zxcvbob wrote:
David E. Ross wrote:

The common name for Phalaenopsis is "moth orchid". Go to a real
nursery, and check to see if their Phalaenopsis looks like your plant.

Yep, that's it.

If it is Phalaenopsis, it grows quite well as a house plant. Keep it in
a north-facing window where it will get strong, indirect light but no
direct sun.

Repot it in what is sometimes called a bulb pan or fern pot. This is a
clay flowerpot that is somewhat squat (more shallow) than the usual pot.
After the last flower dies, remove the plant from its current pot.
Gently shake the roots to remove the old potting mix (which is the bark
of a tree fern); you can pick away the fern bark unless it is really
stuck to a root. Repot in bark chips with the base of the plant just
slightly below the chips. Set the pot on a large saucer that has pea
gravel or similar pebbles.


Is that shallower than an azalea pot?

I'm not familiar with azalea pots. My Phalaenopsis are in pots 6.5
inches high and 8 inches in diameter at the top.

And what is the base of the plant? This doesn't have a rosette of basal
leaves, it has a vertical rhizome with leaves alternating up about an inch
or two apart. Do I plant it up to the bottom leaf?

When you repot, the base of the bottom-most leaf should be at least 0.5
inch above the top of the bark chips.

By the way, Phalaenopsis only needs to be repotted about once every 3-4
years -- AFTER the first repotting. I always repot any house plant I
either buy or receive as a gift (if in flower, as soon as it finishes
blooming). I find the original pots are usually too small or otherwise
not appropriate. I prefer clay pots because they allow evaporation
through their sides, keeping the roots cool in the summer when I allow
the house to get to 80F.

--

David E. Ross
http://www.rossde.com/

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