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:
- The indoor orchids must receive plenty of indirect light.
- 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.)
- Water them every 7 – 10 days.
(It really depends on the time of year – more in summer, less in winter.) - Don´t let them sit in water! Otherwise it will kill the plant.
- Try to avoid the leaves to get wet when you water the orchids. Use a tissue to dry, if they do get wet.
- Feed them every month with fertilizers (containing nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous).
- 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.
- 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.
- Also trim off any dead leaves and tissue, including old flower stems, old leaves, dead roots and anything rotting.
- 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.
- 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.
