Question
Hello,
I have just received an Orchid as a gift. I have never owned an orchid before so I know nothing about caring for one. It didn't come with any care information but it did come with a plastic label that says:
"P0608-V (A)medium pink/lav with stripes
(phal amabilis x Dtps. Taisuco Firebird)
Dtps. Taisuco Firebird."
The orchid came in a small rubbery/plastic lining with a hole in the bottom and that is inside a ceramic pot with a hole in the bottom and holes on the side.

Can you please provide me with some knowledge for caring for this beautiful orcid. I need to know if I should take it out of the rubbery/plastic pot and replant it in the ceramic pot? How do I water it and I often do I need to water it? Dose it need a certain type of water?

Thanks,
Stephanie

Answer
Thank you for your questions Stephanie.  For now, I would just be careful not to overwater it-- no more than once per week.  If you have an east facing window, they like to watch the sun come up.  The crucial part comes after the plant loses its flowers.  At that time you should cut the flower spike off just above a node (ie joint).  You will also need to repot the plant in a fresh orchid potting mix which you can obtain from a garden center.  Most Lowes or Home Depots have a garden center that carry bags of orchid potting mix. When it comes time to repot you will also need a plastic pot with lots of holes in the bottom for drainage and air movement. Soak a portion of the orchid potting mix while you unpot your plant.  Discard the old potting mix and rinse off the plant's roots.  Remove any roots that are mushy as these are dead or dying.  Healthy roots are firm.  The pot size for repotting will depend upon the status of the roots.  If only a few or none are healthy, you may be able use a larger pot size than the plant is in now (probably an inch more in diameter).  If you removed quite a few roots, you can repot in the same size pot that the plant is in now.

Phalaenopsis are not real sensitive to water quality so you can use rainwater, city water, or well water. If you live near a coastal area, you may need to avoid water that has been infiltrared by the salt-- salt is a root killer.

Once you have repotted, you can begin to feed the plant at the rate of 1/4 tsp per gallon of water in place of the watering.  Always water/feed early in the day.