Phalaenopsis lueddemanniana, the butterfly orchid with tiger flowers

Phalaenopsis lueddemanniana are watered when the substrate is dry. To find out if it's time to water your Phalaenopsis lueddemanniana, look at its roots. As long as they're fleshy, shiny and green, you don't need to do anything. When they become pale, dull and stunted, your plant is thirsty.

Place your phalaenopsis lueddemanniana and its pot in a slightly wide container. Fill the larger container with non-calcareous water, such as rainwater or low-calcium mineral water.

Leave your Phalaenopsis to bathe for 10 to 30 minutes. Once the roots have regained their shiny green color, drain your orchid and put it back in place.

Make sure the heart of the plant remains dry. If water has seeped into the center of the leaves, tilt your Phalaenopsis lueddemanniana to drain it, or blot it up with absorbent paper. And don't forget to drain off any stagnant water in the saucer or planter.

Phalaenopsis lueddemanniana plants require a high level of humidity. Spray foliage with non-calcareous water, preferably rainwater.

In spring, transfer your Phalaenopsis lueddemanniana to a larger pot, so that it can continue to grow.

Repotting should always be carried out outside flowering periods.

Phalaenopsis lueddemanniana like to be cramped. Repot only when the roots have invaded the pot, the substrate has decomposed or the plant no longer fits in its container.

Get a pierced pot made of transparent plastic. This material has two advantages: it lets the roots take advantage of the light, and you can monitor their condition.

To repot an epiphytic plant, you don't need potting soil, but a mixture that allows the roots to anchor themselves. You'll find orchid substrate on the market, made up of bark, sphagnum moss and mosses. To prepare for repotting, moisten the substrate.

In the meantime, remove the roots from the plant. Uncoil the roots and completely remove the old substrate. If you notice any flat, dry or damaged roots, cut them off with a clean pair of scissors or pruning shears.

Pour in a little growing medium. Place your phalaenopsis lueddemanniana in the center of the container and add substrate. It should reach right up to the crown and get in between the roots. You can shake gently to distribute the mixture more evenly. Once the pot is full, pack lightly without suffocating the roots.

The end of plant growth is a good time to repot phalaenopsis lueddemanniana.

Repotting should always be carried out outside flowering periods.

Phalaenopsis lueddemanniana like to be cramped. Repot only when the roots have invaded the pot, the substrate has decomposed or the plant no longer fits in its container.

Get a pierced pot made of transparent plastic. This material has two advantages: it lets the roots take advantage of the light, and you can monitor their condition.

To repot an epiphytic plant, you don't need potting soil, but a mixture that allows the roots to anchor themselves. You'll find orchid substrate on the market, made up of bark, sphagnum moss and mosses. To prepare for repotting, moisten the substrate.

In the meantime, remove the roots from the plant. Uncoil the roots and completely remove the old substrate. If you notice any flat, dry or damaged roots, cut them off with a clean pair of scissors or pruning shears.

Pour in a little growing medium. Place your phalaenopsis lueddemanniana in the center of the container and add substrate. It should reach right up to the crown and get in between the roots. You can shake gently to distribute the mixture more evenly. Once the pot is full, pack lightly without suffocating the roots.

Adding orchid fertilizer to watering water stimulates growth and flowering.

Clean the top and bottom of the leaves with a damp sponge. This removes dust and keeps pests at bay.

To prevent the spread of disease and pests, always prune with a clean, disinfected tool.

After the first flowering, cut off the flowering stem above one eye where all the flowers have faded. New buds will appear.

After the second flowering, or if the stem is completely dry, cut it off at the base.

You can take cuttings all year round.

Phalaenopsis lueddemanniana produce shoots called keikis. They form in the leaf axils, at the base of the plant, or on the flowering stem.

Locate a keiki with at least three leaves and three three-centimeter roots. You can detach it with your hands by gently rotating it. After a few rotations, the young shoot will separate from the orchid.

You can also detach the keiki with clean secateurs or scissors. In this case, cut the flower stem a centimetre above and a centimetre below.

Soak the roots of your keiki in water at room temperature for ten minutes.

Prepare a pierced plastic pot. Place clay balls in the bottom for drainage. Add a mixture of sphagnum moss and bark. Place your keiki in the center and fill with the growing medium.

Young plants like humid atmospheres. You can place them in a terrarium or greenhouse until they form new leaves.

The plant needs a winter period to flower from one year to the next.

Phalaenopsis lueddemanniana bloom again on their own. If no buds appear two months after the last bloom, your Phalaenopsis lueddemanniana may need a boost.

For two to three weeks, place it in a room with a temperature of 15°. Reduce watering. It shouldn't be long before new flowers appear.