Gardening: how to get your moth orchids to flourish | Brian Kidd

It’s been too wet to do much in the garden but it’s great to have a look around at garden centres.
Moth orchids.Moth orchids.
Moth orchids.

We don’t intend to buy anything but there’s always something which catches the eye.

In particular I have been amazed at how many moth orchids have whizzed off the shelves, someone must love someone very much!

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Moth orchids have become very popular houseplants because they are so easy to grow in the home.

They grow well in centrally-heated rooms and have long-lasting flowers produced all year round.

They are one of the most popular indoor orchids.

They must have a temperature of not less that 7C (45F). They enjoy plenty of light but not direct sunshine. They enjoy rain water because they don’t like chalk.

So, here we have an exotic which is easy to grow. Ensure good light levels in winter as these are essential to encourage flowering. An east- or west-facing window is ideal. Move to a shadier spot in summer and protect from that direct sunshine.

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Occasionally wipe off the dust from the leaves with a damp cloth, as dust will block light from reaching the foliage.

The spikes of the flowers will last several months and all we need to do is to remove the dead ones.

Those at the base of the flower stem die first but another little one will emerge from the top of the spike.

There is an important thing to remember.

Once the blooms have all died off, the flower stem must be left on the plant because while it is still green another flower stem will emerge from lower down on the stem. This thin stem will gradually thicken and produce another group of flowers.

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In addition to this, the top of the old flower stem will sometimes produce a tiny set of leaves; this is a baby phalaenopsis (the botanical name for this orchid).

The baby can be nurtured to produce another plant and this can be assured if a green split cane is pushed into the compost and at the tip, where the baby can be found, tie a ball of sphagnum moss on to the tip of the split cane held in place with black button thread. A florist will let you have a little bit of the moss.

Keep the moss moist with rain water and tiny roots will gradually emerge from the baby leaves.

Once the moss is full of roots, the baby can be cut off and planted in a tiny pot of orchid compost. Potting

compost is not suitable.

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Moth orchids need food specifically formulated for orchids which is dissolved in rain water. Simply follow the directions on the pack.

Part of the overall beauty of moth orchids is their silvery root structure.

These roots look like silver crab legs and the more you see, the better you are looking after the plant.

Once the pot is crammed with roots, repotting into a larger pot in orchid compost can be done as soon as all the flowers fade, but make sure you leave some of the silver roots outside of the pot.

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You might not like the look of them but they are helping the plant to breathe!

THIS WEEK’S TOP TIP

If you are planning to sow seeds in the greenhouse, ensure propagators are turned on for 24 hours beforehand. Remember, part of the greenhouse can be kept warmer by using bubble wrap to divide it .

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