Purple Phalaenopsis Orchids

Just humidity and water and a place to grow.

I have a Phalaenopsis orchid - the one with broad leaves and tall stems that hold delicate purple blooms. There are endless color varieties, but this particular one seems to be abundant at nurserys, very readily available.

With this particular plant, you want the leaves to be nice and fat and fleshy, not veiny or thin. If the leaves are thin, it isn't getting enough water.

Since I live way south in Florida, I keep my orchids outside on a shaded lanai that receives the morning sunlight. It's always humid and slightly breezy and the indirect sunlight is exactly right. Yay for me, but if you live in Cleveland you'll need to adapt things for this plant.

Bathrooms are a great place for this variety of orchid because of the humidity, especially if you take lots of long hot showers.
A window with indirect sunlight is a great spot too, just so it isn't too hot in summer or too drafty in winter. (Try a south facing window.) Add small, pretty rocks to a tray and add water, then place your potted plant on top of the rocks. This will create the humidity needed to make phalaenopsis happy.

Its very easy to find potting material at your local nursery, and your orchid likes to be re-potted about once a year.
I like to use a typical bark medium, in a pot with lots of drainage holes. While enjoying moisture, they don't want to be sitting in a pot of water. Good ventilation is important. And orchids do best when potted tightly- if the pot is too large they may tend to focus growth on roots and won't flower for quite a long time.

Sometimes when your orchid blooms the stem will be so tall that you'll want to insert a support into the potting mixture and attach the stem so it stands up. If the stick doesn't seem secure, you can use metal pot clips to stabilize the plant and stick. See this video for a visual on how to:

I like to use a granulated orchid food that is dissolved in water. Just be sure to read the directions on the package and never apply the food directly on the plant without first dissolving in water.