Simply Orchids
The Beauty of the Flower
Sundries
The nutrient balance of orchid feed is different to other plants. Their nutrient requirement is of low concentration with a high purity feed.
Feed is usually supplied as ready diluted, or a concentrate, which is diluted as and when, required. They are usually manufactured from pure mineral salts. When you water with feed there will be a lot of water running through the pot, it is possible to collect this water and reuse it at the next time of feeding if required. It is optimal to use fresh water with feed each time if possible.
As stated in the compost section the plants roots would, in the wild hang freely. They also like the light because the roots photosynthesise as well as the leaves. This is why Phalaenopsis are usually supplied in clear pots.
When re-potting it is best to use clear pots to give the roots as much light as possible. They do not mind being pot bound so if the root system fits; the plant can be re-potted into the same size pot.
Phalaenopsis require a bark and moss mix compost rather than a traditional peat/soil based compost. They need their roots to be free draining and quite airy and if the
compost is too dense the roots will slowly rot. The reason they do not need or like a dense compost is firstly because they do not need the compost to retain water; and
secondly in their natural enviroment, as an epiphyte,their roots hang in the air, attatched to a tree.