How Long Do Phalaenopsis Orchids Live? How To Restore An Old Plant? Flower Care In Different Periods

Phalaenopsis often becomes the first orchid of a novice grower. Thanks to breeders, it has become the most unpretentious flower from the orchid family that can live in an apartment.

This foreign plant will bloom and delight for many years the owner who understands her needs.

How to find out the age of the culture, what affects its duration, as well as whether it is possible to extend the life of this exotic flower, and how to restore an old plant.

What is the difference between flowering time and life time, how many years does a plant live?

Lifetime and flowering time are different concepts. Flowering time is the period of life of flowering plants from the inception of flower rudiments in the buds to flowering. Depending on the state of the plant after purchase and the compliance of the conditions with all the whims of the orchid, the process of the flowering of phalaenopsis lasts from two months to six months, sometimes all year round. Some phalaenopsis varieties have a dormant period of 2-3 weeks.

It takes 2-3 years to germinate and start blooming with orchids.

The life of a plant is the period when a shoot appears before its death. Orchids live in nature for about a hundred years.

The reasons for the rapid death of a flower can be:

• illness;
• sharp climate change;
• loss of support, that is, of the tree on which he grew.

Phalaenopsis can grow up to 6 years in an apartment or greenhouse.

How do you know the age of culture and what affects its duration?

By counting the number of leaves in the orchid family, the age cannot be found. Age can be judged by appearance. If the plant contains several cuts of old branches and a long trunk, then the plant is clearly not young. If the phalaenopsis is without flowers and buds, this suggests that he is still very young.

How Long Do Phalaenopsis Orchids Live?

The life span of an orchid is certainly influenced by the conditions of detention. An important factor is the condition of the flower.

Check the quality of your orchid before purchasing. How to check the health of a flower:

1. Visual inspection. Leaves should be firm, aerial roots firm and green or reddish brown.
2. The potted plant sits solidly and does not stagger. Otherwise, the flower did not take root.
3.  Touch the substrate – it should be moist and loose.
4.  You should not buy a flower if it has a deposit in the form of lime deposits on the leaves or on the container itself.Buy an orchid that has medium sized buds that have not opened.

The quality of the water directly affects the lifetime of your beauty. The water should have a minimum amount of lime salts that contribute to hardness. The pH level should be 5-6.5.

Do not water your orchid with tap water. Use filtered water, rainwater, thawed water, or boiled water.

Orchid is a sturdy plant. The key to a long life of phalaenopsis is the prevention of diseases and pests :

1. Conduct regular inspections, dust the leaves, remove old roots and yellowed leaves as early as possible.
2. Use clean tools for trimming.
3. Pay special attention to young, new, recently transplanted plants.

So you can prevent premature death of the plant. Phalaenopsis is one of the varieties of orchids that are popular among flower growers for the beauty of their flowers.   

Can I extend Orchids life?

A blooming orchid lends a special style and charm to a room. Most often, flower growers want to extend the life of their exotic orchids plants. This is possible provided the flower is healthy and free of external signs of fungus and bacteria. Otherwise, the plant will not live long.

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Step by step instructions: how to restore an old plant?

The path to success in prolonging the life of your beauty is quite simple. When the lower leaves of the orchid have fallen off, flowering will not come. A bare trunk and many aerial roots will remain. This means that the time has come for restoration. This process is similar to transplanting, only with the addition of cutting off the roots and part of the stem.

We prepare tools, a new pot and substrate for the operation. We act according to the following plan:

1.  Pressing lightly on the walls of the container, take out the flower and release it from the substrate.
2. Examine the roots and cut off all the rotten ones. We leave exclusively healthy. Removing the roots is also necessary if there are too many of them. Cut off in the middle, as new ones are formed at the edges.
3.  Cut the peduncle above the first dormant bud with pruning shears or scissors.After three months, a new peduncle will appear.
4.  We remove the remnants of the leaf plates on the peduncle.
5.  We treat the cut edges with paraffin or sprinkle with charcoal to avoid the development of diseases.
6.  We place the phalaenopsis back into the substrate and leave it in a shaded place for 2-3 days.

If the peduncle turns brown, then it will no longer bloom, so it must be cut off completely. It will take a year to bloom again.

We stop spraying for several days. Restoration is best done in October-November.

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Flower Care In Different Periods

1. During intensive growth, hybrids need good feeding. An ideal delicacy for phalaenopsis is a fertilizer solution, which, in addition to magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen, contains iron, boron, zinc, molybdenum. We indulge in delicacies during the period of active growth twice a month. Optionally, you can add supplements in the form of an additional portion of the nitrogen in the form of nitrate fertilizer. Nitrogen stimulates the plant to grow.
2. We maintain watering once a week, humidity 60-70%, and a temperature regime that meets the requirements of a particular variety.

For proper care of orchids you must know about All Spots on orchid leaves Symptoms, Causes, and treatment.

How to care for flowering?

• When the peduncles have gained strength and begin to bloom, it is necessary to give complementary foods with an increased concentration of phosphorus and potassium, but not nitrogen. Potassium will strengthen plant tissue, and phosphorus is important during flowering.
• We create good lighting and warmth.
• When the orchid flowers begin to wither, they can be cut.

Resting care

When the plant stops blooming, then a period of rest begins. To help the plant gain strength during rest, we create a different temperature regime and watering:

• During the day for those who love coolness 12-16 ⁰ C, at night – 10 ⁰ C, water once every two weeks.
• For the thermophilic, a rest period is not needed.
• For those growing at moderate temperatures during the day 14-16 ⁰ С, at night up to 10 ⁰ С. One small glass of water is enough per week.

The amount of fertilizer during dormancy should be negligible or dispensed with.

Phalaenopsis restoration is a mandatory procedure for its long life. By choosing an orchid suitable for your home conditions and caring for it correctly, you ensure its successful development and abundant flowering.