Do you have an orchid that looked good when you bought it, but has now stopped blooming? Or maybe you bought it already suffering in the gardening department of the supermarket because it was on offer and now you would like to recover it? Reviving the Phalaenopsis orchid is pretty simple and you can be rewarded with gorgeous blooms in just a few months.
Steps
Step 1. Get a specific pot, potting medium and fertilizer for this plant
You also need a bright room, exposed to a lot of indirect sunlight, but out of direct sunlight.
Step 2. Arrange everything you need on a clean surface
Step 3. Gently remove the orchid from the store vase
Very often these are low quality jars, without drainage holes or with an insufficient number; many times the roots of the plant are stuck in plastic containers, with plenty of Spanish or sphagnum moss as a growing medium.
Step 4. Carefully untangle the roots
Be careful not to break or twist them as much as possible; remove the mossy substrate in which they are found.
Step 5. Take a large bowl or bucket and dilute 4 liters of fertilizer, following the directions on the package
Step 6. Soak the substrate (it should look like pieces of bark) in the fertilizer until it is completely impregnated
Step 7. Transfer a handful of this material to the orchid vase
It should be a terracotta container with slits on the side to ensure good air circulation and drainage; avoid using containers that have only one hole in the bottom.
Step 8. Gently place the roots back into the new pot by arranging the substrate around them
Make sure they are in the center of the plant at the same level as the edge of the pot or slightly below; slip the substrate into any free space.
Step 9. Insert a support stick into the pot, in case the plant is too heavy and the soil is unable to stabilize it in an upright position
Step 10. Water it from the top until the liquid comes out from under the pot
Step 11. Expose the orchid in a bright place, but out of direct sunlight, for about a week
Once she has acclimatized to the new pot and new substrate, you can move her to a brighter or slightly sunnier area.
Step 12. Make sure your surroundings are humid
You can place the jar in a shallow saucer with water or install a vaporizer.
Step 13. Leave the plant undisturbed, just worry about keeping the surrounding area moist
Orchids don't like to be moved, so choose a spot where it always stays, except on occasions when you need to renew the water source. These plants grow slowly; if your orchid is reduced to just one viable leaf, be aware that it will take 6-12 months before you see any buds.
Step 14. The wait is really worth it
Advice
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If the orchid still has a stem from the previous bloom, check that it is still green; it may bloom sooner than you expect.
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Count the joints on the stem, from top to bottom. Cut the stem about 2-3 cm above the second joint from the base; if it is still alive and all other favorable conditions are met, it may spawn another one just below the cut.
Orchid two joints
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