Orchids require a lot of bright and indirect light, which is crucial for their growth. To keep them alive, water them correctly, keeping them in a warmer room, cutting dead blooms, feeding them, and not potting them in regular soil are essential steps.
An orchid care guide from @HousePlantJournal provides tips on how to keep orchids happy and healthy, including how to water them, fertilize them, and choosing the right potting mix. Choose a location with plenty of bright, indirect light, such as a south- or east-facing window, and allow the growing medium to dry out completely.
Orchids are diverse, so it’s important to understand your specific type to ensure proper care. Consistent watering, good drainage, and annual repotting are essential for maintaining their health. Water your orchids once a week by placing them in a deep walled dish, filling it as close to the crown as possible.
To prevent fungal disease, provide fresh, circulating air between 60 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Avoid drafts, cold spaces, rooms with sudden temperature drops, and hot air vents. East-facing window sills are perfect for growing orchid plants, but adding a sheer curtain can help.
Add fertilizer at 1/4 strength during each watering, which is generally 1/2 tsp/gallon of water, as a good baseline. Check the roots weekly to ensure your orchids are not over or underwatered.
In summary, orchid care is essential for maintaining the health and happiness of your orchids. By following these tips, you can ensure that your orchids remain healthy and happy for up to 10 years.
📹 How to Keep Orchids Alive | creative explained
You can’t keep an orchid alive but get it to Boom again here’s what you do it’s absolutely normal for the blooms to fall it’s the …
Should I mist my orchid?
Tropical orchids flourish in warm, humid environments; however, excessive irrigation during the winter months can prove detrimental to their health. To obviate this issue, it is recommended that a mister or spray bottle be utilized to provide the requisite moisture. The roots of orchids are adapted to absorb moisture and nutrients from cloud and mist, making misting an effective method for nourishing and hydrating them even during cooler seasons. It is imperative to avoid over-watering and misting in order to ensure optimal orchid care.
How do you keep potted orchids alive?
Orchids require bright indirect lighting, consistent watering, good drainage, and annual repotting to ensure their longevity and longevity. They bloom for up to six months, making them a valuable investment. Terry recommends repotting orchids when their roots are cramming up against the sides of the pot and the plant has finished blooming. This is because there may be more roots than the planting medium, and the nutrients in the medium have been depleted. Moving the plant to a new pot allows for pruning, thorough cleaning, and deterring pests and diseases, providing more room for the plant to grow.
How do I make my orchid happy?
Proper orchid care involves watering the orchid once a week, positioning it in a bright windowsill, feeding it with a specially designed fertilizer, and repotting it when it stops blooming. Orchids are not like traditional potted plants, but they can be easy to grow if you learn their needs. They are epiphytes, meaning they grow on tree bark rather than dirt. Some orchids, like lady slippers, grow in loamy soil of jungle floors. Orchid care is not difficult, but it is important to understand their needs.
With proper care, an orchid can live indefinitely and be in bloom for months each year. A well-cared-for and varied orchid collection can provide continuous bloom every day of the year. Good orchid care requires basic knowledge about orchids and their growth.
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.
How to stop an orchid from dying?
To ensure the health of your orchid, adjust your watering habits by only watering when the top inch of the potting medium is dry. Ensure the pot has adequate drainage and remove the plant from its pot, trim away rotted roots, and repot it in fresh, well-draining orchid-specific medium. Identifying a resting orchid is crucial for energy replenishment and the next flowering cycle. This dormancy phase varies among species but is essential for the orchid’s health and the next flowering cycle. Identifying signs of a resting orchid can help maintain its beauty and exotic flair.
Do orchids need direct 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.
Should I mist my indoor orchid?
Orchids require bright, indirect light, often from east or west-facing windowsills. They thrive in humid, tropical environments, so avoid direct sunlight. To maintain a humid atmosphere, mist foliage with tepid water or place the pot on a tray of damp gravel. Different types of orchids require different care, so keep the plant label after purchase. Grow orchids in specialist compost, avoid excessive watering, and feed with orchid fertilizer from spring to autumn. Follow essential orchid care tips to ensure long-lasting flowering and growth.
Why are orchids so hard to keep alive?
Orchids often face root rot, which can cause dropping leaves, lack of blooming, and unhealthy plant stalks. To address this issue, dig out potting material around the roots and look for black, mushy roots. If the roots are rotting, remove the orchid from its pot, tap off the potting material, trim off bad roots, and treat the remaining roots with fungicide. Allow the roots to dry before repotting.
If the leaves are turning yellow or dried out, it may be exposing the orchid to too much direct sunlight. Move the orchid to a cooler area with indirect sunlight. If the roots are too tightly tangled, it may indicate that the pot is not providing enough space for the orchid and may need repotting during its next dormancy cycle.
How often should you water an orchid?
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 to Care for Orchids & Keep them Alive for 10 YEARS!
Orchids need more than an ice cube once a week. I sit down with plant expert, Darryl Cheng (from @HousePlantJournal) to talk …
My mom bought me a small white Dendrobium when we moved to Florida. I named her Mamasita. She flourished into a large orchid that bloomed beautifully twice a year. Sometimes three times a year. She lived to be 20 years old. Her roots are sitting under a tree in my shade garden. I couldn’t throw her away. 😢
After tossing out orchids for 20-plus years, I came across your article a while back and decided to try and “save” them and get them to re-grow. I followed your directions and got my first orchid revival!! So excited! And after that bloom died off, I cut node again and put in sunny window, and now have multiple shoots that should bloom at some point. I now adhere to your multiple-orchid strategy and have several in bloom for display and now up to four orchids in grow-mode. So THANK you Melissa and Darryl for your expertise and tips, so nice to ALWAYS have orchids in bloom and others ready to follow. Mike Buchanan
Orchids are my most favourite flower! Somethings not mentioned here were fertilizers and potting media.. I always repot my grocery store orchid 24 hours after I bring it home, I soak the media, bark in my case, for 24 hours and repot. The orchids often come in sphagnum moss that is choking the roots. They are grown on trees in tropics so it makes no sense to water with ice either 😂 great article though!
I’ve never had luck with orchids but I keep trying..I got my mother in law one for Mother’s Day..on the card that came on them it said to add 3 ice cubes..Mother Nature doesn’t have ice cubes..I’ve always hated they do that ..!!.Darryl has given me a boost of confidence that I can keep this one alive!! Thanks..
My son gave me an orchid on Mother’s Day as present 🎁. Since then I’ve been searching on how to take care of an orchid, but I found out that as a beginner it was all confusing. Today I just bumped in to your website and I find that this is the answer I’ve been looking for, very informative…thank you so much…watching from Japan 🇯🇵
Oh my gosh I love this!!! Would definitely like to see more content on plants. I kill everything. I have an ice orchid and the leaves still look awesome after more than a year but I think I may need to start over. I need help with mums! They are so beautiful but every one I’ve ever bought has died within 2 weeks! 😭
I live in Brazil and here orchid experts say orchids don’t like sunlight! Like the plant should be placed where no sunlight can hit them, but in a worm and moisture environment. This article was quite surprising to me, but I’m gonna try it, cuz i love orchids but I’m tired of killing them. Thank you guys! 🥰
This article leaves out A LOT of valuable information on how to successfully grow Phalenopsis orchids. For example, they didn’t even explain that the orchids in this article are Phalenopsis orchids, and that there are many other types of orchids (Dendrobiums, Paphiopedliums, Vandas to name a few) and they all require different care. With Phals, you can have winter bloomers or summer bloomers and then a dormant season where the plant focuses on growing new leaves and new roots. This article teaches you how to FORCE your orchid to constantly rebloom with no rest period. Does that honestly sound like a good thing? I highly recommend perusal Missorchidgirl articles if you want to have a healthy thriving orchid collection.
Excellent article. Thank you for the education! You answered all of my questions!! One thing: I’ve started watering my plants once a month with banana water and I can see that all of my plants love it. I had been reading about banana water (put a banana peel in a quart of water for 2 days at room temp/or outside … then toss the peel and you have banana water). I read that succulents and orchids love this. What is your opinion on watering orchids with banana water instead of tap water?
Thank you for this awesome article! It was so helpful. Particularly the analogy of you want the leaves to see the sky. So i found a low coffee table near the nexus of two windows (a west facing and a south facing window) to sit my plant instead of the bar-high counter it was previously perched on. I hope this is what Darryl meant. I didnt realize it needed 2-4 hrs of direct sunlight. Also just that the flower dropping was normal at 4-8 weeks and that cutting of the spike. All amazing tips! I feel less daunted by keep this puppy alive!! Lol 😆 thank you guys!
Thanks for the article. I have a small potted orchid plant that hasn’t flowered in quite a long time even though it has been kept watered. How far down can I cut the main stem? Also, there are quite a few short ‘green’ rooty looking shoots growing out at the base of the stem. Do I remove them or let them stay? Also, I should mention that there are NO leaves on it, and there haven’t been for a few months. So, at this point, I don’t know if this orchid is salvageable or not.
this my 2nd year having orchards first last feb…all bloom 5to 6 months got Wal-Mart change bark soak before reporting light feeding in water orchard fertile keep front living room window use humfier sm one in morning air cleaner small o,easy use housing morning keep sheer curtinsummer winter see thru cotton curtin out drafting way heat I, winter summer water more hot taught very easy water by soaking use bottle water.
Awesome article! So helpful. How do we properly repot? Also – what if we have a stem that is growing sideways and (completely horizontal with the leaves) ? In my case the horizontal stem is short but has already produced small blooms and flowers. There are currently no other “stems” and I may have caused damage when I decided to repot ☹️
Very interesting, so please tell me, do you repot the new orchid when you buy it, I am led to believe that you should take the orchid out of the bark it comes in when purchasing from grocety store, remove the soil ‘plug’ from the middle and re pot in new bark, thats what ive been doin but my orchids end up in water culture and are apparently struggling to live, please advise, thank you…p.s I’m I the UK.
Great article! I need some help though. My Orchid plant is about 3-4years old, few months back I noticed all its roots coming out of its orchid pot (plastic one) so I cut open the plastic pot and replanted it in an earthen pot with drain holes however it has gone floppy and has fallen off on one side due to the weight of its leaves. The leaves are growing and I want to keep the plant. What should I do? Please help !!
Orchids bloom way longer than 2 mths if you do it right. I have an orchid that has had blooms for 10 mths now and still going strong. The pots the orchids are in are a big no no for me! I use clear pots with lots of aeration and the roots love getting the indirect light as well. They do NOT like soil, nor sitting in water. It’s essentially an air plant. Also, place indirect sunlight. A bright area with no sun light hitting will be a very happy Orchid.
Melissa, Melissa, Melissa…. please look at “Michael’s Orchids” youtube website. You will love the way these containers look and how you can watch the orchids grow when they are not in bloom. As a new orchid grower it may be a little intimidating but at least investigate when you have time. It’s made my obsession and love for orchids even greater. Welcome to orchids!
Hi, I have 2 questions please. I bought 2 new orchids about 2 months ago now from Tesco’s (I’m in Ireland). I’ve been watering them once a week since I brought them home. I’ve just been doing that like how you would water any plant…… by pouring the water over the base and letting it drain out into the sink. I haven’t been soaking it for 15 mins. Should I have been?! At first, I read on google that watering plants with black tea was good for them because it gives them nitrogen and other minerals. So I was making a pot of tea, letting it go cold, and watering them over the sink with that. But yesterday I bought some ‘orchid food’ in a bottle….. it says to add 5-10 drops to a pint of water. So I switched to watering them with that today instead. So anymore, should I be letting the plants sit soaking in that in their outer plant pots for 15 mins, then drain them?! My other question is what size of a pot should they be kept in?! Like do you have to re-pot them into bigger/wider plastic pots after some time or after buying them in the shop?! To let the roots grow and breathe etc. I have no idea!!
I heard that the orchids should be potted in transparant containers so the roots get sunlight and grow. As a result I am debating whether to remove them from my pretty opaque pots 🙁 Right now they are in their original plastic pot and then in the opaque pot. I have an orchid that hasnt bloomed in 2 year there is no spike whatsoever but I wont give up. As for the second one I trimmed the spike above the node….it started forming very very buds but then stopped in its tracks 🙁 I’ve put them on the kitchen window where there is plenty of sunlight.
I cut a friends two flower spikes from the bottom they were green and strong it felt really wrong but I thought it is after the flower died should be removed did not know about only cutting one node under the spent flowers spikes … how can I confess to her that I did a big mistake that will cost her a looong wait time for new blooms
Ok. Some good information, but a not misleading. Just a few clarifications: indirect light for these phalaenopsis orchids- direct sun will cause sunburn and damage the leaves; watering- do NOT water into the crown of the plant, it can cause rot and kill the orchid. Be sure to water around the base of the plant. Also, you may get additional flower spikes, but this is at the expense of the main plant growth which occurs after the flowers fall off. The orchids shown here are likely 3-5 years old and to throw out an orchid after the flowers drop is heartbreaking. The plant would likely benefit from repotting. Miss Orchid Girl on YouTube has over 2k articles on different orchid care for different varieties of orchids. She has beginners series as well advanced orchid care.
I have two Orchids one was bought by my oldest son about 6 years ago, he passed away 3 years ago and I have been caring for it incorrectly but, it still Lives..lol. I took it out of that little pot and put it in a big pot and every time it blooms and the flowers all die I cut the stem all the way down, It has always grown a new stem and flowers usually twice a year. I have another one that my other son bought me and it has only grown a stem and bloomed when he gave it to me. After the flowers died I cut the stem all the way down and it hasn’t ever bloomed again. (Sad Face). Both plants have so many roots growing wild out of the pot. What do I do with them? Do I just leave them? Also I took the plants out of that little protective plastic pot and just put them in a pot with Orchid soil. How can I get this second one to bloom again? Thank you so much for this informative article
Thank you for this article!!! However, my poor orchid is already on it’s last leg. What do I do if I had already cut the stem/spike all the way to the bottom near the leaves? Can it grow another spike or is it too late to save it? I had also already reported it and taken it out of the orchid planter 🤦♀️ putting it back now. Yikes
You left out soo much for maintaining a healthy Orchid. Orchids do not grow in soil, they grow in bark, moss etc There are many different types of Orchids with different growing needs. Orchids need weak fertilizer on a weekly basis as well as calcium and magnesium if it is not part on the Orchid fertilizer. Many orchids need to be watered once a week or ever more frequently depending on your environment (dry or humid). There is much more detailed info if you are interested check out Missorchidgirl on YouTube. She has the expertise.
Root rot is not prevented by giving an orchid more sun!!!! For preventing root rot you need good air circulation. Having many orchids does not mean you will always have one that’s in bloom. Orchids typically bloom once a year and at winter time when temperature drops. You’ll end up with the orchids probably being in bloom at the same time. I recommend you watch missorchidgirl on YouTube for real advise.
If the spike doesn’t turn yellow,there’s Absolutely no need to cut the spike(s) . Think about it ? Who is in its natural environment cutting off its spike (s) after a bloom ? And yet the orchid ( s) blooms again? No issue, even from the same spike! You cutting the spike doe’s nothing ( I think humans like to think they are the cause of something! We’re not, God has already written these things in the DNA of everything living- sorry to stomp on your egos!)