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Orchids are very popular plants nowadays. Apparently people have many reasons for this that make orchids such beloved houseplants. One of those reasons may be the variety of colors and shapes of the flowers, continuous blooming, very easy, low‑maintenance care, and the elegance and appeal of the flowers. But if you want to be successful growers, you should also know the correct way to plant orchids. This can help you when repotting plants into a new substrate, but also when planting offshoots.
Traditional planting method
If you want to plant an offshoot that developed on the mother plant into a pot with substrate, you will probably use this method. It is the best‑known method for planting an orchid. This method is not as gentle as the method described below, but it is still the most commonly used. If an offshoot forms on the mother plant, it is left to grow there until the first roots appear. An offshoot that can be planted using this method should have at least 3 leaves and 3 roots, of which at least 2 have reached a length of 5 cm. Such an offshoot is cut off with its stem and planted into a pot with suitable substrate.
Gentler method
You can, however, plant the new plant as soon as the first roots appear. Simply gently cut off the new offshoot with its first roots so that it has at least a small stem. Once you cut the plant, you can plant it in an orchid pot with suitable substrate. Place it on a windowsill and care for it the same way as for an already established plant.
Even when growing orchids this way, watering the new plant is carried out in the same manner as watering fully grown plants. That means you only need to water the pot once a week so that water runs through the pot into the saucer. Then let the plant sit in the water for an hour. In an hour the orchid will have stored enough water for the whole week. If you have dry air in your home, you can mist the plant with water from a spray bottle. This can be done quite often. Orchids like high ambient humidity.
