Marianne's Response

Orchid

I think my orchid is a moth orchid. It was blooming when I got it about 18 months ago. It is blooming again now. My concern is the leaves. They seem slightly limp. The leaves are almost laying on top of each other rather than standing up and apart. The leaves look healthy but would be more attractive if they were more upright. They are touching the table the plant is sitting on. Can you give me any advice?
Thank you !
Becky Murphy

Posted by rebecca murphy on February 23, 2022

Marianne's Response

First congratulations on getting your moth orchid or phalaenopsis orchid to rebloom. You must be providing it with the correct amount of light and using a good fertilizer like Osmocote. The leaves do look limp and the most common cause is not enough water. I suspect that over the last 18 months your orchid grew more roots but is stuck in the same container. This means the plant needs more water than before as the potting soil fills up with roots and cannot hold onto water.  Do not transplant now but instead  wait until the orchid is done flowering. Then repot it into a slightly larger container being sure to use a growing medium made especially for orchids.  Meanwhile, give your orchid more water especially while it is in bloom. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti