Bat Flower Plant Instructions & Care
General Plant Instructions: Carefully unpack your plants as soon as possible. Remove moss from around the roots before planting. Shipping stress may cause some plants to arrive with a varying amount of dry, drooping or yellow leaves and or branches. Stressed plants can usually benefit from the removal of these problem areas. Do not plant your plants directly into the ground. A plastic pot slightly larger than the diameter of the root ball with large drainage holes is ideal. Do not use clay pots. A layer of river rock or pebbles at the bottom of the pot can be beneficial for improving drainage. Plant at the same root level with a well draining mix utilizing a combination of any of the following mediums, peat moss, perlite, coco coir, vermiculite, pine bark, sand. Do not use "native" or "garden" soil. Water your plants and place them in bright indirect light away from full sun and drying winds. In most cases your plants will benefit from providing an environment of enhanced humidity until root function has normalized, typically from a few days to as much as 1 or 2 months. Once new growth appears the plants may be stepped up to a larger pot or planted in the ground. At this point you can gradually move your plants into an appropriate amount of sunlight and fertilization may begin using a balanced slow release fertilizer.
Bat Flower Plant Instructions & Care
Light - In warmer regions, the plant can be grown on the ground. Otherwise, it is better to grow it in containers. For this purpose, you must use wide, shallow pots with good drainage holes. The plant prefers light shade and indirect sunlight. So, it is not advisable to keep it in full sun. If grown indoors, it can be placed near a south-facing window, where it will get bright, indirect light. You can also grow it in a greenhouse. It must get at least four hours of bright, indirect light.
Water - Needs regular watering during the growing season (late spring to late summer). The soil has to drain well, as sogginess may cause rotting of rhizomes. However, the soil has to remain moist for the plant to grow and bloom well. Make sure that the soil does not dry out completely. During winter, water this plant sparsely. However, keep the soil slightly moist during spring when the plant starts growing after winter dormancy.
Soil - The bat flower plant needs fertile, well-drained soil. The preferred pH range is 6.1 to 7.5. A good quality potting mix combined with some perlite may work. A mixture of pine bark, peat moss, and sand is also good for this plant. In that case, make sure that the mix has 50% pine bark, 40% peat moss, and 10% sand. Combinations like 60% peat moss, 30% perlite, and 10% vermiculite will also work fine. A potting mix that is meant for orchids can also be used.
Fertilizer - During the growing season, you have to feed the plant once every two weeks. A general purpose fertilizer can be used for this purpose. It has to be diluted by half before application. Fertilizers meant for orchids are also fine for bat flowers. Avoid feeding the plant during its dormancy.
Temperature/Humidity - The ideal temperature range is 77 to 84°F during the summer, and 59 to 64°F during winter. It is always better to be on the higher side though. A relative humidity of 50 to 70% is preferred. In order to increase humidity levels, you can keep potted plants on trays filled with pebbles and water. A humidifier can also be used for this purpose. Such measures are not needed for plants growing inside a greenhouse. The plant should not be placed near air conditioner/heater vents. Misting should not be done, as the leaves will open their pores to absorb the water. The pores will remain open, thereby resulting in water loss and death of the plant. Though good air circulation is preferred, strong air drafts and winds are not good for this plant.
Return policy
We guarantee to ship healthy plants but cannot be responsible for their well being after their arrival. If for any reason your order arrives in poor condition due to negligence on our part, we will gladly refund the purchase price or send a replacement. Buyer must please send a notification within ( 1 ) day of arrival describing the issue(s) accompanied by photos of the un-altered order in its original packing material.