How to care for orchids?

A friend of mine recently bought an orchid for the room and asked me if I can tell her some tricks how it can survive. I knew some of them but not all and I also want my orchids to be healthy and growing. Orchids are easy to grow, but they require some care and they can die if not cared properly.
Therefore, I did some research to find out what the best would be, to have these beautiful tropical flowers around for a long time.
The most common orchid is the Moth Orchid (Phalaenopsis) with it´s beautiful blooms. They are relatively inexpensive and also less picky then the most.
So, here are some of the tips I´ve found very useful:

1. The indoor orchids must receive plenty of indirect light.
2. The air around it must be kept sufficiently warm and humid at all times (around 18–30ºC/65–85ºF).
   (Perfect spot would be the bathroom, if there´s indirect light.)
   
3. Water them every 7 – 10 days.
   (It really depends on the time of year – more in summer, less in winter.)
4. Don´t let them sit in water! Otherwise it will kill the plant.
5. Try to avoid the leaves to get wet when you water the orchids. Use a tissue to dry, if they do get wet.
6. Feed them every month with fertilizers (containing nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous).
7. Repot orchids every 2 to 3 years (preferably in spring). Don´t use the regular potting mix. Buy the orchid mix soil – that with largely bark pieces. And don´t use a pot which is too big.
   
8. Blooms normally last from 4 – 12 weeks. After the blooms fade, cut the spike down to 1.3 centimeters (1⁄2 inch) above the foliage. By doing this you will help the plant to put its energy toward growing new blooms.
9. Also trim off any dead leaves and tissue, including old flower stems, old leaves, dead roots and anything rotting.
10. You can use gardening shears, a sharp knife or a fresh razor blade to do that. But, important is that you use a sterile cutting instrument. The instruments can be sterilized with rubbing alcohol or by heating the blade with a lighter.
11. Afterwards, you can apply antifungal remedy to the cut surface. Very easy solution for this would be to use cinnamon (which has naturally antifungal properties). Take a dab of the cinnamon and apply it on the spot where you cut the plant.

With these care instructions your orchids might last for a long time. So, take care and I hope you liked my special post for all of you who love orchids, too 🙂 .

Do you want more care tips for your plants? Click here.