How to Trim Moth Orchids

Phalaenopsis orchid blooms look like large moths, hence their nickname.

Moth orchids, from the Phalaenopsis group, bear large, flat and open blooms in a rainbow of colors and patterns. These low-light, warm-growing orchids thrive in indoor situations to bloom from April to June. Phalaenopsis flowers grow 3 to 4 inches in diameter and sit in stacks on long, graceful flower stalks. Careful in-season pruning encourages reblooming on these elegant plants. Prune your orchid based on the stalk's health.

Things You'll Need

• Pruning shears

Instructions

1. Prune moth orchids when all flowers fade and fall off. This indicates the end of the flower flush. Pruning at this time mimics deadheading on standard garden flowers.

2. Cut the orchid stalk halfway down to encourage reblooming. Alternatively, cut off only the dried, dead part of the stalk, or make a cut 1 inch above the next "unused" joint. New growth appears at this node in the form of new blooms or a new side shoot.

3. Cut off the entire stalk if it dries and withers or rots. Make this cut 1 inch above the crown. The plant produces a new flower stalk in this situation.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep Phalaenopsis orchids in bright indirect light or morning sun and afternoon shade for best growth and blooming. Maintain nighttime temperatures of 60 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit and daytime temperatures of 70 to 75.

• Feed Phalaenopsis orchids with water-soluble 20-20-20 or 30-10-10 fertilizer during the year, and switch to 10-50-10 during the blooming season. The high-phosphate fertilizer encourages more growth and blooming. Mix the fertilizer at one-fourth of the manufacturer-recommended rates to avoid burning the plants, and don't get it on the foliage.

References

• D&B Orchids; Growing Orchids; Dottie Woodson
• Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Bexar County; Growing Phalaenopsis Orchids; Lynn Rawe; August 2003
• Beautiful Orchids: Phalaenopsis
• Arizona Cooperative Extension, Mojave County; Growing Orchids in Havasu; Kaye Gregory; July 2008