowers will wilt and leaves will blister (permanently). Gentle morning sunlight is ok, afternoon sun is too harsh.
WHERE TO PUT YOUR ORCHID
An east-facing windowsill is the sweet spot for gentle morning sun, and indirect light for the rest of the day. A west-facing window can also work, but you may want to be careful with the afternoon direct sun. For south-facing windows, set the plant about a metre away or use a sheer curtain to diffuse the light. North-facing windows are usually too dim, and your plants may struggle to flower again.
GROW LIGHTS
If your location doesn't get a lot of light, or if you're trying to get through the winter with less sun, try a grow light for your orchid! Full spectrum LED grow lights work well, and they come in white or yellow. 10-12 hours a day will make a huge difference between a plant that blooms and one that sits there. Place your grow light at least 6 inches away from the leaves of your plant to prevent burning. If your grow light feels extra warm, move it further away.
GOOD TO KNOW
Even if your orchid isn't flowering right away, keep an eye out for new leaves and new roots! These are also indicaters of a happy orchid.
POTS
COMMON MISTAKES
1. Little or no drainage holes. Orchids (and all plants) need drainage to get rid of excess water. If your plant comes home with a singular hole in the middle of the pot, get a new pot with more drainage as soon as possible!
2. Pot is too big. Although it's tempting to give your orchid lots of room to grow, this can backfire almost immediately. Bigger pot means more substrate, and more substrate means it'll stay wet for too long.
DRAINAGE
The pot must have drainage holes — some also have side holes for extra airflow, which works well. If you use an outer cachepot, pour out any standing water after watering. Avoid mesh pots without an outer pot; they dry the substrate out quickly, which means you'll have to water it very frequently.
MATERIAL
Phalaenopsis orchids' roots go through photosynthesis just like the leaves, meaning they'll benefit from light being able to reach them. Clear plastic pots are a practical choice for beginners. They're affordable, gives roots access to light, and allows you to watch what happens below the surface. Terracotta pots are also a great choice because the material is naturally porous and breathable. However, you won't be able to watch the roots this way.
SIZE
Choose a pot that fits the roots snugly but isn't cramped. Remember, avoid burying the crown too deep. Most regular Phals are fine in pots with diameters of 12-15cm, and around the same in height or a little taller. It's better to have a pot that's too small than too big! They don't mind being slightly root-bound.
GOOD TO KNOW
Phalaenopsis are not picky with pots, just as long as everything else (substrate, watering) works out to dry in a reasonable amount of time.
GENERAL TIPS
TEMPERATURE
Phals are comfortable in the same temperature range as most people: 18-28°C during the day, with a slight drop at night. A temperature dip of around 5°C in autumn (such as moving it near a cool window) is actually a useful trigger for encouraging new flower spikes.
HUMIDITY
Although moth orchids can survive in our regular 20-30% humidity, they are best grown in tropical environments ranging from 50-70% humidity. A water pebble tray or humidifer near the plant can help raise the local humidity, and grouping plants together will also help. Avoid misting the plant too regularly, as this will encourage fungal issues on the leaves.
FERTILIZING
Feed the plant with just about any orchid fertilizer on the market about once or twice per month. To stay on the safe side, use at 50-80% of the recommended dosage. In the winter with slow growth, fertilize once a month at 50% dosage.
AFTER FLOWERING
Orchids may bloom for a long time, but not forever! Eventually, their beautiful flowers will wilt and drop, leaving a bare flower stalk. This flower stalk will dry out, sometimes fully, sometimes just halfway. For stronger blooms next time, cut off the entire flower stalk at the base of the plant. If the stalk dries halfway, you can cut off just the dried part, and sometimes a secondary spike may grow out of the main one, giving you another round of blooms sooner.
REPOTTING
Repot in spring using fresh bark or other substrate. It's best to do this after blooming to avoid damaging the delicate flowers. Gently remove old substrate from the roots, trim any dead or mushy roots with clean scissors, and let the roots air-dry for 20 minutes before placing in fresh medium. This is also a good time to move up one pot size if the roots are very cramped. Water the new substrate, thoroughly drain the pot, and place back to its usual spot.
FINAL NOTE
Phalaenopsis orchids are patient plants. They'll forgive the occasional missed watering far more readily than they'll forgive sitting in wet bark. Get the substrate and drainage right, and most of the other pieces fall into place.