Orchids

[Petemate]

We have owned three small orchid plants for a couple of years, they flower nicely each time. A total mystery has occurred - one of the plants has flowered again and the heads are white. They were always purple, we have never had one which had white flowers. The only thing that has happened in the lives of the plants is that the wife has re-potted them, with different soil/compost.
Any ideas anyone? Our gardening enthusiast son-in-law says he has never heard of this sort of thing.

[Simpo Two]

Moth orchid (Phalaenopsis)?

The only instances I know of different colour flowers are either a chimaera (two genetically different plants combined) or soil pH - but neither case in an orchid.

[Petemate]

Ta - I googled Moth Orchid and that is exactly the type we have.

[FlossyThePig]

Petemate said:

The only thing that has happened in the lives of the plants is that the wife has re-potted them, with different soil/compost.

I think the answer lies in that statement. What did she use?

[Johnnytheboy]

Phalaenopsis is the orchid you generally see for sale. One of the easiest to look after.

Plants do occasionally 'revert' to a more vanilla variety of foliage or flower, but I've never heard of an orchid doing so. It _may_ be putting paler flowers out if it's in a sunnier spot than it was grown in.

Still, if it's flowered again you've done better than 95% of owners.

[Petemate]

Johnnytheboy said:

Phalaenopsis is the orchid you generally see for sale. One of the easiest to look after.

Plants do occasionally 'revert' to a more vanilla variety of foliage or flower, but I've never heard of an orchid doing so. It _may_ be putting paler flowers out if it's in a sunnier spot than it was grown in.

Still, if it's flowered again you've done better than 95% of owners.

Thanks for that. It was orchid compost she used. This is the third time the plant has flowered, so we are indeed lucky. Also it has always been in the same place, ie in the front bay window on the window sill.