Orchid Care Tips

Orchids are very easy to care for as long as you take notice of each Orchid’s preferences. These preferences include humidity, light and air, watering and feeding, temperature, and potting.

Humidity

Orchid prefer about 60% humidity. This is best achieved by either purchasing humidity tray or filling saucers or a tray with rocks and water underneath and around the Orchid. This is very important, unless you will be growing your orchid in a greenhouse.

Light and Air

Indoor orchids prefer anywhere from no direct light to most of the day – choose an orchid with the links from this page about different orchids to choose the one that’s right for you. Ventilation is also very important – either open a window or turn a fan on – this makes the orchid happier and decreases your chance of getting bugs or bacteria. If your Orchid is grown in a greenhouse you will have very much control over your care environment.

Watering

Lift your Orchid to tell when to water. If it is light, bring it to the sink or bring your watering can over and water. Filtered water is good but not necessary. You can also test with a pencil that you have sharpened. If you push the pencil down into the Orchid mix about one inch, when it comes out you can tell how much moisture is in the mix depending on the color of the shaved pencil. If it has absorbed much water, then your Orchid still has water in the mix, and if it comes out light in color, there is not much moisture in the mix.

Fertilizing

Fertilize with a very weak solution often. Make sure every 3-4 waterings to water without fertilizer or you may get fertilizer buildup, resulting in health problems for the plant.

Temperature

This is a biggie! Some like it warmer than others. Some like it cooler. If your Orchids get too hot during the day, water and mist them.

Potting and Repotting

Pot or repot every 1-2 years. One good way to tell when to repot is that the mix the plant is in is very old. When repotting various kinds of Orchids it is best to use various kinds of Orchid potting bark.

Pests

It is possible to go either the natural route for pests or the unnatural route. Getting a bottle of some kind of spray you look up after identifying what pest you have. The natural route it to clean and repot the plant, use dish soap mixed in with a lot of water and spray it, or a light amount of bleach. There are lots of home remedies. The best id circulation, and not bringing your plant outdoors then indoors.

Important Orchid Care Tip

When an Orchid is done flowering, cut the flower spike about 1″ up from the base and it should rebloom again if taken care of well.

What Kind of Orchid to Grow

If you’re a beginning orchid grower we’d recommend starting with a Phalaenopsis Orchid. Our second choice for a plant to start with is a Dendrobium Orchid. Both of these Orchids generally bloom for about 3 months once or twice a year!

Beyond that, there are many wonderful Orchids to grow, with flowers lasting anywhere between 1-2 weeks and many months depending on the Orchid, so read on to decide which Orchid fits you and you, your environment, and what you’re ready for.

Phalaenopsis Orchids

Nowadays, orchid blooms have become the most sought-after flowers and they are widely used for ornamental as well as commercial purposes. A common misconception about orchids is that they are difficult to grow as houseplants.

Here are some tips to grow and care for the Phalaenopsis orchids, which are the most popular variety and comparatively less fussier to nurture.

Orchids are flowering plants, which belong to the family orchidaceae. It consists of 880 genera and almost 22,000 species. Phalaenopsis is one genus, which includes 60 species of orchids. These orchids are also called ‘moth orchids’, as their flowers resemble moths in flight. Phalaenopsis orchids are considered to be one of the most popular orchids, as they are easy to grow at home, as compared to their counterparts. Let us find out the methods to take care of a Phalaenopsis orchid.

General Characteristics
Phalaenopsis orchids are natives of southeast Asia, Philippines and Australia. These plants are usually found adhered to trees in deep forests or rocks. They have broad, flat succulent leaves and long arching stems with flowers. Usually, a plant has five to ten green leaves, and roots which are white in color. In some species, the stems are long with big round flowers.

There are species with short stems and flowers with flashy colors. Apart from these, there are a large number of hybrids, which are more adapted to the artificial conditions than their natural habitat. One important factor owing to the popularity of this orchid is that its flowers can last up to three months in artificial conditions. The flowering season starts in December and ends in May. Flowers of some species and hybrids last longer. Some varieties can bear flowers throughout the year.

Purchasing Tips
Phalaenopsis orchids are available in different sizes and forms. You can go in for potted ones, with or without flowers. Smaller versions without flowers are available at a cheap price. These can be in individual or community pots. Community pots contains more seedlings, which can flower within two years, if they are properly taken care of.

Seedlings of this plant are also available in flasks, in which the seeds are sown. Once they are brought outside the flask, the size of the plant depends upon the leaf span, which is the measurement from one leaf tip to the other in the opposite direction of a leaf. Normally, a plant with a leaf span of eight inches or above is considered as a flowering one, but some species can flower even when their leaf span is just four inches.

It is advisable to choose plants with firm (white or silvery) roots, and fleshy leaves without blemishes. A plant with more strong and live roots is good. It should be free of bugs and pests. Buying a plant with flowers is advantageous, as you will know the color and design of the flower, beforehand. Always go for plants with some buds along with flowers. The buds will help you to judge the lifespan of flowers. The spike should be strong and the flowers should be free of unnatural spots.