Orchids are truly beautiful and unique flowers, but they aren’t the easiest of blooms to grow. Many gardeners buy orchids with high hopes, only to have their green thumb dreams dashed. Here are a few handy tips on how to care for your orchid so you can delight in their delicate and exotic beauty.
Two Words: Don’t Over-Water!!!
Orchids are a very, very picky plant. Most people think orchids need a wet and warm environment to thrive, and they would be wrong. Orchids grow on trees in their natural habitat, so their roots are used to being in the open air. They need very little water to survive. In fact, they are particularly susceptible to root rot, so you should only water your orchid about once a week and in very small amounts. Your orchid needs about a shot glass full of warm water once a week, and no more!
Watch The Sun
Orchids like warm environments, but too much sun will kill them quickly. Keep them out of direct sunlight and place them in a room that is kept warm, but shady. They will do just fine even without partial sun for weeks. In fact, if you leave your orchid in direct sunlight for too long, it will develop black spots on its leaves. You can determine if you’re doing it right by checking the leaves of your orchid for faded spots. If the green starts fading to yellow, you need to move your plant away from the window.
Care For The Air
These finicky flowers won’t tolerate extremely dry air. One of the best places to keep your orchid plant is in the bathroom, where it will stay out of direct sunlight, but kept warm and moist. The humidity that comes from your shower will keep your little flower happy and healthy. If you don’t have a place in your bathroom for an orchid, then you can use a humidifier. At the very least, keep your plant away from the heating and cooling vents to prevent drying it out.
Feed The Flowers
When your orchid is blooming, make sure you fertilize it. You can buy a special orchid blend of fertilizer at your local gardening outlet. If you want to encourage new growth and bigger blooms, you’ll need to fertilize at least every other week while your orchid is blooming. Once your orchid stops blooming, you should stop fertilizing. One last tip: don’t water a dry orchid. Water the roots first, then fertilize. This prevents orchid root burn.
