Orchid Care Guide

This guide focuses on Phalaenopsis, the easiest orchid to grow at home. Other orchids such as Cattleya, Dendrobium and Paphiopedilum have different light and temperature needs, so check care for your specific type. This guide walks through Orchids (Moth Orchid, Phalaenopsis) care using Grow Queen's 5 Pillars of Plant Care.

🌏 Know Your Plant

Phalaenopsis is a genus in the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Kew's Plants of the World Online lists its native range as tropical and subtropical Asia to northeastern Australia, and describes the genus as epiphytic. In the wild these orchids cling to tree branches below the leaf canopy, with their roots in loose, fast-draining pockets of debris and open to moving air. Most moth orchids sold today are hybrids, but they still need what their wild parents had: gentle filtered light, warmth, humidity, air around the roots and a potting medium that drains quickly.

• Family: Orchidaceae (orchid family)
• Native to tropical and subtropical Asia to NE Australia (per Kew POWO)
• Epiphyte that grows on trees, not in soil
• Most plants sold are hybrids

✨ Fun Facts

• Moth orchid flowers can last for months, and the main bloom season runs from late winter through spring.
• A few weeks of cooler autumn nights, around 55 to 60°F, can help trigger a new flower spike.
• The roots that climb out of the pot are aerial roots. NYBG notes the orchid uses them to take in moisture from the air, so leave them be.
• The American Orchid Society calls Phalaenopsis a low-light orchid and one of the easiest orchids to grow at home.

What they need: An open orchid medium such as bark or sphagnum moss, never regular potting soil.

Phalaenopsis roots need air and drain fast in nature, so they rot in dense soil. NYBG recommends a medium-grade bark mix made for orchids. Sphagnum moss holds more water than bark, so it needs less frequent watering. Repot when the medium breaks down or the plant outgrows its pot, usually every one to three years, ideally when new growth starts and not while it is in bud or bloom.

• Use a pot with plenty of drainage holes.
• Remove old medium and trim any brown, mushy roots with sterile tools when repotting.
• Never use garden soil or landscape mulch.
• Avoid repotting in midwinter or the heat of summer.

What to use: Grow Queen's potting mixes are made for plants that grow in soil, so pot your Phalaenopsis in a medium-grade orchid bark or sphagnum moss instead.

Learn more: Pillar 1, Soils & Growth Mediums →

What they need: Bright, indirect light with no hot direct sun.

An unobstructed east window with gentle morning sun is usually ideal. In a south or west window, filter the light with a sheer curtain. The American Orchid Society says healthy leaves are olive green: darker green means too little light, and a reddish tinge means too much.

Signs of too little light:
• Dark green, floppy leaves.
• No new flower spikes.
• Slow growth.

Signs of too much light:
• Red-tinged or yellowish leaves.
• Bleached or scorched patches.
• Dry, brown patches on the side facing the window.

Learn more: Pillar 2, Lighting →

What they need: Water thoroughly when the medium is almost dry, then drain completely.

Overwatering kills more orchids than anything else, but Phalaenopsis has no water-storage organ, so it should not dry out completely either. In bark, about once a week is often enough. In moss, water when the top feels dry. Water in the morning with tepid water, let it run through the pot, and blot any water left in the crown. You will likely water more in summer and less in winter.

Signs of overwatering:
• Brown, black or mushy roots.
• Yellow, limp leaves.
• Rot where the leaves meet in the center of the plant.

Signs of underwatering:
• Wrinkled, leathery leaves that flop over.
• A pot that feels very light and a bone-dry medium.
• Buds drying up and falling before they open.

Learn more: Pillar 3, Watering →

What they need: Warm days, slightly cooler nights, good humidity and moving air.

NYBG recommends days of 65 to 85°F and nights of 55 to 60°F, and the American Orchid Society advises keeping nights above 60°F with 95°F as the upper limit. Both agree a day-to-night drop helps flowering. NYBG says Phalaenopsis needs at least 50% humidity and prefers 65% or more, along with gentle air movement so leaves dry and disease doesn't spread.

Ideal conditions:
• Day temperatures of 65 to 85°F
• Night temperatures of 55 to 65°F
• Humidity of 50% or higher, from a humidifier or pebble tray
• Gentle air movement from a fan or open window

Avoid:
• Cold drafts and sudden temperature swings, which cause bud drop
• Ice cubes for watering
• Sitting the pot in standing water

Learn more: Pillar 4, Environment →

What they need: Weak, frequent feeding with a balanced fertilizer.

Orchid media hold almost no nutrients, so the rule is feed weakly, weekly. The American Orchid Society suggests half strength weekly, while NYBG suggests a quarter strength at every or every other watering. Either way, flush the pot with plain water once a month to rinse out salts, and remember that too much fertilizer can reduce flowering.

Benefits of the right feeding:
• Energy for new leaves, roots and flower spikes
• Healthy, firm leaves
• Better odds of reblooming

Grow Queen pick: Organic 5-5-5 Liquid Plant Food. Organic 5-5-5 Liquid Plant Food is a balanced liquid you can mix at diluted strength into watering water, a good match for the weak, frequent feeding orchids need.

Learn more: Pillar 5, Plant Nutrients →

🍂 Common Problems

How do I get my orchid to bloom again?

Make sure it has enough light, then give it a few weeks of cooler nights around 55 to 60°F in autumn. A healthy plant usually starts a new spike after about two weeks of cool nights, and buds follow a few months later. Keep watering and feeding while you wait.

Should I cut the flower spike after blooming?

You have two options. Cut it just above the second node and a new branch may bloom in 8 to 12 weeks, or cut it to the base so the plant saves energy for next year. NYBG suggests cutting it fully back by midsummer either way.

Why are the buds falling off before they open?

Bud drop usually comes from stress, like cold drafts, a hot or cold window, a heating vent, or a big change in light or humidity after you bring it home. Keep it in a steady spot.

Why are the leaves yellow and wrinkled?

One old bottom leaf yellowing in spring is normal. Wrinkled, floppy leaves can mean too little water, but also roots that have rotted from too much water. Check the roots: healthy ones are green, white or beige, and rotten ones are brown and mushy.

✂️ Maintenance & Growth Tips

• Cut finished spikes with sterilized tools.
• Repot every one to three years, when the bark breaks down or roots crowd the pot.
• Wipe leaves occasionally with a damp cloth.
• Leave aerial roots alone. They are normal.
• Check leaves and crowns for mealybugs and scale. Isolate and wipe any affected plant.

⚠️ Pet Safety

The ASPCA lists Phalaenopsis orchids (moth orchid, moon orchid) as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. That listing covers Phalaenopsis only, so check other orchid types separately. Even non-toxic plants can upset a pet's stomach, so call your vet if your pet eats a lot of any plant.

🌿 Bottom Line

Moth orchids want bright indirect light, a fast-draining bark or moss medium, a soak when the medium is nearly dry, and warm days with slightly cooler nights. Overwatering and dense soil are the most common problems.

Feed weakly and often, flush monthly, and give it a few cool autumn nights to set new spikes. With that routine, a grocery store orchid can bloom for years.