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 Phalaenopsis - Moth Orchid
Requires bright, but not harsh sunlight - as this can scorch. They are best placed on an east or south-east facing windowsill. Move them into a shadier spot during summer.
It is important to maintain the correct moisture levels. Regularly check the compost and when it starts to feel dry, run tepid water through the pot until it runs out of the bottom. Too little water can result in leaves withering whereas too much water will lead to bud drop, yellow leaves that fall away and root rot.
To encourage growth, add liquid feed to every fourth watering between late March and September. Increase humidity around plants by placing the pot on a tray of damp pebbles, and mist the leaves (but not the flowers) regularly.
A flower spike can continue to bloom for up to three months. Once faded, cut the spike just above the second node (joint) beneath the spent flowers, and a flowering sideshoot may develop.
Moth orchids only need repotting occasionally, when they have outgrown their container or when the compost has started to disintegrate. Being epiphytes (plants that in the wild cling to trees and rocks rather than grow in soil) they will usually sprout aerial roots. Always use specialist orchid compost (usually bark-based).
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