How Should Orchids Be Maintained?

Orchid care is crucial for maintaining the health and growth of your orchid. To ensure proper care, keep your orchid in bright, indirect sunlight, water when the soil has almost dried out completely, and fertilize once a week during spring and summer with a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer diluted to quarter-strength. Grow your orchids in a pot with drainage holes filled with bark-based potting mix or moss-based medium.

Choose the right planting material and follow these steps to take care of your orchid. Orchids prefer a rigid set of light, humidity, and temperature standards, so understanding how to water them helps them thrive. Indoor orchids grow in a humid atmosphere, and they prefer regular watering and misting, preferably with rainwater or boiled water rather than tap water. Many need to be grown in bark-based orchid compost.

Orchids need water every week during the growing season, but can be cut back on water once the orchid stops blooming. Maintain a 50-70 humidity level around the orchid, using mist or overhead sprinklers to provide water and maintain humidity. Move your orchid to a room with a temperature between 65 and 75 degrees for a couple of weeks during the resting period to trigger reblooming.

Check the roots and leaves regularly, looking for healthy plump roots and no yellowing leaves. Make sure there are no pests and respect orchid dromancy. Check the roots weekly, provide proper lighting, fertilize at the right time, and follow these simple guidelines to help your orchid grow healthy and thrive.

How to properly take care of an orchid?

Orchid care involves ensuring the orchid receives enough water, special food, and proper temperature. It requires a lot of light but no direct sunlight, and the ideal temperature is 18 to 22 degrees. Repotting is recommended every year, and the orchid should be pruned after the flowering period. Orchid grower Rob Olsthoorn provides expert advice on orchid care, and subscribers can sign up for our Greencoach to receive regular emails about their orchid’s care.

What is the secret to keeping orchids alive?

Orchids require bright indirect lighting to thrive and rebloom, so they should be left alone. In the Plant PPL series, we interview people of color in the plant world. The Black Thumb, a superhero, discovered his power through tragedy, accident, and supreme effort. Terry Richardson and Chelsea Richardson, a physical therapist, and their wife, welcomed an orchid into their apartment but killed it due to ignorance and neglect.

Do orchids need sunlight?

Orchids require varying amounts of sunlight for flower production, with some requiring full sun for the entire day and others preferring indirect or dappled light. The time of year also plays a role, as the sun’s position changes over 12 months. Oncidiums like Spaghettis and Equitant require bright light, while Oncidesa, Phalaenopsis, and Cattleya thrive in semi-shaded conditions. Therefore, the ideal light conditions for your highrise garden depend on your specific orchid species.

How often should I water orchids?

Watering your orchid every 7 to 11 days, especially when the mix is dry, is essential to prevent damage and prevent overwatering, which can lead to crown rot, root rot, and other infestations. Watering in the morning is recommended as nighttime watering can leave water sitting for a period. Additionally, consider the temperature of your house, as high thermostats may cause the orchid to grow in summer. Visit our shop to see beautiful phalaenopsis orchids grown in the south coast of England, and sign up for our newsletter to access our orchids at discounted prices when we have grown a few too many.

How do I make my orchid happy?

Orchids are the largest and most diverse flowering plant family, with over 880 genera and 22, 000 species. They are typically tropical plants, living as epiphytes or “air plants” hanging on trees for support. Some are lithophytes or “rock plants” growing on or among rocks, while the remaining orchids are terrestrials growing in the loamy detritus of the jungle floor.

To give general guidelines on orchid care, there are only several dozen species widely produced and even fewer available at local nursery. Hybrids, created by crossing different species and genera, are often sold at nurseries, florists, hardware chain stores, and groceries. These hybrids have desirable characteristics such as color, fragrance, flower size, and ease of care, outperforming the challenges of pure orchid species. Today’s orchid hybrids are rewarding house plants to grow and relatively easy to care for if understanding their basic needs is taken.

Does milk help orchids?

Milk is a nitrogen-building protein essential for orchids. To provide this essential nutrient, milk can be mixed with water every two weeks. Used tea bags are particularly beneficial for this purpose due to their high nitrogen content.

Where is the best place to put an orchid?

Orchids thrive in east or south-facing windows, as they provide enough light for growth. Avoid west and north-facing windows, as they can be too hot and dark. Use a sheer curtain to cast light shade. Avoid direct light, as it can cause sunburn. Reposition plants as seasons change and avoid leaves touching the glass. Leaf color indicates the amount of light, with a grassy green color indicating sufficient light for bloom. Orchid DealWire offers exclusive savings and promotions for orchid vendors. Remember to avoid touching the windowpane in cold climates.

What helps orchids bloom?

To help your Phalaenopsis orchid rebloom, follow these three simple steps: fertilize every other week with an all-balanced fertilizer, increase light, and find a new spot. Dormancy is a period of rest for your orchid, allowing it to replace nutrients used during blooming. During dormancy, nutrients and water remain stored in the leaves until needed again. Dormancy can last anywhere from 6-9 months, and each orchid may bloom on its own, so it’s important to follow these steps to ensure your orchid’s health and blooms again. Remember to fertilize your plant every other week with an all-balanced fertilizer, increase light, and find a new spot for your plant.

Should I spray my orchid with water?

Orchids are a popular house plant due to their popularity and the availability of other types like Dendrobium, Paphiopedilum, Oncidium, Vanda, and Cambria hybrid orchids. They require bright but indirect light, so they should be placed on an east or west-facing windowsill. To avoid scorching the leaves, avoid standing in direct sunlight. Indoor orchids come from humid, tropical regions, so they need a humid atmosphere.

To care for orchids, mist the foliage every two to three days with tepid water, avoid spraying the flowers, and stand the pot on a tray of damp gravel. Different types of orchids require different care, so it’s recommended to grow them in specialist orchid compost, avoid overwatering, and feed them with orchid fertiliser from spring to autumn.