I don’t know what my friend was thinking when she gave me an orchid as a gift over 20 years ago. I did not know that it was an orchid, much less what type of orchid, but later I learned it was a popular Phalaenopsis. But I was intrigued by its unique flowers. Unfortunately the plant did not last long, but being the curious sort of person that I am, I was interested to learn what makes them ’special’. I wondered specifically what makes so many people orchid lovers, while at the same time so many people think caring for orchids is hard.
Without a doubt, when I received my first orchid, I knew next to nothing about caring for any plants. But the orchid put its spell on me, and I got ‘hooked’ on how to look after them. Although that first orchid died, I never gave up, and have since been able to remove the aura of complexity that many think surrounds the caring of orchids. It all comes down to 6 basic factors. This is not rocket science, as the saying goes, so concentrate on these factors and you will find yourself proud of your beautiful orchid and maybe get hooked like I did.
1. Where Did Your Orchid Originate?
If you can create an environment close to the one in which your orchid naturally grows, then you will have a happy orchid on your hands.. Not all orchids are found in the tropics. Some grow naturally in colder mountainous areas. So know your orchid’s natural growing conditions.
2. How Much Light Does Your Orchid Need?
Most orchids need at least 6 hours of bright light, but not direct sunlight. Direct sunlight will burn the leaves. Think about your orchids natural environment, where the light it receives is filtered by surrounding trees and plants. Your orchid’s leaves will be medium to light green if it is getting enough light. Not enough light and your orchid’s leaves will turn dark green and too much light will make the leaves pale green. Now wasn’t that easy?
3. Careful With The Watering Can
This is the way I managed to kill my first orchid. I basically overwatered it. And once it turned yellow I gave it more! Watering them about every 4 – 7 days seems to be enough, but it does depend on the season. Try taking a wooden stick, and push it into your orchid’s growing medium. If it comes out darker, then your orchid have sufficient moisture. Just check again in a couple days and eventually your stick will come out dry, and then you know it is time for a drink (for your orchid).
4. How To Know When To Feed Your Orchid
First, don’t use regular house plant food. Your orchid needs orchid fertilizer and typically should get it in liquid form about once a week. Mix you orchid fertilizer at half strength.
5. Repotting Your Orchid
Sooner or later, unfortunately, the orchid is going to need repotting. Remove the old mix from the pot, being careful not to damage the roots. Wash off the dirt from the roots so you can inspect them to see if any are hollow or mushy. These you can cut off. Don’t use too big of a pot, because it will hold too much water and your orchid can rot. Just a couple inches bigger is fine. Put some drainage material in the bottom of the new pot and then growing medium so that where the orchid comes out of the growing medium is just below the top of the new pot. Press gently to settle the plant but don’t use too much force or the roots may break. Use a stick to support the plant in the pot so it is secure. If your plant is growing in sphagnum moss, make sure it is damp before wrapping it round the roots and repotting, that way you don’t have to worry about pockets of air. Once your orchid is in its new pot, the plant should be moved away from bright light and should not be watered for 3 – 5 days to allow it to recover.
6. Got Flowers? Now What?
Check whether your orchid flowers one time from the flower spike or will flower repeatedly from the same spike. For orchids that bloom only once per spike, you should cut the spike off once the flowers have wilted. If you aren’t certain, don’t cut it off!
7. Orchid Diseases and Pests
OK, there is a seventh issue to take into consideration. Unfortunately, your orchid could get a disease or be attacked by a pest. An important part of orchid care is looking out for various fungi or parasites. Isolate any plant that has a problem, check it out, find the remedy and start treating as soon as possible.
I am here to tell you, if you focus on these conditions and provide the amounts your orchid prefers, your orchid will thrive. Caring for orchids will become easy for you, and your satisfaction and pride will grow along with your healthy orchid.
What you just learned about caring for orchids is just the beginning. To get a FREE Orchid Care minicourse, check us out at Growing Orchids .