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How to Care for Orchid Houseplants
How to Care for Orchid Houseplants. Orchids are not as hard to care for as typically believed. But they require some basic knowledge of the species. If you've bought your first orchid, learn how they grow, what type of potting mixture to use, required light and watering basics. With these few steps, you should be able to grow and maintain a...
Orchids are not as hard to care for as typically believed. But they require some basic knowledge of the species. If you've bought your first orchid, learn how they grow, what type of potting mixture to use, required light and watering basics. With these few steps, you should be able to grow and maintain a beautiful orchid and have it bloom for years. Though there are more than 880 orchid species, relatively few hybrids are sold at nurseries and other shops. Chances are that you have purchased one of these, and rightly so since they have been engineered for easier care and more diverse colors.
Things You'll Need
Small pot (clear plastic, ceramic or white plastic)
Orchid fertilizer
Orchid potting mix
Sphagnum moss
Repot the orchid. You may be able to do a partial repot and remove the whole orchid, root and planting media and place in a new pot. If you repot altogether, note what type of media the orchid was originally planted in and use that when you repot it. The pot size should be slightly on the small side. Orchids grow best when their roots are somewhat confined. A clear plastic pot is helpful so you can keep an eye on the roots, a white plastic pot is good to stimulate photosynthesis and ceramic pots are aesthetically pleasing.
Water your orchid carefully. Watering is an essential piece of orchid care and overwatering is detrimental to its health. Each orchid species has its own watering requirements, but a general rule of thumb is to feel the potting mix or media to test for dryness. If the soil is not completely dry, do not water. When it is time to water, it's best to do it in the morning; according to orchidcare.com, water your orchid at the equivalent of 1/3 the pot's total volume. The orchid also must have adequate drainage so the roots don't get too wet and rot.
Keep your plant in indirect light. A few ways to assess whether your orchid is happy in the spot you've chosen is to feel the leaves for warmth -- if it's too warm, move to a different spot, and also look at the color of the leaves. Rich, dark and green leaves indicate it is probably not getting enough light because their ideal color is light green. A few days to weeks of careful observance should help you decide the best spot for your orchid.
Tips & Warnings
Orchids do not like dirt, which can smother their roots and cause rot from the extra moisture they like. For example, some orchids grow best in sphagnum moss with a few pebbles.
