Phalaenopsis sanderiana is a very nice species from the Philippines where it grows high in the tree branches of the humid forests at sea level up to about 450 meters...
Phalaenopsis sanderiana also called as Sander's Phalaenopsis, Phalaenopsis alcicornis, Phalaenopsis amabilis f. punctata, Phalaenopsis amabilis var aphrodite subvar sanderiana, Phalaenopsis amabilis var sanderiana, Phalaenopsis aphrodite var sanderiana, Phalaenopsis sanderiana f. alba, Phalaenopsis sanderiana subvar. alba, Phalaenopsis sanderiana subvar. punctata, Phalaenopsis sanderiana var. alba, Phalaenopsis sanderiana var. marmorata, Phalaenopsis sanderiana var. pulcherrima, Phalaenopsis sanderiana var. punctata, is a species of the genus Phalaenopsis. This species was described by Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach in 1882.
IDENTIFY PHALAENOPSIS SANDERIANA
Phalaenopsis sanderiana is a very nice species from the Philippines where it grows high in the tree branches of the humid forests at sea level up to about 450 meters.
It is a small sized, hot to cool, pendant growing epiphyte with elliptic to oblong-elliptic, obtuse rounded, tapered to the conduplicate base, 16-28 cm long and about 10 cm wide leaves with green suffused with purple and overlay with silver.
Sander's Phalaenopsis has a arching-erect, to 80 cm long, racemose or few branched paniculate inflorescence with minute, triangular, concave, scarious floral bracts carrying 15 to 20, showy, membraneous flowers occuring in the mid spring to late summer. The flowers are pale pink, about 7.5 cm in diameter. Sepals are oval, lateral more elongated. Petals are rhomboid. The lip is triple, white, with purple or cinnamon strips, about 3 cm in length, its lateral parts are bent upward, and the anterior part is triangular in shape with tendrils on the tips.
PHALAENOPSIS SANDERIANA CARE AND CULTURE
Cultural information should only be used as a guide, and should be to be adapted to suit you. Your physical location; where you grow your plants, how much time you have to devote to their care, and many other factors, will need to be taken into account. Only then can you decide on the cultural methods that best suit you and your plants.
Light:
Phalaenopsis sanderiana loves bright sunlight and is able to tolerate direct morning and evening sun, however, in the hot summer noon (especially on windows of southern orientation) the orchid should be protected from direct sunlight: put behind a curtain (for example, on a table near the window) or in the shade of other plants, otherwise the plant can get a sunburn. The ideal location is considered to be southern orientation windows, however, in the absence of such, Western, slightly worse, eastern windows are considered.
Temperature:
This type of orchid belongs to a moderate thermal requirements, and it is recommended to keep the orchids under the following conditions throughout the year: day temperature at 18-24 ° C; night temperature is not below 16 ° C. For the successful cultivation at home, it is necessary that the night temperature of the content is always 4 ° C lower than the daytime temperature.
Humidity:
Sander's Phalaenopsis needs relatively high humidity, not less than 60%, ideally 75-80%. Too dry air negatively affects the growth and development of the plant: its growth is inhibited and the orchid begins to stagnate and turn yellow.
Substrate, growing media and repotting:
Phalaenopsis sanderiana can grow both in pots or hanging baskets, and placed on blocks. As a substrate, a mixture of a large bark of coniferous trees and charcoal is best suited. Pots for planting should be used small and narrow, and when growing orchids on blocks to prevent rapid drying of the root system of the plant, it is recommended to make a small layer of moss between it and the block. Above the roots, you can also put live or dry sphagnum.
It is necessary to repot this orchid once in 2-3 years, as from frequent irrigation and fertilizer the cortex decays quickly enough, and the substrate loses its main useful for the orchids property - air permeability, and also increases the pH of the substrate, which in turn prevents the roots from absorbing many orchids useful micronutrients, for example, such as iron, which subsequently leads to weakening and yellowing of the plant. The best time for repot is March. Immediately after the repotting, the orchid is kept relatively dry for a while, this is necessary to acclimatize the plant and to prevent rotting of the roots from the repot.
Watering:
Watering this kind of orchids directly depends on the overall temperature of the content, the higher it is, the more often and abundant it is necessary to water. Plants growing on blocks should be watered daily in the morning, so that by evening the roots of the orchids could dry out relatively well. When watering orchids in pots, it is necessary to remember that excess water during watering should flow freely out of the pot, as the stagnation of water both inside the pot and in its pallet can very quickly lead to rotting of the roots and the lower part of the plant. Within an hour after watering, it is necessary to remove the water that has accumulated in the core of the plant, using for this purpose paper handkerchiefs or napkins, since the long-term presence of water in this place leads to decay. The substrate between waterings should dry well.
On hot summer days, daily spraying of the outer part of the plant is recommended, which will additionally increase the humidity of the air around the orchid and help it better survive the heat. Spray the plant only in the first half of the day, so that by evening the orchid could dry out relatively well.
Fertilizer:
Throughout the year, this type of orchid is fertilized for every third watering in the usual concentration of fertilizer indicated on the package. In addition to the usual root top dressing, it is also recommended to produce a foliar dressing, when a very much diluted fertilizer is sprayed on the outer part of the plant. It is best to feed the orchid, alternating both these methods. The best fertilizer is fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in equal parts, for example, NPK = 3-3-3 or 8-8-8. If you do not have such a fertilizer, then at the beginning of the growing season (the emergence of new shoots), feed the orchid with a fertilizer with a high nitrogen content, and when the sprout reaches 1/2 of its normal growth - fertilizer with a higher content of phosphorus.
Rest period:
Phalaenopsis sanderiana does not needs any period of rest - neither in winter nor for stimulation of flowering.
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