Botanical species of the genus Phalaenopsis, was discovered by Reverend CS Parish, during his travels in Myanmar, more precisely in the area of ​​the city of Moulmein. Later, it entered the horticultural trade through imports made by Low and Co., in 1861, and was described by Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach in 1862 and dedicated to the horticulturist Hugh Low, who was also the colonial administrator in Labuan, Borneo .

Native to Borneo and the surroundings of the city of Moulmein, in the area of ​​the Tenasserim mountains, in the delta of the Gyne, Salween and Ataran rivers, it prefers substrates formed by calcareous rocks, from sea level to 800 m altitude, with strong lighting during the morning, but shaded after noon. It can also occupy epiphytic stations, on the branches of shrubs on rocky walls.

A special characteristic of this species is the periodic loss of leaves. The 5-10 cm long, fleshy, obovate to oblong elliptic leaves, acute or obtuse, with a nested base are inserted on the erect, ascending stem, and have a light green color with violet spots on the ventral side. Flowering takes place from summer to autumn, on lateral stems, arched or pendent, 25-35 cm long, racemose or loosely paniculate, with many flowers, rarely arranged, with large spaces between them, protected by small triangular bracts. The flowers are fragrant, very persistent, and have a particularly long beak-shaped rostrum. The diameter of the flowers is 4-5 cm, impressing with their star shape and delicate texture. The outer petals and the two wide ascending petals have a white background with shades of pink to purple at the base, which gradually merges towards the marginal area with the background color. The labellum is intensely purple and has yellow punctuation.

The species prefers low lighting, 10,000 - 15,000 lux, and shaded locations during the afternoon. Being a thermophilic species, temperatures of 28-32 ℃ during the day and 24 ℃ at night will be ensured during the summer, but it will be considered to increase the temperature up to 31-35 ℃ during the day and 19-23 ℃ at night in the cold season. Atmospheric humidity will have high values, approximately 80% or higher, especially during the period of active growth.

The substrate recommended for this species will consist of pine bark of 12-16 mm diameter, plastic or ceramic pots, provided with drainage holes, can be used. In Asian countries, mounting on bark, cork or wood is preferred, but this culture method requires more frequent irrigation. Changing the substrate will usually be done in the spring, when you can see the appearance of new root growths.

Irrigation will be administered weekly, keeping the substrate moist but not wet, and ensuring good ventilation. Fertilization will be frequent during the period of active growth, administered weekly, with each watering or once every two weeks, with a dilution of 25-50% of the dosage recommended by the manufacturer.

Unlike most species, Phalaenopsis lowii requires a period of rest, which in its natural habitat lasts approximately 3-4 months, during the cold and dry period of the year. In culture, however, a rest period of one month is sufficient, and it will not be allowed in any way to extend it for more than 2 months. During this period, the humidity will be reduced to 60-65%, irrigation will be stopped, being replaced by occasional sprays, fertilizers will no longer be administered and the level of light radiation will be increased. Although the plants can withstand long periods of rest, in which the loss of foliage is possible, it is not recommended to expand them under culture conditions.

Do you want to see more articles and accumulate more knowledge? This article is offered for free, but you can support secretgarden.ro with a review here:

Google: Review on Google

Facebook: Facebook review