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Orchids are incredibly beautiful plants whose flowers have admirable colors. But let’s be honest, they have a reputation as very demanding plants that require complicated care. However, thanks to a few tricks you’ll discover that caring for orchids is actually surprisingly easy and it’s completely simple to ensure your orchid blooms abundantly year after year.
A decoration in a flowerpot
Not long ago, orchids were considered rare and exotic, available only from specialists and demanding to grow and care for. Thanks to new advances in breeding, we can now buy beautifully flowering orchids in a pot in almost every supermarket, often at very reasonable prices. Who could resist the temptation to get this beauty and grow it at home on the windowsill. But remember: they are still extraordinary plants and deserve proper care. Follow our advice so you can enjoy the orchid’s magnificent blooms for many years.
Lower the temperature at night
Some orchids are hard to coax into bloom, especially when grown indoors. But there is one easy trick that helps significantly: ensure that the temperature in the room where the orchid is placed is lower at night than during the day. A decrease of about 5 ℃ will help the plant to flower. Moving it to another, cooler room can sometimes be the only thing the orchid needs.
The myth about watering orchids
Although orchids commonly grow in tropical rainforests, they do not need heavy watering. The most common way people harm orchids is precisely by watering them. The golden rule is to make sure the plant does not constantly, so to speak, sit in water. Here are 3 ways you can water an orchid: ¨
- Immersion
Most orchids are sold in a transparent container that is placed into a decorative pot. Pour distilled or boiled and cooled water directly into the transparent container so that the roots are completely submerged. Let it soak for about 15 minutes. After this time, pour out the remaining water that the plant did not absorb and return it to the decorative pot. Repeat about once a week.
- Ice cubes
Yes, you read that right! Ice cubes are a great way to water orchids because they help you avoid overwatering, prevent root rot and achieve gradual absorption of water. Just place one ice cube by the leaves twice a week.
- Watering
A simple way to water if the plant cannot be removed from the pot. Make sure you do not pour water directly onto the plant, but under the leaves toward the roots. Water this way every week using distilled or boiled water.
Ideal lighting
As with most other plants, optimal lighting is the key to thriving orchids. If they don’t have light all day (10 hours), they will never bloom to their full potential. But be careful. Never place an orchid in direct sunlight, as it could get burned. The ideal spot for an orchid is a room with a steady temperature, away from drafts, where it can receive indirect sunlight. In autumn and winter, when natural light is lacking, the plants must be lit with artificial lighting.
The right fertilizer
For feeding orchids use fertilizers containing phosphorus and potassium, which guarantee the development of healthy and strong blooms. Be careful with nitrogenous fertilizers, as they prevent the development of stems. A few tips for fertilizing orchids:
- If you use liquid fertilizer, do not pour it directly onto the plant’s leaves, they would burn!
- It is much better to fertilize more often with smaller doses than once in a while with a large dose.
- Dark green hanging leaves can be a sign of excessive fertilization.
- In the week you fertilize the orchid, it is not necessary to water it.
- If you notice that the orchid is in poor condition, avoid all fertilizers.
