Orchids are beautiful and colourful flowers that are easy to care for once you have found the most suitable environment for them – preferably on a sunny windowsill.
In the followings you can read 7 detailed tips and tricks on how to keep your orchids beautiful and healthy.
I hope you will find them useful!
I hope you will find them useful!
1) Light
You know that your orchid gets enough light when its leaves are bright green and fleshy and it grows a new leaf immediately after another withered. Dark green colour indicates that the flower gets not enough light, meanwhile reddish blotches (and later dark, black blotches) on the leaf indicate way too much light or direct sunlight and sunburnt leaves. Also, when the plant gets too little light it won’t start to grow flowers.
Don’t start worry when a leaf of the orchid starts to get yellowish – this just means that the natural lifecycle of the orchid came to a point when it feels it has to grow new leaves instead of some old ones.
You know that your orchid gets enough light when its leaves are bright green and fleshy and it grows a new leaf immediately after another withered. Dark green colour indicates that the flower gets not enough light, meanwhile reddish blotches (and later dark, black blotches) on the leaf indicate way too much light or direct sunlight and sunburnt leaves. Also, when the plant gets too little light it won’t start to grow flowers.
Don’t start worry when a leaf of the orchid starts to get yellowish – this just means that the natural lifecycle of the orchid came to a point when it feels it has to grow new leaves instead of some old ones.
2) Water
This plant requires watering only every 5 to 10 days. These orchids natively live in moist environments and rainforests but they don’t like to be overwatered – this will easily make the root start to rot. In fact, the Phalaenopsis prefers to be kept almost dry between two watering.
Also make sure your plant never ‘sits’ in water as this will cause it to get rot as well. Only water if you look at the bark under the plant and you see that it is dry or approaching to dryness.
3) Temperature
In their natural habitat, orchids usually live in warm temperatures, where the thermometer shows 20 to 35°C, but indoor, near people they got used to temperatures between 15 to 35°C as well. Temperature lower than 15°C can cause the plant to become frost-bitten and die soon after that, meanwhile temperature above 35°C causes a heat stroke for plants that can also cause its death.
The ideal is if the daylight temperature is somewhere between 25 and 30°C, and at night orchids prefer a 6-8°C drop in temperature compared to daylight values.
4) Humidity
This is the most difficult issue to overcome when caring for an orchid, as 60-70% humidity is the best for the plant. This level is usually very high for a normal family home, so occasionally lightly mist the plant with a small bottle and take them to the sink and give them a light shower with tepid water at least once a month.
For the best environment place a fan in the room on hot days but don’t expose the plant directly to the blow and mist the room. These plants need more humidity during winter, when there is not that much sunlight, so mist them more often then.
5) Pruning
After all the flowers fell down from the flower stem, you must cut the old stem just above the leaves – the closer to the soil, the better. After this the orchid will start to grow a new flower stem.
If your orchid looks too small or you can see no new leaves to grow at all, then you better cut the new flower stem off to encourage the orchid and not to let it weaken itself by ‘sending’ all the nutrients to the new flowers.
Also, check the plant weekly and cut down all the dead roots and leaves if it is needed.
6) Repotting
You only have to repot your orchid every few years, when you can see the signs that the place in the pot is too small for the flower.
7) Nutrient Solutions
The best solution is to give it some kind of special nutrient solution for orchids, every 3rd or 4th week, when you can clearly see that the leaves may need some more nutrients.
This plant requires watering only every 5 to 10 days. These orchids natively live in moist environments and rainforests but they don’t like to be overwatered – this will easily make the root start to rot. In fact, the Phalaenopsis prefers to be kept almost dry between two watering.
Also make sure your plant never ‘sits’ in water as this will cause it to get rot as well. Only water if you look at the bark under the plant and you see that it is dry or approaching to dryness.
3) Temperature
In their natural habitat, orchids usually live in warm temperatures, where the thermometer shows 20 to 35°C, but indoor, near people they got used to temperatures between 15 to 35°C as well. Temperature lower than 15°C can cause the plant to become frost-bitten and die soon after that, meanwhile temperature above 35°C causes a heat stroke for plants that can also cause its death.
The ideal is if the daylight temperature is somewhere between 25 and 30°C, and at night orchids prefer a 6-8°C drop in temperature compared to daylight values.
4) Humidity
This is the most difficult issue to overcome when caring for an orchid, as 60-70% humidity is the best for the plant. This level is usually very high for a normal family home, so occasionally lightly mist the plant with a small bottle and take them to the sink and give them a light shower with tepid water at least once a month.
For the best environment place a fan in the room on hot days but don’t expose the plant directly to the blow and mist the room. These plants need more humidity during winter, when there is not that much sunlight, so mist them more often then.
5) Pruning
After all the flowers fell down from the flower stem, you must cut the old stem just above the leaves – the closer to the soil, the better. After this the orchid will start to grow a new flower stem.
If your orchid looks too small or you can see no new leaves to grow at all, then you better cut the new flower stem off to encourage the orchid and not to let it weaken itself by ‘sending’ all the nutrients to the new flowers.
Also, check the plant weekly and cut down all the dead roots and leaves if it is needed.
6) Repotting
You only have to repot your orchid every few years, when you can see the signs that the place in the pot is too small for the flower.
7) Nutrient Solutions
The best solution is to give it some kind of special nutrient solution for orchids, every 3rd or 4th week, when you can clearly see that the leaves may need some more nutrients.