Used coffee grounds are often recommended as a natural fertilizer for many houseplants. But do orchids like coffee grounds? The answer isn’t a flat no. It depends almost entirely on which orchid is being discussed and how the grounds reach it.

A spent filter full of coffee grounds feels wasteful in the bin, which is probably how this idea got started. There’s real nitrogen in there. There’s organic matter too, along with years of internet advice insisting that acid-loving plants will thank you for the trouble. Orchids occupy an odd position in that conversation.

Two of those assumptions don’t survive much scrutiny, and the stakes are higher when fertilizing orchids than they would be when using coffee on tomato plants. It's important to understand that orchid roots evolved for conditions nothing like garden soil, and the medium in a typical pot serves a purpose that has little to do with nutrition. Get that part wrong, and the nitrogen content stops mattering.

Why Coffee Grounds Might Help Orchids

First up, I cannot overstate this: all types of orchids cannot rely on coffee grounds alone. They still need a specialist orchid fertilizer to provide the balanced nutrients they require. I like to use Better-Gro Orchid Plus 20-14-13, available from Amazon, which is urea-free.

But what if you're looking for a natural top-up? The nutrients in coffee grounds are genuinely there. Used grounds contain around 2 percent nitrogen by weight, with smaller amounts of potassium and magnesium alongside. They also add organic matter and hold moisture. Soil microbes break them down over time into something a plant can eventually take up. For a vegetable bed or home compost pile, that’s a decent contribution from something free.

The acidity claim is where the reasoning goes sideways. Brewing pulls the water-soluble acids out of the beans and into the cup, leaving spent grounds close to neutral, at around pH 6.5 to 6.8. Anyone using them to lower pH is banking on a property the grounds gave up in the machine. Whatever they do for an orchid, acidifying the medium isn’t it.

Are Coffee Grounds Suitable for Every Type of Orchid?

The answer hinges on one key distinction. Moth orchids (Phalaenopsis species) are epiphytes, as are Cattleyas, Dendrobiums, and Vandas. In the wild, they cling to tree bark, with their roots hanging in moving air. Those roots are covered in a spongy layer called velamen, which soaks up water in bursts and then needs to dry out. Orchid bark mix in a pot is an attempt to recreate those airy conditions; providing nutrition is not its primary purpose.

Terrestrial orchids play by different rules entirely. Bletilla striata, the hardy ground orchid, grows in ordinary soil outdoors in USDA zones 5 to 9. Lady’s slippers (Cypripedium species) and ladies’ tresses (Spiranthes species) also grow in the ground. Their roots encounter organic matter much as those of other perennials do, making this a very different conversation from the one happening in a bark-filled pot.

Nearly every argument about coffee grounds and orchids comes down to two very different types of plant being discussed as though they were one.

Why You Shouldn't Add Grounds Straight to Orchid Bark

Wet coffee grounds behave like silt. Sprinkled into a pot, they filter down between the chunks and pack into the gaps, turning an open medium into something that stays damp long after it should have dried. A bag of orchid bark, such as this Rosy Soil mix, which contains biochar and mycorrhizae to improve plant health, is coarse for a reason, and filling those spaces defeats the whole design.

What follows is fairly predictable. Fungus gnats (Bradysia species) can breed in the damp organic layer, while white, fuzzy mold may spread across the surface within a couple of weeks. Roots that need air remain wet instead and can begin to rot from the outside in. Caffeine residue is another unknown: it has been shown to inhibit root growth in a number of plant species, and it is not well established where orchids fall on that list.

The Safest Way To Use Coffee Grounds for Orchids

For epiphytic orchids in bark, a heavily diluted and thoroughly strained coffee-ground “tea” avoids the problem of solid particles clogging the mix. It is still an experiment rather than a dependable part of orchid care, however, as its nutrient strength is impossible to judge and traces of caffeine may remain. I don't recommend it, but if you're determined to try it, then only use it very occasionally on already-damp roots, discard it if it smells sour or fermented, and flush the pot with plain water at the next watering. A specialist orchid fertilizer should remain the plant’s main source of nutrition.

For soil-grown orchids, composting the grounds first removes most of the risks. Around six months in a heap or a Costway dual-chamber compost tumbler from Walmart allows microbes to break the grounds down into something crumbly and stable. Much of the caffeine will have degraded, and the nitrogen has already passed through the microbial process that would otherwise need to happen in the pot.

Keep the ratio sensible while it cooks. Grounds need plenty of brown material alongside them – dry leaves or shredded cardboard – since a heap built largely from coffee can turn slimy rather than breaking down cleanly. Once finished, that compost can be used sparingly around terrestrial orchids growing in soil. It still has no business in a container of bark, no matter how well composted it is.

Can Terrestrial Orchids Benefit From Coffee Compost?

Here the answer turns cautiously positive. A hardy ground orchid in a border has real soil under it, and the microbial community that comes with it. Work finished compost lightly into the surface, and it behaves as it would around any perennial. Structure improves. Nutrients arrive slowly, and the ground holds moisture further into summer.

Restraint is the whole game, though. A thin scattering once or twice a season does it, kept clear of the crown and pseudobulbs where trapped moisture starts rot. Uncomposted grounds piled on thickly cause something different – soil microbes go after that fresh carbon and pull available nitrogen out of circulation while they work. The plant goes hungry through the exact weeks it's putting on growth. That reverses eventually, but it can cost a season of flowering first.

Signs Coffee Grounds Are Harming Your Orchid

The medium tells you first. Bark still wet several days after watering has lost its drainage, and a white or gray bloom across the surface confirms it. A sour, fermented smell from the pot says the same thing. Small dark flies rising when the plant gets moved point at gnats breeding in there.

Roots give the clearest verdict, and a clear pot makes them visible. Healthy orchid roots look plump and silvery green when wet. Anything brown and soft has drowned, and a root that collapses under light pressure is past saving. Above the pot, watch for leaves turning yellow from the lowest ones upward, or a plant that stops producing new growth entirely for a season. At that stage, repotting an orchid into fresh medium beats waiting to see whether it recovers.

Coffee Grounds Aren't a Substitute for Orchid Fertilizer

Orchid feeds are formulated around a limitation that explains this entire question. Many are urea-free because urea needs soil bacteria to convert it into a usable form, and a pot of bark simply doesn't hold enough of them. The same microbial gap that rules out urea rules out coffee grounds even more firmly.

For epiphytes in containers, a weak solution at every other watering covers what the plant needs, with an occasional plain water flush to clear accumulated salts. Anyone determined to use spent grounds should compost them properly and spread the results around terrestrial orchids outdoors. Moth orchids on a windowsill do better with something formulated for the job.

Orchid Essentials

Orchids have a reputation for being fussy, but most of what they need in July is simple – it just has to actually happen. Summer is a growth season, even when they're not flowering. Behind the scenes, the plant is banking energy for its next flower spike months down the line. Get the summer care right, and that spike comes in strong. Get one thing badly wrong, and you can quietly cancel next season's show before it starts.

Good orchid care in summer comes down to a handful of small tasks and avoiding that one costly slip. None of it takes long, but you need to get into a good rhythm. Steady, moderate care beats sporadic bursts of attention.

Most houseplant orchids are Phalaenopsis (aka moth orchids), so that's the assumption here, though the advice carries to most common types of orchids. If you want to expand your collection, then other good beginner varieties include Dendrobium and Cattleya orchids – both of which are included in this well-rated five-plant set from Angel's Orchids via Amazon.

1. Get the Light Right – and Avoid the Scorch

This is it. The mistake that quietly costs people their next round of flowers. Never leave your orchid sitting in direct summer sun. The leaves scorch fast – a bleached or browned patch that never heals – and those leaves are the plant's whole engine for powering the next spike. Damage them in July, and it's not just an ugly leaf you're dealing with; it's a missing bloom cycle. Summer sun through a south or west window hits far harder than winter light; a plant that was fine there in January can start burning now.

Bright but filtered is the target. An east window is close to perfect; for anything brighter, a sheer curtain takes the edge off. A self-adhesive portable curtain, like this one on Amazon, lets you temporarily protect plants without drilling. You can just take it down once the high heat of summer has passed.

If you're not sure whether your orchid's light levels are correct, check the leaves. Grassy green is about right; dark forest green wants more; anything bleached or reddish means pull it back fast. Mine sit a couple of feet (60 cm) back from a south window behind a thin curtain, which is the sweet spot in summer.

2. Rethink Watering for the Heat

Orchids drink more in summer, plain and simple. Warmth and active growth dry the bark faster, so the winter rhythm needs to tighten up. Watering orchids on a strict calendar, though, is how roots rot – check first, every time. In a clear pot, silvery-gray roots mean it's thirsty and still-green roots mean wait. No clear pot? Lift it: light means dry, heavy means hold off.

When you water, do it properly – run it through until it pours from the drainage holes, then let it drain fully. The one rule I never break: don't leave water sitting in the crown, that central well where the leaves meet. Trapped there, it invites crown rot, which can kill a Phalaenopsis outright. A quick dab with a paper towel clears any that pools. Morning watering gives the plant all day to dry.

3. Give Them More Humidity

Most orchids come from humid, tropical places and want the air around 50 to 70 percent. Summer works against that, oddly – not the outdoor air, but the air conditioning, which pulls moisture from a room fast. Too little, and the plant shows it: leaves go slightly wrinkled, and developing buds can shrivel and drop before opening. That last one, known as orchid bud blast, stings after months of waiting.

An easy fix is a humidity tray – a shallow water reservoir with pebbles that hold the pot above the waterline, so evaporation raises humidity without the roots sitting in water. This humidity tray from Amazon does just that under a windowsill grouping. Clustering plants together helps too. Misting gets pushed a lot, but it's honestly weak and short-lived, and late-day misting leaves water pooled where you don't want it. If all else fails, use a small humidifier, like this Levoit model.

4. Feed While They're Growing

Summer is prime orchid feeding time – the plant is growing and can use the nutrients. The old grower's phrase is “weakly, weekly”: a regular diluted feed at a quarter to half label strength, not a heavy dose now and then.

A balanced, urea-free orchid food, like Better-Gro Orchid Plus, diluted to under the bottle's suggested strength, is the standard pick. Urea nitrogen isn't much use to a plant rooted in bark.

One important rule to remember: never feed a bone-dry plant. Salts on parched roots scorch them, same as on anything else – water first, or feed right after a normal watering. Once a month, flush the pot with plain water to rinse out built-up salts before they burn the roots.

5. Keep the Air Moving

Air movement is one of those things nobody thinks about until something goes wrong. In the wild, orchids grow in trees with near-constant breeze over their roots and leaves. On a still windowsill in a warm, humid room, they lose that – and stagnant, damp air is where fungal spots and rot get started. A little moving air keeps leaf surfaces dry and the setup far less welcoming to trouble.

A small fan on its lowest setting, aimed to stir the air near the plants rather than blast them, does the job. This Gaiatop Portable Clip-on Fan is ideal – clamp it to a shelf edge, and it moves just enough without drying things out or knocking buds around.

Aim for a gentle drift, not a wind tunnel; if the leaves are whipping, it's too much. A few hours a day suffices.

6. Stay Ahead of Summer Pests

Warm weather wakes up the orchid pests. The biggest summer offenders are usually mealybugs – check for their little cottony white specks tucked into leaf joints. Scale shows up as small brown bumps that scrape off with a fingernail, while spider mites leave fine webbing and a dull, stippled look.

The trick is catching them early, before a handful becomes an infestation. A once-over every week or two does it – flip the leaves, check the crown, and peer into the tight spots.

For a light case, a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol wipes mealybugs and scale right off. Bigger outbreaks want more reach – neem oil smothers soft-bodied pests and doubles as a mild fungicide. A popular organic pick is Bonide Captain Jack's neem oil. Spray it on a cool, shaded evening so it doesn't bake onto the leaves.

Move an affected plant away from the others while you sort it out. It takes no time for pests to jump between orchids sitting shoulder to shoulder.

July Orchid Care Essentials

We think of orchids as fancy houseplants that are often given as gifts on special occasions. But in fact, the orchid family - with its 28,000 species - is the largest flowering plant family on the planet. It’s also been here a long time, developing in the Late Cretaceous Period some 100-125 million years ago. Yes, when dinosaurs walked the earth, they might have stopped to admire the orchids.

And here we are, in the 21st Century, still admiring our orchids, and what’s not to love? Having evolved over millennia, the orchid family today includes blossoms of every color, fragrance, size, and shape imaginable. Some have plain-colored petals while others are splashed or speckled with contrasting colors. Yet orchid care is similar for most common species and it varies from month to month. With the right care, the plants will last for years. Just remember a few key pointers: they like to grow in bright light, love humidity and hate being overwatered.

In June, orchids are in their peak growing season. That means that they need very specific care to thrive and produce blooms. Here’s a short list to make things simple.

1. Increase Watering As Temperatures Rise

Improper watering is the number one cause of orchid issues at home. This becomes especially important in June, since it’s the beginning of summer weather. You’ll need to water your orchids more often in summer since the temperatures cause the soil to dry out quickly.

If there is one element of orchid care that you need to perfect in June, it is the art of watering orchids. Nope, it’s not about pouring water into the top of the orchid container. Think baths, not showers. The best way to proceed is to plunge your orchid pot into a big bowl of tepid water. After about 30 seconds, remove the pot and set it in the sink until excess water drains out, then set it on a pie tin or gravel to encourage air circulation.

Orchids need more water in June than May or April. But unless June weather is exceptionally hot, a bath a week will probably do it. But here’s a tip to figure out if your plants are getting sufficient water. The roots are the key. If they are green, the orchid is happy. Silver roots mean that they need a drink.

2. Increase Humidity

Orchids love humid conditions. In fact, they bloom best in nature in locations with great natural humidity. But few of us in the United States get that kind of warm and humid conditions, so we have to create them for our orchids.

Yes, you can mist but the occasional spritz doesn’t really recreate a humid environment. A step up is to sit the orchid container on a tray filled with gravel and water. This pebble tray provides more humidity over a longer period.

3. Provide More Nutrients

As orchids begin their peak growing season in June, you’ll want to up the fertilizer you provide. The best fertilizer is one specifically designed for orchids, because these are biologically correct and carbon-balanced. This is available in most plant stores, but if you can’t find any in your area, use a balanced fertilizer, one with equal amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. This Miracle-Gro orchid food from Amazon is a balanced and gentle formula.

Apply low dilutions of this fertilizer on a consistent schedule. During the peak growing season, this will be every 2-4 weeks. That’s enough to support both growth and blooming.

4. Up the Air Flow

It may seem that a plant that loves humidity would object to too much airflow. Like many tropical plants, orchids thrive in humid conditions, but they still require sufficient airflow.

Air circulation around the orchid’s foliage keeps the leaf temperature down. It also helps to prevent fungal diseases. One of the best ways to assure air flow is to place your orchids near a partially opened window. If it is too hot to open the window, a small adjustable plant fan, available from Amazon, will do the job.

During peak growing season, it's important to monitor for bacterial infections, fungal diseases, and root rot in orchids. These issues can arise from overwatering, high humidity, and poor air circulation, so regular inspections are crucial for early detection.

5. Turn Down the Heat

The sun gets hotter in June. Although you may have been able to let your orchids get direct sun in early spring, by June, direct sun is not a good thing. Direct sun can also scorch orchid leaves.

Early June is the time to move them to a location that gets bright but indirect sunlight. And check every week or so as summer ripens, since the sun is changing position.

Most orchids grown indoors follow a rhythm – slow through winter, then picking back up as days get longer and temperatures climb. By May, that shift is already underway for most varieties.

Roots are more active, new growth is appearing on many plants, and adjustments to watering and feeding make a bigger impact now than they did in the slower months. Good orchid care in May and early June makes a noticeable difference as spring fades into summer.

To ensure your orchids bloom well and produce tons of healthy growth this season, there are a few essential care tasks you must do now before summer officially arrives.

1. Address Faded Flower Spikes

If your orchid just finished blooming, now is the moment to deal with the spike where the flower used to be. A green orchid flower spike with nodes intact can sometimes push a secondary bloom. They will be smaller flowers than the first, there will be fewer of them, but allowing a second bloom is perfectly fine as long as your plant is healthy.

Phalaenopsis orchids are the most likely to rebloom from an existing spike. Many other types of orchids won’t put out another batch of blooms. For phalaenopsis orchids, cut just above a healthy node near the middle of the spike and let the cut callus over on its own.

If the faded flower spike is yellowing or browning, cut it at the base and let your plant redirect that energy into new growth. A full recovery cycle tends to produce stronger flowering next season than pushing a tired orchid to rebloom.

2. Repot Crowded Plants

Right after blooming is a good window for repotting orchids. Your plant isn’t in flower and the spring warmth helps it settle into fresh medium faster. Most orchids need repotting every one to two years, but watch for other signals as well.

Roots circling outside the pot are one of the clearest signs your orchid needs repotting. Broken-down, soggy growing medium is another. A plant that’s too top-heavy to stay upright is also telling you something.

Regular potting soil is the wrong medium to use – it holds too much moisture and the roots can suffocate from overwatering. Orchid bark or a dedicated orchid potting mix, like this one from Amazon, provides the drainage and airflow roots need.

Before repotting, trim away any old growth that is brown and hollow. Healthy roots should be firm and either green or white in color.

3. Adjust Your Watering Schedule

Orchids in the active growth stage drink more than plants that are dormant. May is when that shift occurs for most indoor orchids. Phalaenopsis want their potting mix to dry out somewhat between waterings, but not to go completely dry.

Water your orchids roughly every seven to ten days in summer conditions. Though the roots are the real guide, so look to those for signs it’s time to water. Silvery-white roots mean it’s time for a drink, but green roots still have some moisture so you can wait on those.

The sink method works well for watering. Set your orchid pot in a few inches of water for ten to fifteen minutes, drain thoroughly, then return it to its original location. This saturates the potting medium without leaving water sitting around the crown of the plant where root rot can set in.

Cold water can stress the roots, so use room temperature water for orchids. Heavily chlorinated tap water should sit overnight to off-gas some of the minerals and salts, though it won’t remove chloramines. Filtered water or rainwater is best for watering plants.

4. Start a Feeding Routine

The best time to fertilize orchids is as they enter the active growth season and May is the start of that window. A high phosphorus formula can encourage blooming, but a balanced orchid fertilizer, like this one from Amazon, is fine throughout the growing season. Dilute plant food at quarter to half strength and apply weekly. The phrase “weakly, weekly” makes it easy to remember.

Overfeeding is a more common problem than underfeeding in orchids. It can cause salt buildup, root burn, and browning leaf tips. So go easy with the plant food. Flush the growing medium with plain water once a month or so because accumulated salts from regular feeding can build up fast.

5. Move to Brighter Light

Indoor orchids want bright indirect light and spring’s lengthening days make it easier to get there. A plant that just scraped by during the winter in a dim corner will respond well to a spot closer to an east or south-facing window. But direct sun can scorch plants, so use a sheer curtain to take the edge off.

The difference from changing lighting conditions tends to show in the leaves within a few weeks, under ideal circumstances. May is a good time to experiment with light requirements for orchids since plants are actively growing and usually respond quickly.

Leaf color is a useful way to know when it is time to move plants into a different spot. Dark green means too little light. The plant compensates by producing chlorophyll, but tends to flower less. Lighter, yellowish green suggests too much light. A medium grassy green is what healthy growth under proper lighting conditions looks like.

6. Check the Roots & Soil

Even if you don’t need to repot, now is a useful time to check what’s happening below the surface. Clear orchid pots, like these ones from Amazon, make this easy. If you have an opaque container, probe the medium with a finger or chopstick or gently tip the plant out of the pot.

Orchid potting medium that comes out wet and compacted or that smells off isn’t providing the aeration orchid roots need. If this is the case, your growing medium is probably due for a change.

A few dead roots among lots of healthy ones isn’t a cause for a concern. Simply trim them off and put back into your existing pot. But a majority of brown, hollow roots points to a watering or medium problem that repotting can solve.

Aerial orchid roots growing outside the pot are normal, too. They’re doing what orchid roots do in nature, so leave them alone. Cutting them off will set your plant back more than leaving them as is.

Elegant, sculptural, and surprisingly resilient, orchids have become one of the most popular indoor plants in the United States – but did you know that there's such a thing as a birth month orchid?

Oh yes, while we’ve long assigned meaning to the natural world around us. Birth month flowers are perhaps the most familiar, with everything from roses to carnations tied to a season and a story. More recently, birth month animals and even birth month birds have taken flight across lifestyle culture, offering personality-led ways to feel connected to nature.

But there’s another group of plants that quietly carries just as much symbolism, and perhaps even more so. Orchids. Which makes a lot of sense; after all, every orchid type has its own shape, rhythm, and energy, doesn't it?

All 12 Birth Month Orchids

Despite their reputation for being delicate, many common orchid varieties are far tougher than they look. And, if you treat them like with as much care as you do your birth month houseplant, then they start to feel less like décor and more like character studies.

Keen to find out which orchid best represents you? Let's dive into the magical world of birth month orchids, then, and take some time to reflect on their special meanings...

January – Phalaenopsis (Moth Orchid)

Born in January? Then your birth month orchid is the phalaenopsis, which honestly speaks volumes about you. Calm, composed, and quietly enduring, it says you are the kind of person who brings stability into uncertain spaces. You don’t demand attention, but you hold it effortlessly when it arrives.

There’s a softness to your presence that hides real resilience – you can adapt to more environments than people expect, and you tend to thrive when others assume you won’t. And, if you want to buddy up with your special bloom, you're in luck; the Phalaenopsis is the most widely available indoor orchid in the US and is known for long-lasting blooms in home conditions.

Grab yourself a moth orchid from Walmart, then, and take care to pop it in bright, indirect light. This plus a little weekly watering should keep it flowering for months.

February – Cattleya

Romantic, expressive, and unapologetically present, you and your birth month orchid don’t do anything halfway. In fact, just like the cattleya, you have a natural flair for aesthetics and emotion, and people tend to remember you long after you’ve left the room. There’s drama here – but the beautiful kind, the kind that feels intentional rather than chaotic.

Cattleyas are classic corsage orchids, known for their large, fragrant blooms, and need high light and good air circulation if you dream of strong seasonal flowering.

Shop Orchid Essentials:

March – Dendrobium

Born in March? Then your birth month orchid is the dendrobium, and it's a humdinger. Adaptable, thoughtful, and quietly observant, you tend to move between environments with surprising ease. Just like your beloved bloom, you’re not rigid – you adjust, you respond, you grow where you’re placed, often in ways people don’t immediately notice.

Dendrobiums are diverse orchids that tolerate a range of indoor conditions across the US. Still, though, give them some bright light and a slight dry period between watering to encourage reblooming. Grab yourself a Purple Live Dendrobium Orchid Plant from Walmart and enjoy.

April – Oncidium (“Dancing Lady”)

Energetic, expressive, and socially intuitive, you and your birth month orchid bring movement into still spaces. There’s a lightness to you – even when life is complicated – and people often feel more awake after spending time with you.

Oncidiums produce sprays of small, fluttering blooms that resemble dancing figures. If you fancy growing one of your own, try something like an Oncidium Orchid Plant from the American Plant Exchange, and be sure to gift it some medium to bright light and consistent humidity.

May – Vanda

Bold, independent, and impossible to ignore, you and your birth month orchid don’t fit neatly into expectations. Instead, you grow in your own direction, often suspended between structure and freedom, and somehow make it work. People may find you intense – but never forgettable.

Vandas are striking orchids often grown in hanging baskets or glass containers; just remember that high light and frequent misting or soaking are essential. If you can commit to that, grab yourself a live vanda from Aloha Hawaii Orchids, then, and enjoy.

June – Miltoniopsis (Pansy Orchid)

Miltoniopsis orchids are known for their flat, pansy-like flowers and strong fragrance. If they're your birth month orchid, though, they mean a great deal more!

Sensitive, emotionally perceptive, and deeply responsive to your environment, you tend to reflect the energy around you. And, when conditions are right, you make like a miltoniopsis and flourish in an almost startlingly beautiful way.

Shop Orchid Essentials:

July – Cymbidium

July babies will be pleased to learn that their birth month orchid is one of the hardiest around, making for a truly carefree option if you decide you fancy growing a cymbidium of your own. But what does it say about you?

Well, being aligned with a cymbidium means that you're steady, dependable, and quietly impressive. It also suggests that you often take time to fully reveal your strengths, largely because you don’t rush growth – you build it slowly. When you finally bloom, though, it’s unmistakable... and mesmerizing.

if you can promise bright light and cooler night temperatures to encourage flowering, pick up a cymbidium orchid plant from Walmart now.

August – Paphiopedilum (Lady Slipper Orchid)

Curious, grounded, and slightly unconventional, you (just like your beautiful birth month orchid) don’t follow obvious paths. In fact, you tend to think differently from those around you, often noticing details others miss entirely.

Paphiopedilums are soil-growing orchids with distinctive pouch-shaped flowers, and require low to medium light as well as consistent moisture. if you treat yourself to one, then, take care that not to let yours dry out. Something like these Iridescent Self Watering Globes should help with that...

September – Brassia (Spider Orchid)

September babies, your birth month orchid is the brassia, or spider orchid if you prefer. Observant, analytical, and quietly strategic, this one says that you tend to approach life with patience and precision. You’re calculated, in the best possible way, and that gives you an edge people don’t always see coming.

Brassia orchids are known for long, spidery petals and unusual structure, requiring bright indirect light and regular watering during active growth.

October – Zygopetalum

Yes, this author is born in October, and yes, this is a truly stunning birth month orchid, but don't think I'm biased (see my controversial birth month tree if you don't believe me). So, what does the zygopetalum reveal about us?

Well, it promises that we are introspective, deep-feeling, and emotionally complex. It also suggests that we don’t stay on the surface of things for long, as we’re drawn to meaning, patterns, and subtle shifts in atmosphere.

Zygopetalums are highly fragrant orchids with rich purple and green markings, and need moderate light and good humidity to help maintain strong blooms. Try something like this Zygopetalum Orchid Plant from Etsy if you want something truly unique.

November – Encyclia

They say November is the season of the senses, so it makes sense that its birth month orchid is another beauty. If you're born under its influence, it means you're resilient, adaptable, and quietly resourceful. More importantly, you don’t need perfect conditions to thrive. In fact, you often do your best work when things are slightly unpredictable.

Encyclia orchids are hardy, tree-dwelling species that adapt well to home growing, so long as they get bright light and infrequent watering to mimic their natural environment. Etsy's Moonlighy Mile Orchids has a beautifyl Encyclia aspera species orchid on sale.

December – Phaius (Nun’s Orchid)

Phaius orchids are large, terrestrial orchids with dramatic foliage and winter blooms... which makes them the perfect birth month orchid for December-borns. Warm, grounded, and quietly nurturing, you (much like your bloom) tend to provide stability for others without making a spectacle of it. There’s generosity in the way you exist – you create space for growth around you.

Partial shade and consistent moisture is the order of the day for these, so be sure to bear that in mind if you buy yourself a nun's orchid from Etsy.

Whether you see it as symbolism, coincidence, or simply a bit of botanical fun, there’s something quietly satisfying about finding yourself reflected in the natural world, isn't there?

Orchids, in particular, remind us that beauty doesn’t have to be fleeting or fragile. Given the right conditions, they can thrive for years, blooming again and again in ways that feel almost surprising – and, whether you relate to yours or not, you now have an excellent excuse to bring one home and coddle.

April is a pivotal month for orchids – the worst of winter is behind them, light is strengthening, and what you do right now will determine whether your plant rebounds with real vigor or just limps along.

Orchids have a reputation for being temperamental, and some of that is earned. But a lot of the problems people run into come from treating them the same in April as in November – same watering schedule, same windowsill spot, same benign neglect. Spring changes what these plants need, and the ones that thrive are usually the ones whose owners actually notice that shift.

April is when orchids signal pretty clearly whether winter treated them well or not. Strong orchid care through the seasonal transition separates plants that bloom reliably year after year from ones that produce a spike once and never quite manage it again. These six tasks are worth doing this month. And, if you're feeling inspired to treat yourself to some new specimens, then check out this budget-friendly set of five orchids from Angel's Orchids on Amazon.

1. Watch for a New Flower Spike

If the orchid finished blooming over winter and hasn't done much since, April is when things tend to start moving again. New spikes emerge from the base or from nodes on existing stems, depending on the variety. The ever-popular Phalaenopsis orchid spikes have a distinctive flattened, mitten-like tip that sets them apart from new root growth, which tends to be rounder and more tapered.

Once a spike appears, don't move the plant. Orchids abort developing spikes when conditions shift too suddenly – temperature, light, or even rotating the pot. Find a stable spot with good indirect light and leave it. A stake and soft clip, like these from Amazon, help train an orchid spike upright as it grows rather than letting it flop sideways.

2. Adjust Watering for the Season

Winter watering for orchids is conservative – every ten days to two weeks, sometimes longer. April changes that. The plant is more active, the potting mix dries faster, and watering can shift toward every seven days or so. That said, the bark is a better guide than the calendar. If it still feels damp a few inches (5–8 cm) down, just wait.

Method matters too. Don't water orchids with ice cubes, as it can shock the plants. Just run the pot under lukewarm water for 30 seconds to get everything soaked and to flush out fertilizer salt buildup. Then let it drain completely before setting it back. Never leave the pot sitting in water beyond the initial watering, as orchid roots go soft and brown fast when kept wet, and serious root rot doesn't leave much to recover from.

3. Trim the Old Spike

Once flowers drop and the spike turns yellow and papery, it's done – cut it back to the base with clean scissors or pruners. A spent brown spike won't rebloom, and removing it frees the plant to put energy toward a new one. Some people leave green spikes hoping for a second flush, which often works on Phalaenopsis if a node is still viable, but it's a gamble.

If the spike is still green but flowering has stopped, cutting back to a healthy node – just above one of the small bumps along the stem – sometimes prompts a secondary spike. Not guaranteed, but worth trying before going to the base. Either way, sterilize your cutting tool first. Fresh cuts are an easy entry point for bacterial infection, and orchids are more vulnerable than they look.

4. Check the Potting Mix

Orchid potting mix breaks down with time – compacting, darkening, and holding moisture longer than it should. That slow suffocation is one of the most common reasons orchids decline gradually. If the mix looks more like fine dark compost than chunky bark, it's overdue. Spring is the repotting window, and April gives disturbed roots the best chance to recover before summer growth really kicks in.

Go up one pot size at most when repotting orchids – they bloom better slightly snug, and too much fresh bark can actually delay flowering. A chunky orchid bark like this Better Gro Orchid Mix gives roots the airy, open structure they need. Trim any dead or mushy roots before repotting, and hold off watering for a few days after to let things settle.

5. Reassess Its Position

April light is definitely different from January – stronger, more direct, hitting at a different angle. A spot that worked fine all winter might now be too bright for your orchid's light requirements, or a plant that managed in lower light might benefit from moving closer to the window. Orchid leaves are a decent indicator: deep green and slightly soft usually means not enough light; pale, yellowish, or with dry patches means too much direct sun.

East-facing windows are the reliable choice – bright morning light without the harsh intensity of a south-facing afternoon exposure. If south is the only option, a sheer curtain does the job. The goal is bright but diffuse – crisp shadows without harshness. Getting this dialed in now sets the plant up well rather than trying to correct it mid-season.

6. Get Back on a Feeding Schedule

If fertilizing got patchy over winter, April is the time to reset. Diluted orchid fertilizer every one to two weeks through spring and summer is the target. The old rule – "weakly, weekly" – still holds. Half-strength more often beats a heavy monthly dose every time. If you prefer a spray, this Organic Ready to Spray Orchid Food Mix from The Grow Co is formulated for the job.

One detail worth remembering: don't feed a bone-dry plant. If the bark is completely dry at feeding time, give it a plain water rinse first, then follow with the diluted fertilizer if you are feeding it that way. Feeding into dry roots concentrates salts, and causes tip burn – that browning at the root ends that looks alarming even when it's mild. It’s a small thing, but it adds up over a season.

Shop Orchid April Care Essentials

Shop Live Plants

Going Into Late Spring

Past April, keep things consistent. Orchids don't want fussing, but they do respond to steady, reliable care – watering, light, and feeding that doesn't skip weeks. This TempPro TP50 thermometer and hygrometer from Amazon is useful if you're not sure whether temperature and humidity are actually in range. Stay on it through spring, and the blooms tend to follow.

At long last, spring is here, and your houseplants are beginning to stir from their annual slumber. After months of enduring dull light, cold nights, dry home heating, and generally being forgotten about, March is the moment when plants start shifting back into active growth. And for orchids, this is a particularly anticipated time, as the flowering window creaks open.

Just a little extra attention now can make all the difference to how your houseplants grow and flower in the warmer months ahead. March is the perfect time to reset your orchid care routine – adjusting watering, assessing light levels, restarting feeding, and taking some time to check whether your plant needs repotting or any other intervention.

These simple tasks will help to encourage lush, healthy leaves, stronger roots, and give you the best possible chance of getting those spectacular blooms later in the season. And, if all this talk of orchids inspires you to treat yourself to another plant (because, why not? You deserve it!), then BloomsyBox sells a lovely range for home delivery, while Walmart is your go-to for orchids on a budget.

1. Restart Feeding – But Use the Right Fertilizer

In March, your orchid will likely start to push out new roots, which will be particularly noticeable on orchids with fleshy aerial roots like the ever-popular Phalaenopsis. You may have noticed more leafy growth, and if you’re lucky, your plant may already have a new flower spike forming, or buds visible on existing stems of varieties like Dendrobium. This is precisely the moment when your plant needs that extra dose of nutrients.

When fertilizing orchids, a balanced liquid feed is ideal – choose one especially designed for orchids, like Better-Gro Orchid Better Bloom fertilizer on Amazon, which is endorsed by the American Orchid Society. Alternatively, use a regular houseplant feed diluted to a quarter strength. Orchids favor little and often rather than a heavy dose of fertilizer. Just remember the mantra “feed weakly, weekly.”

One important detail is to avoid fertilizing completely dry roots, as it could overwhelm them. If the potting mix feels very dry, then give it a quick rinse with plain water first, then water again with the diluted feed. This prevents fertilizer salts from damaging the roots. I tend to set the whole pot in a jug of water with fertilizer, leave it for a few minutes, then let it drain out before putting it back into its outer decorative pot. Never put your orchid back into its tray or outer pot until it has fully drained through.

You should notice your orchid start to respond fairly quickly to this new routine with plumper, greener roots, lusher leaves, and that all-important flower growth.

2. Check Roots and Repot if Needed

After a few months spent in dormancy, your orchid's roots may need attention. For phal orchids, healthy roots are usually firm and green or silvery, depending on whether they are wet or dry. If you have a clear orchid pot, you should see that they look plump rather than shriveled or brown. For some other types of orchids, the roots may be fine and white, so you will need to examine them more closely for discoloration.

If you suspect your orchid’s roots aren’t looking as good as they should be, then think about repotting. This is necessary at least every couple of years as the potting mix becomes depleted of nutrients and begins to break down, which can lead to holding too much moisture around the roots. If the bark mix in the pot looks like it has darkened, become compacted, or looks finer than it should, then it’s time to repot. Orchids thrive in a loose, airy growing medium that allows enough oxygen to get to the roots.

This Rosy Soil Orchid mix on Amazon is enriched with microorganisms and biochar for improved performance. Don’t go up more than one pot size, though, as orchids like their roots to be a little restricted.

3. Assess Light Levels

As days grow longer in March, the light in your home changes. While your orchid may have been perfectly happy in its winter resting spot, the light levels may now be too low or too bright. Take a moment to assess whether the current spot is meeting your orchid's light requirements.

Most orchids prefer bright but indirect light, such as from an east-facing window. Direct sun from a south-facing window can easily scorch leaves. Try the shadow test if you’re struggling to work out light levels.

The orchid’s leaves are usually a good giveaway. Ideally, these should be mid-green and firm – too dark means not enough light; too pale or sunburnt spots mean too much sun. If your orchid hasn’t bloomed for a while, then increasing light levels is often the answer. Try moving it a bit closer to the window – without exposing it to harsh direct sun.

With brighter days yet to come, finding that light balance now makes all the difference.

4. Check Temperature and Humidity

Orchids may look exotic, yet most of the varieties grown as houseplants are surprisingly happy in normal indoor temperatures – ideally between 65–80°F (18–27°) during the day, with slightly cooler nights. What they can struggle with, however, is dry air, which is more of an issue when heating systems are running in winter and early spring.

Every species of orchid has its own humidity preferences, but most common houseplant species prefer around 40–60%, which is below the levels of many homes in cooler months. When the air is too dry, leaves can look dull and dehydrated, roots can shrivel, and buds drop before they even open.

One simple solution is to place your orchid on a humidity tray, like this one with pebbles from Amazon. As the water slowly evaporates, it creates a slightly more humid pocket of air around the plant without leaving roots sitting in water.

If you grow several houseplants, as well as grouping them, it’s helpful to use a small room humidifier, like this Homemedics one. These raise humidity levels more consistently and benefit not just orchids but other tropical houseplants too.

Making the environment slightly more humid in March will help orchids settle into their spring growth period, encouraging stronger roots, healthier leaves, and better chances of long-lasting blooms when they do arrive.

Orchid Essentials

Looking for more orchid inspiration? Once you’ve mastered the basics of orchid care, why not take things to the next level with a rare or unusual variety – they can be a rewarding challenge as your confidence grows.

Want more ideas like this? Sign up for our newsletter for regular planting inspiration, practical tips, and seasonal advice to help your garden (and houseplants) thrive all year round.

Tropical orchids make great houseplants. They have a reputation for being difficult and fussy, but this is mostly a myth. Orchids are not that difficult to grow, and with the right conditions, they’ll even rebloom for you, potentially providing years of flowers.

One vital part of indoor orchid care, if you’re hoping to get more flowers, is training the new orchid flower spike. Orchids grow a new flower spike in fall or winter. Training ensures the spike grows upright and remains structurally sturdy as it begins to develop flowers and bloom.

Here are some tips on how to handle this important task.

How to Train an Orchid Flower Spike

Watch your orchid regularly in the early spring. Once you see a clear flower spike growing that you can distinguish from the roots, keep an eye on its growth. Let it get to 4 or 6 inches (10 or 15 cm) long before you start training it. Don’t wait for it to get much longer or for buds to form. You want to start training it while it’s still young and flexible.

You can do some training for a shorter spike if it’s really growing in the wrong direction, for instance, down. Gently prop it up with something, like a small stone, to encourage it to grow upward.

Once it begins to grow taller, you can use a stake or a carefully placed grow light to train the new flower spike.

Using a Stake to Direct Growth

The goal of training an orchid spike is to get it to grow mostly upright and to secure it to something sturdy, so it won’t flop over. You can use a thin plastic stake or a bamboo garden stake for this purpose. Insert it into the growing medium in your orchid’s container. Take care not to damage the orchid's roots as you gently push it down. The stake should be close to your orchid’s new spike.

Use flower clips, which you can find in nurseries and garden centers, twine, or twist ties to secure the spike to the stake. These clear acrylic orchid stakes and clips from Amazon will let your orchid shine and not overpower the aesthetics like some black stakes do. Do not place clips or ties on the spike’s nodes. These are the bumps you’ll see on the spike, from which the flowers form.

Apply clips strategically but gently. Start with one or two points of attachment and add a third or fourth as needed, and as the spike gets longer. The last clip should go just below where the flowers start to form. Allow this upper portion to grow freely. This will give you a spike that arches gracefully at the top as the flowers open.

Using Light to Direct Growth

Another way to train your orchid’s spike is to use light. The spike will grow toward a light source, so turn the container so that the spike is set to grow in the direction you want. If your orchids are lacking good light in your home, a small LED grow light like this Barrina puck light from Amazon is a great option. Training with a stake and clips is more reliable, but you can use this method as well to get it just right.

What Can Go Wrong Training an Orchid Flower Spike?

It might not seem like a daunting task to train a stem or spike to grow upright, but there is one major orchid mistake you’ll face: breaking the spike. An orchid flower spike is thin and delicate. If you try to train it too forcefully or quickly, you could snap it right in two.

There is always a risk of breakage when training a flower spike, but it can also break if you don’t train it. If it grows to the side, heavy flowers, once in bloom, can weigh it down and damage or snap it. Patience is key when tackling this houseplant task.

The most important tip for training an orchid flower spike is to do so gently. Never tie the spike into a position that feels forced. If you’re trying to clip it into place and it feels like the spike might break, ease off and adjust your target. Use a combination of training and natural growth to get the healthiest, most abundant flowering spike.

Orchid Essentials

It’s easy to be dazzled by a blooming orchid – but if you want those flowers to last and return year after year, don’t overlook the leaves. If you’ve ever wondered how to clean orchid leaves the right way, you’re not alone. It turns out this small maintenance step is more important than most growers realize.

Orchid leaves act like solar panels, capturing the light your plant needs to thrive. But when dust, grime, or hard water deposits settle on them, your orchid’s health can quickly take a hit. And while internet hacks suggest wiping leaves with everything from milk to mayonnaise, the truth is far more straightforward – and far less messy.

Before you dive into your next cleaning routine, ensure you’re not making common mistakes that can actually do more harm than good. If you’ve been dealing with orchid leaf problems such as wilting, yellowing, or speckled foliage, you might want to check your orchid care regime and consider whether a more serious issue needs to be addressed

Why Clean Orchid Leaves Matter

A little dust might seem harmless, but on orchid leaves, it can block vital sunlight and limit photosynthesis. Even worse, that grime becomes a breeding ground for moisture-loving orchid pests like spider mites, scale, and aphids. In time, your orchid’s growth slows, its immune defenses weaken, and blooms may start to fade prematurely. This is especially true for broad-leaf orchid varieties like Phalaenopsis, which act like dust magnets indoors. By keeping their leaves clean, you not only improve your plant’s health – you also preserve that glossy, just-watered aesthetic that makes orchids so appealing.

How Often Should You Clean Orchid Leaves?

There’s no strict calendar for this task. Orchids in kitchens, near vents, or beside open windows will collect grime faster than those in quieter spots. As a rule of thumb, check every two weeks. If the surface feels gritty or looks dull, it’s time for a refresh. More frequent cleaning may be needed in winter due to heating dust, or in summer when open windows and fans are common. Just avoid overdoing it – too much attention can strip the protective wax layer on the leaves.

Orchid Cleaning Spray Recipe

Make your own orchid cleaning spray by mixing lukewarm distilled water with a drop or two of fragrance-free baby shampoo or castile soap, such as Dr Bronner's castile soap from Amazon. For extra antifungal protection and that all-important shine, add a couple of drops of neem oil to the mix. It's worth getting a bottle of this wonderful vegetable oil, as it can be used on a lot of plants to control pests and fungal issues. Buy neem oil from Amazon.

Combine everything in a spray bottle, shake gently, and spray it onto a microfiber cloth – not directly onto the plant. The cloth should be damp, not soaked, to avoid over-wetting the foliage.

How to Clean Orchid Leaves

Support the leaf gently with one hand and wipe from base to tip with the other. Be thorough but gentle to avoid bending or snapping the leaf. Turn it over and repeat on the underside, where pests and eggs like to hide. Use a cotton swab dipped in the same solution to clean crevices around the crown and stem bases.

While cleaning your orchid, take the opportunity to inspect foliage for sticky residue, black spots, or webbing – early signs of orchid pests or fungal problems.

Don’t Fall for These Orchid Cleaning Myths

It’s tempting to try home remedies, but many of them are outdated or outright harmful. Never use mayonnaise, milk, or coconut oil – they clog pores and trap moisture. Avoid alcohol-based products that can burn delicate tissue, and steer clear of bleach or harsh detergents. Don’t let water pool in the crown or stem bases, where it can lead to crown rot or root rot. Always wipe, never drench, and let the leaves dry fully before returning your orchid to its spot.

Should You Use a Commercial Leaf Shiner?

Short answer: skip it. Leaf shiners are formulated for temporary cosmetic use and often seal leaf pores, hindering respiration. They may offer artificial gloss, but that shine can come at the cost of long-term health. A naturally clean leaf has its own healthy luster – you don’t need to fake it.

If you are still tempted to try, use one that's designed not to block leaf pores, such as Miracle-Gro Leaf Shine from Amazon.

Learning how to clean orchid leaves is about more than vanity. It’s a simple habit that minimizes orchid problems, encourages healthier growth, more frequent blooms, and fewer pest problems. Once you have the right ingredients and make it part of your routine, it becomes second nature.

Orchids are among the most beautiful houseplants available, and they are not as difficult to care for as their prima donna reputation suggests. If your home environment can meet their basic care needs, then they are surprisingly low maintenance. But if you are noticing orchid leaf problems, then something is not right, and you need to diagnose and correct the issue before it's too late.

Did you know that leaf issues can provide clues as to wider orchid problems? They can point the finger toward things like improper orchid care, common diseases, or pests – problems that are usually fixable if identified quickly and treated appropriately.

Learning what these common orchid leaf problems indicate and the plant issues they suggest can help you identify and treat them before your orchid suffers significant damage.

Common Orchid Leaf Problems

No matter what types of orchids you have, plants may experience leaf problems. But this has a hidden benefit: these issues can help you diagnose a larger plant problem. Often, the best way to figure out what is going on with your orchid leaves is by walking through a process of elimination. Take a look at the leaves and choose the section below that best applies.

1. Orchid Leaves Turning Yellow

One of the most common issues is orchid leaves turning yellow. Now, be careful with this one since yellow-green leaves are perfectly normal and healthy for most orchid varieties. And yellowing mature leaves on the lower part of the stem are also normal, as older leaves yellow, die, and fall off to allow new growth.

However, if young leaves are turning true yellow, this is an indication that the plant is likely suffering from cultural care problems. If this is your plant, be sure you are aware of your orchid’s needs: potting material offering tip-top drainage (such as Duspro Premium Orchid Potting Mix, available on Amazon), sufficient water to keep the plant from drying out completely, lots of indirect sunlight, higher temperatures during the day and lower ones during the night – but not too hot or cold – and fertilizer. When fertilizing orchids, use limited applications of feed during the growing season only.

Failing any one of these, orchid leaves can turn yellow, indicating too much water or direct sun, too hot or cold temperatures, or improper fertilizer applications. Simply remedy the care the plant is receiving.

Yellow leaves can also signal infestations of insect pests. Spraying the leaves with neem oil, available on Amazon, and wiping them will take care of this issue.

2. Orchid Leaves Turning Brown

If one or more orchid leaves turn brown, this also signals a cultural care problem. A brown orchid leaf is a soon-to-be dead orchid leaf. The question is: why did it die? The answer is probably one of the usual suspects.

Orchid leaves can object to the same improper cultural care by turning brown as by turning yellow. Too much or too little water can result in browning leaves. It's important to know how to water orchids correctly; however, the issue can sometimes be caused by improper drainage. Additionally, brown leaves can be caused by too much direct sun, temperatures that are too hot or cold, or too much fertilizer. Insect pests can also cause orchid leaves to brown.

Walk through every step of your orchid care features, from soil to location to water to fertilizer. Adjust whatever isn’t ideal to assist your plant in regaining top health. Although brown leaves can also be caused by being too root-bound or transplant shock, the most common causes all involve cultural care.

3. Spots on Orchid Leaves

Look out for both dark and white spots on leaves, as there are several causes for each condition. Note that oncidium orchids sometimes naturally get tiny dark spots that do not need treatment.

In the case of dark spots, if they are large and irregular, they likely signal a fungal infection, usually one of the soft rots like black root rot. Clip off the infected parts of leaves, then treat the remaining foliage with a fungicide. A copper fungicide is best, such as Bonide Captain Jack Copper Fungicide, available at Amazon.

Keep your eye on the plant to catch new infections. If the dark spots are small and outlined in yellow, your plant has a bacterial infection. Treat with a bactericide, such as Hydrofarm Physan from Amazon, and move it to a spot with more air movement.

White spots on orchid leaves is a different matter entirely. The most common cause of white spots on orchid foliage is mealybugs. Generally, those spots are not spots at all but tiny insect pests that, clustered together, look like white spots. Wipe them off with a cotton ball soaked in isopropyl alcohol, which is inexpensive to buy from Amazon.

Another reason for white spots on orchid leaves is excess iron in the water you are using to irrigate them. Flush the growing medium, then switch to using collected rainwater for irrigation.

4. Wrinkled Orchid Leaves

If you have wrinkled orchid leaves, the same old cultural care matters are likely at fault. The most common issues are too much or too little water, too much sunshine, too much fertilizer, or dramatic changes in light, temperature, or humidity. It might also be sap-sucking insects like aphids, scale, or thrips. Look for the bugs themselves on the leaves and use neem oil spray to get rid of them.

5. Orchid Leaves Droopy

This is another indication of improper cultural care, usually too much water (or poor soil drainage), causing root rot. Insufficient water can also cause limp leaves.

Up your watering game by using these Vanslogreen self-watering orchid pots from Amazon, which have a reservoir at the bottom and holes in the sides for aeration.

If adjusting watering practices doesn't help, then repotting orchids can help resolve the issue.

6. Orchid Leaves Curling

Orchid leaves curl for a variety of reasons, most of them cultural care issues. If your orchid leaves start to curl, review how much water and light you are providing, temperature and humidity levels, and check the foliage for pests.

7. Orchid Leaves Falling Off

Are your orchid leaves falling off? Improper watering or fertilizing is the best-case scenario, since it isn’t difficult to remedy. The worst-case scenario is bacterial or fungal diseases. In the latter case, more work is required. Remove all affected leaves and treat the plant with a broad-spectrum fungicide or bactericide. Move the plant into a space where there is more air circulating, where the temperature stays between 65 and 80°F (18 and 26°C).

8. Sunburned Orchid Leaves

There is not much explaining to do when it comes to sunburned orchid leaves. You have stationed the plant where it gets too much sun or light. This doesn’t necessarily mean that it is in direct sun, just that it is suddenly exposed to more light than it has been used to. The easy fix is moving the plant.

9. Sticky Orchid Leaves

There’s something icky about sticky orchid leaves that can make an owner fearful for their plant. But generally, sticky leaves do not spell disaster. Most of the time, the sticky stuff is the honeydew left on the leaves by sucking insect pests like aphids or mealybugs. Look for ants on the plant, as honeydew attracts them. Inspect the entire plant and wipe off all bugs.

How to Treat Problem Leaves

All problem leaves that are diseased should be removed and disposed of promptly. If the leaf is simply reacting to cultural care issues, there is no reason to take off the leaves.

If the cause of the issue is excess water that results from improper potting material, it is a good idea to repot the plant. The same is true if the problem is being caused by root overcrowding in the current container.

Orchids are beautiful houseplants with long-lasting flowers, but they will only bloom if their growing needs are met. Key to this is choosing the best orchid potting mix recipe for your variety. All plants need the right foundation to flourish, and orchids are particularly fussy about their growing medium.

While you can buy a bag of pre-made orchid potting medium from the store, this is not always the best option. Commercial potting mixes can be costly, yet often contain poor-grade bark or inexpensive fillers, such as regular potting soil. They are also generic and tend to be tailored to types of orchids with thicker roots, like the ubiquitous Phalaenopsis, which prefers a chunky bark, while varieties with finer roots, like Oncidium and Miltonia, perform best with finer components. For these reasons, I always like to make my own bespoke mix.

If you are repotting orchids of different varieties at the same time, or just have several to do once, then you will save money by making your own DIY blend and can better control the quality. Once you have the right orchid potting mix recipe, then, as long as you follow a few simple orchid care guidelines, everything else will fall into place and those gorgeous blooms are sure to follow.

Why Orchids Have Special Potting Mix Needs

Most orchids do not grow in the ground – but on trees. Known as epiphytic orchids, they share similarities to air plants as they absorb moisture and nutrients from their surrounding environment. This unique type of growth means that, when grown as houseplants, orchids need a special type of potting mix.

Because they don’t grow in soil, orchids need a light mix that allows plenty of air to circulate around the roots. Soil and other standard potting mixes are too heavy, too dense, and retain too much water to keep orchids healthy. The best mix for orchids provides air flow and allows water to drain very well, but still retains some moisture.

Some orchids do grow in the ground, though they are less commonly kept as houseplants. Known as terrestrial orchids, they have their own potting preferences, requiring a medium that is finer and loamier, but still well-draining with some moisture retention.

Ingredients for Orchid Potting Mix

If you can’t grow an orchid in soil, what do you grow it in? If you look at commercial orchid potting mixes, you’ll see a range of materials. Orchids grow best in a mix of materials that allow for air flow and that do not retain too much moisture:

• Bark is one of the most common potting ingredients for orchids – usually fir bark, as it lasts a long time, is porous, and drains very well. It also creates a slightly acidic environment as it breaks down, which orchids prefer. Pinus radiata bark is an increasingly popular option amongst orchid aficionados as it lasts for several years.
• Coconut fiber or coir creates space for airflow but also retains some moisture.
• Cork chips or shredded cork last a long time and drain water very well. They do not absorb or retain any water.
• Clay pellets help prevent compaction in a mix, aiding airflow and drainage.
• Pumice is a natural volcanic rock that provides similar properties to clay pellets.
• Horticultural charcoal is good for airflow and drainage. It also filters out impurities naturally.
• Peat can be added to mixes for orchid types that prefer a little more water retention.
• Sphagnum moss is good for retaining some moisture without ever getting soggy.
• Perlite is common in all types of quality potting mixes. It is made from volcanic glass exposed to high heat. It provides both aeration and water retention.
• Vermiculite is also very common in commercial potting mixes. It is a natural mineral that retains water and nutrients while also lightening soil and improving drainage.

DIY Orchid Potting Mix Recipes

When I make potting mix for my orchids, I generally use bark as a base, then tailor the mix to the orchid type. A good basic recipe includes two components in a specific ratio to balance air flow and moisture:

• Five parts ingredients for air flow, like fir bark, cork, or clay pellets.
• One part ingredients for moisture retention, like perlite, peat, or sphagnum moss.

Each part of this basic recipe can be made of just one ingredient or a mix of a few. For example, sphagnum moss is great for retaining moisture but can also absorb salts. You might consider mixing it with vermiculite to reduce this property.

You can also vary the recipe to meet the specific needs of different types of orchids. Here are some examples:

• Phalaenopsis
  Also known as the moth orchid, this is a very common orchid grown as a houseplant. It grows best when retaining more moisture in the mix than other types of orchids. Use four parts air flow ingredients and two parts moisture retention ingredients.
• Orchids with Finer Roots
  Orchids with finer roots, such as Dendrobium, Oncidium, and Miltonia, benefit from a mix with smaller components. A good mix to use is four parts finely shredded bark to one part fine charcoal and one part perlite.
• Jewel Orchids
  Jewel orchids are becoming more popular and easier to find. They differ from the more common orchid houseplants in that they are not epiphytes. They actually grow in soil but still need very good drainage. A good recipe for jewel orchids is five parts peat moss to four parts pumice or perlite and one part charcoal.

Storing Potting Mix

You can make more potting mix than you need and save the extra for repotting new or growing orchids later. If you plan to store it, be sure the mix is completely dry first. Store it in a container with a small opening that allows for air flow and keep it in a cool, dry location. When you’re ready to use the mix, rehydrate it with water.

Mistakes to Avoid with Orchid Potting Mix

The biggest possible mistake you can make when potting an orchid is using soil or even standard soilless potting mix. Orchids grown in soil don’t get enough drainage or air circulation. The roots will get waterlogged and can rot and suffocate. Also, orchid roots draw nutrients from the moisture in the air, so they will not be able to pick up nutrients from soil.

Orchids have long been favored among indoor gardeners and houseplant enthusiasts. Varying greatly from one species to the next, these captivating plants delight growers with their attractive foliage and brilliant patterns. The majority are epiphytic orchids, which grow on trees or other plants rather than in the soil, like terrestrial plants.

Though most types of orchids are considered relatively carefree, some research is essential to ensure each plant's unique needs are met. This is especially true when it comes to proper orchid care, as both epiphytic and terrestrial orchids will only flourish under specific growing conditions.

This guide takes a closer look at the intriguing world of epiphytic orchid species, their bloom, and their continued care.

Terrestrial vs. Epiphytic Orchids

Most orchids can be classified as either terrestrial or epiphytic. While their needs for light, moisture, temperature, and humidity are often similar, their growth habits are different.

In the wild, terrestrial orchids grow directly in the ground. They may have roots that spread in the soil, but most are pseudobulb orchids, which have more compact root systems. When cultivated as houseplants, they are usually potted in a finer orchid mix than that used for epiphytic orchids. Popular terrestrial orchids include Paphiopedilum, Calanthe, and Chinese ground orchids.

Epiphytic orchids differ in that they can be grown without soil or a rooting medium. In their native range, plants of this type are most commonly found growing atop branches or attached to the trunks of trees. These orchids are non-parasitic and do not feed from the host tree – their unique root system works to feed, gathering moisture and nutrients from the air and debris around it. Aerial orchid roots further aid in growth by attaching each plant securely to its host. Popular epiphytic orchid types include Phalaenopsis, Cattleya, Vanda, and Oncidium.

As well as trees, some orchids grow on rocks, gathering their nutrients and moisture in the same way as epiphytic orchids. They are known as lithophytic orchids, with popular types including numerous Dendrobium orchids.

Epiphytic Orchid Care

There are thousands of species of epiphytic orchids, so it's important to check the care needs of your particular variety. However, most share some common care requirements.

Light

Orchid light requirements vary by species, but as most epiphytic orchids grow under the canopy of trees, they tend to thrive in indirect light.

Outdoors, orchid plants are best suited to low light conditions. This includes especially shady areas of the landscape, where each is able to receive ample filtered or dappled light.

Indoors, bright indirect or filtered light will be ideal for most orchids. Direct light from a south-facing window could result in damaged or sunburned foliage.

Watering & Humidity

Incorrect moisture levels are the biggest cause of problems with epiphytic orchids, so learning how to water orchids properly is vital. On average, plants will need to be watered weekly, but rather than do it on schedule, check for signs the potting mix is drying out, as overwatering will quickly lead to orchid root rot.

When watering orchids, give them a thorough soaking with tepid water and allow all excess water to drain through before returning to the outer pot or saucer.

High humidity for orchids will further aid in the growth and development of potted specimens. To raise humidity, invest in a humidifier or group plants together and place pots on a pebble-filled tray filled with water.

Potting

A specialized epiphytic orchid potting medium is essential to ensure plants flourish. These mixes are free of soil, containing components meant to mimic their natural conditions for growth.

Bark-based mediums are generally blended with moss or a variety of other amendments, used to both improve and maintain adequate levels of moisture. Repotting orchids is necessary every 2-3 years, as the existing mix becomes depleted.

As an alternative to potting, epiphytic species work well as mounted orchids, which are fixed to decorative bark with the addition as moss, for a striking display.

Temperature

Temperature plays a key role in the growth of epiphytic orchids and their production of flowers. Warmer temperatures during the day, alternating with those that are cooler at night, will help to make orchids rebloom. This fluctuation serves to mimic naturally occurring changes in climate throughout their period of active growth.

Orchids are classed as warm, intermediate, or cool, so check the preferred temperature for your chosen species.

Though well suited to indoor culture, all orchids should be kept safely from sudden drafts, heating or cooling vents, or especially cold temperatures.

Air Circulation

Like most plants, epiphytic orchids will benefit greatly from improved air circulation. This will help to maintain adequate levels of moisture and humidity, and better prevent disease. Good circulation further aids in regulation of moisture throughout the growing medium, improving drainage. Though optional, many gardeners have found success through the use of small fans to move air more freely throughout the growing space.

Fertilization

Though epiphytic orchids are known for their ability to gather nutrients from the air, fertilizer can further help to promote growth and the production of flowers. This is especially true for growers hoping to encourage their plants to rebloom.

Balanced feeds can be applied annually, followed by application of liquid bloom boosters every 2-4 weeks. When fertilizing orchids, overfeeding should be avoided to prevent damage to roots or foliage.

Epiphytic Orchid Problems

Though most epiphytic orchids will be relatively carefree, growers are likely to encounter issues where conditions are less than ideal. Most orchid problems will be directly related to moisture. Both underwatering and overwatering can be troublesome, resulting in the yellowing or drooping of foliage. The same can be said of nutrient deficiencies within containers, resulting in added stress to plants.

Poor drainage and inadequate air circulation will often lead to the development of orchid diseases, including rot, blight, and anthracnose. Indoor pests may also frequent plants, with thrips, mites, mealybugs, and aphids among the most prevalent.

Orchids are popular houseplants but have an unfortunate reputation for being difficult to grow. While it’s not hard to keep an orchid alive, getting it to rebloom can be a little challenging. Feeding orchids is a key component for healthy growth and beautiful blooms, but I don't believe you need to buy expensive products. Homemade orchid fertilizer can be just as effective as commercial feeds and is usually free to make using food waste.

Proper orchid fertilizing is particularly essential for potted orchids, which, over time, deplete the nutrients from their potting mix. In the wild, orchids take nutrients from decaying plant matter that falls around them, so fertilizing is a necessary substitute for that natural supply.

I find making my own fertilizer to be a fun extra step in my orchid care routine, and I have really noticed the difference, with more flowers and lush, healthy leaves. The ingredients I use are mostly organic and can be combined to serve different nutritional needs.

Orchid Fertilizing Basics

There are many types of orchids. Some have different feeding needs, but most follow the same general growth pattern and benefit from a similar feeding schedule. Most orchids should be fed during their active vegetative growth period. This happens before they flower.

Weak feeding is best as orchids are sensitive to overfeeding. I tend to stick to a schedule of fertilizing every week for three weeks during active growth, followed by a week off with just water.

After flowering, orchids go dormant for a period. It’s generally best to stop feeding your orchid once it begins to produce flower buds and for the dormant period following blooming.

Like other plants, orchids need three macronutrients: nitrogen for leaf growth, phosphorus for roots and flowers, and potassium for overall growth and health. They also need several micronutrients like calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc, sulfur, manganese, and molybdenum.

Store-Bought vs Homemade Fertilizer

Orchids are more sensitive to being over-fertilized than other plants, which can cause damage and interfere with getting an orchid to bloom. You can have good results with commercial fertilizers if you’re careful. Amazon have a good selection Orchid fertilizer, and Orchid food. However, you should stop feeding during your orchid’s dormant period, during bud development, and in the period immediately after repotting orchids.

One of the benefits of using homemade recipes is that they are generally less nutrient-dense and less likely to cause overfeeding issues. A downside is that it’s more difficult to get the right balance. It’s easy to under-fertilize with homemade products. You run the risk of short-changing your plant on some of its key nutrients. However, I find that combining ingredients and keeping a consistent routine helps minimize issues.

Homemade Orchid Fertilizer Ingredients

Many of the nutrients your orchid needs to grow and bloom are right in your kitchen or medicine cabinet. These are some individual ingredients that will help you feed your orchid gently:

• Eggshells
  Eggshells are rich in calcium, a micronutrient that promotes strong plant cell walls and overall healthy growth. Add clean, dry eggshells ground up into a powder to your orchid’s growing medium. Every time you water the plant, the eggshells will release a little bit of calcium.
• Banana Peels
  Make a banana peel tea to add potassium, phosphorus, and calcium to your orchid. To make a tea, steep chopped-up banana peels in water for a few days. This will allow the nutrients to leech out of the peels, creating a nutrient-rich “tea” you can dilute and use to water your orchid.
• Milk
  Milk contains all the macronutrients orchids need, plus calcium and magnesium. Use about one part milk to four parts water for a balanced fertilizer that you can use every couple of weeks.
• Rice Water
  The water you just used to boil rice contains macronutrients, micronutrients, and starch, which are beneficial for orchid root growth. Simply save the water you cooked rice in to make a rich fertilizer for orchids. Be sure to let it cool before applying it to your orchid. Using brown rice instead of white rice provides even more nutrients.
• Blackstrap Molasses
  Blackstrap molasses is more than just sugar. It contains calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, and potassium. Use a ratio of about one teaspoon of molasses to one gallon of water for a fertilizer. In addition to feeding your orchid, this mix feeds beneficial microbes.
• Black Tea
  Black tea is a great natural way to add more nitrogen to homemade orchid fertilizer. Many commercial fertilizers use urea as the nitrogen source. This is fine for many plants grown in soil, but orchids cannot access nitrogen this way. Tea provides an alternative way to supply more accessible nitrogen. Use cooled black tea about once a month to feed your orchid nitrogen.

Combine two or three of these ingredients to ensure your orchid is getting a good mix of nutrients. If you aren't sure where to start, then try my bone meal orchid fertilizer recipe.

My Bone Meal Fertilizer Recipe

Bone meal is a useful fertilizer for many plants, and you can make your own using dried chicken bones, which provide macronutrients plus calcium and magnesium. Let the bones dry completely before creating this recipe:

• Grind up a few dried bones using a blender or meat grinder. Stop grinding when you have a powder with a sand-like consistency – it shouldn't be too fine.
• Combine the bone meal with a little milk to add calcium and additional macronutrients (remember, one part milk to four parts water – or rice water in this case).
• Add a teaspoon of molasses to add potassium for flowering.
• Use rice water to thin the mixture and add macronutrients plus starch, which benefits the orchid’s roots.
• Strain this mixture and use it diluted as a weekly orchid fertilizer.

Can I Use Homemade and Store-Bought Fertilizers Together?

If you’re very careful and understand the content of the products and homemade recipes you’re using, it’s possible to successfully combine the two to optimize your orchid’s health. On the other hand, it’s also easy to overfeed this way. The safest way to feed your orchid and promote healthy growth and flowers is to choose one or the other.

More Orchid Inspiration

• Are your orchid leaves wrinkled? Learn the 5 common causes and how to restore their vitality.
• These 8 rare orchids make stunning houseplants – and some are surprisingly easy to grow.
• Should you water orchids with ice cubes? Discover the pros and cons of this controversial method.

Best known for their unique forms and enchanting colors, orchids are beloved by novice and seasoned growers alike. Though select species have earned their reputation as exceedingly difficult to grow, most will flourish with little care or attention. However, sometimes things go out of balance and, when faced with an issue like wrinkled orchid leaves, it's important to understand where you're going wrong.

First and foremost, meeting the plant's cultural requirements is essential to avoiding common orchid leaf problems. This primarily means providing the correct moisture, light, and temperature levels, but other factors play a part, too. Poor orchid care causes stress to plants and makes them more susceptible to disease and pests. Resultant symptoms, such as wrinkled leaves, may be the first sign that something's not right.

The good news is that wrinkled leaves are usually only temporary and are seldom the result of orchid diseases. In this guide, we’ll explore the various causes of an orchid with wrinkled leaves, as well as its treatment and resolution.

What Do Wrinkled Orchid Leaves Look Like?

The overall look and feel of foliage can give good insight into plant health and whether there are any bigger orchid problems at play. Strong leaves should be plump, taking on a slightly rubber-like texture. Foliage of this type will stand erect, with leaves held well above the container. All parts of the plant should be uniform in color, ranging in shade between light and medium green.

Sudden changes in appearance, such as wrinkling, may be indicative of plant stress. Foliage of this type will have a definitive look, with each leaf showing notable striations across its surface. Such plants will often droop, taking on a leathery feel as the condition persists. In more severe instances, wrinkled foliage may begin to yellow, browning and dying back over time.

What Causes Wrinkled Orchid Leaves?

Wrinkled orchid leaves may occur due to several reasons relating to cultural or environmental conditions. Watering issues are the most common cause, with both underwatering and overwatering potential culprits.

1. Can Underwatering Cause Wrinkled Orchid Leaves?

In types of orchids with thin leaves, like Dendrobium, Miltonia, and Cymbidium, underwatering is usually the cause of wrinkling. Particularly thirsty plants are likely to wilt or begin to droop. Growers may also observe a change in the appearance of orchid roots, each drying or becoming much more brittle. This may be especially evident when plants are repotted, making them more difficult to handle.

For thick-leaved orchids like Phalaenopsis and Cattleya, inconsistent watering may be to blame. For example, plants may experience a long period of dryness before growers overcompensate by overwatering.

2. Can Overwatering Cause Wrinkled Orchid Leaves?

All orchid types may develop wrinkled leaves due to overwatering. First roots will begin to soften, eventually leading to orchid root rot – that most dreaded of diseases. If the roots are rotting or not functioning properly, the plant is unable to absorb water and nutrients, leading to wrinkled leaves. In such cases, time will be of the essence, and you will need to work quickly to avoid the complete loss of your orchid.

When watering orchids, it's best to feel for dryness rather than following a schedule. Push your finger into the potting mix, feel the pot's drainage holes, and if the container is transparent - like this 5.3 Inch Clear Acrylic Planter Pot with Tray from Amazon -, examine the contents for signs of moisture, such as condensation. If things look moist, check again in a couple of days; if things look dry, you're safe to water.

3. Can Nutrient Problems Cause Wrinkled Orchid Leaves?

Orchid leaves turning yellow, in tandem with a wrinkled appearance, may result from nutrient deficiencies. Large plants can deplete the growing medium quickly, prompting the need for routine orchid fertilizing. Use a water-soluble feed designed for orchids and apply once or twice per month when the plant is in active growth.

A tired, broken-down potting medium can also lead to nutrient deficiencies. If it has not recently been replaced, then learn how to repot orchids correctly and refresh the mix. Rather than soil, a specialist orchid potting medium should contain ingredients such as peat moss, perlite, or fir bark.

4. Can Light, Heat or Humidity Cause Wrinkled Orchid Leaves?

Changes in light, warmth, and humidity may cause foliage to wrinkle. This occurs in response to added stress where conditions are poor. Check for incorrect light levels, as orchid foliage may become dehydrated and burned when positioned too near direct sunlight.

Orchid light requirements differ by variety, but most prefer bright but indirect sunlight.

5. Can Pests Cause Wrinkled Orchid Leaves?

Several types of orchid pests may affect the health of leaves. In particular, sap-sucking insects like aphids, scale, and thrips can cause leaves to wrinkle, although other symptoms should be present, such as debris, damage to leaves, yellowing, and the bugs themselves.

Routine monitoring for pests is vital so they can be tackled at the first sign of issues. Pests can usually just be washed off the leaves, or you can use a neem oil spray like this ready-made LEON and GEORGE Super Neem Oil Spray from Amazon.

How Do You Fix Wrinkled Orchid Leaves?

Quick diagnosis is key to helping to fix wrinkled orchid leaves. Though severely stressed plants may be difficult to save, most can be revived successfully.

First and foremost, growers should devise a suitable watering plan. Establishing a routine, based on the needs of plants, will be key in helping potted orchids to recover. Aim to maintain consistent levels of moisture, making certain to avoid overwatering, allowing containers to dry only briefly. Bottom watering through submerging or soaking pots works well for orchids, but let the pot fully drain out before returning to its outer pot or tray.

Careful consideration of other cultural requirements related to orchid growth may also help to alleviate stress. Soil fertility will be key, with plants benefiting greatly from routine feeding. This is especially true through bud set, in preparation for flowering.

The plant’s need for consistent warmth and humidity will also come into play, helping to prevent stress and promote more vigorous growth.

Most wrinkled leaves are able to resume a normal habit. However, those showing signs of severe damage will be unlikely to recover. This generally includes those that have wilted, yellowed, or started to brown. Damaged or decaying matter of this type should be removed from plants as quickly as possible, helping to prevent further damage and the potential for disease.

More Orchid Inspiration

• Discover 8 rare orchids that make stunning houseplants – some are surprisingly easy to grow.
• Should you water orchids with ice cubes? Discover the pros and cons of this controversial method.
• Why is my orchid dying? 5 common causes & how to save it before it's too late.

Orchids make up a vast group of plants native to almost every part of the world. Over 28,000 species have been identified, each possessing a unique appearance and slightly different care requirements. Many rare orchids are endangered in their natural habitat and are highly coveted by collectors.

With so many different types of orchids, you might imagine that growers are spoiled for choice. Yet, a visit to your local garden center will likely not reveal anything more exotic than the customary display of Phalaenopsis orchids and, if you're lucky, one or two slightly lesser-known varieties such as Dendrobium and Oncidium. However, specialist orchid nurseries are treasure troves of unusual species. In addition, the growth of online plant shopping has opened up a whole new world of options.

Orchids are not known for being easygoing plants, but some are much more forgiving than others. It's important to research the orchid care requirements of your chosen variety before purchasing, to ensure you can provide the right conditions. Otherwise, heartbreak is sure to follow.

If you're a first-time grower, don't even attempt an advanced orchid. The most coveted rare orchids, such as the otherworldly ghost orchid, are too challenging for even highly experienced growers – and they don't come cheap. Happily, several breathtaking beginner-friendly orchids look much more high-maintenance than they really are.

Get ready to dip your toes into the world of rare orchids you can grow as houseplants…

1. Tampa Butterfly Orchid

The Tampa butterfly orchid (Encyclia tampensis) is prized for its unique colors and prolific blooms. Native to Florida, it's a protected species and a rare treat to see in the wild. In USDA hardiness zones 9 to 11, this beautiful orchid can be grown outdoors, mounted to a tree, but in cooler zones, it is well suited to being kept as a houseplant.

Provide the Tampa butterfly orchid with bright, indirect light and humidity levels of around 50%. The ideal daytime temperature range for this orchid is 65 to 85°F (18 to 29°C), with nighttime temperatures of around 50 to 68°F (10 to 20°C).

2. Paphiopedilum

There are rarer orchid types than the Paphiopedilum orchid, although some species are more unusual than others. However, as one of the most hard-to-kill orchids, it's perfect for a beginner grower wanting to try something different.

Paphiopedilum is a terrestrial orchid, meaning it grows in the soil in the wild, rather than attaching itself to trees like most orchids, which are epiphyte plants.

Different species have slightly different requirements, but broadly these orchids thrive in low to medium light with a preferred daytime temperature of 70 to 85°F (21 to 29°C) and nighttime temperatures of 55 to 70°F (13 to 21°C). They require moderate humidity levels of 40-50%.

3. Monkey Orchid

The Monkey orchid (Dracula simia) is a delightful species with unusual flowers that bear more than a passing resemblance to capuchin monkeys. It belongs to the Dracula genus, which contains other primate-like species including Dracula lotax and Dracula vampira. The genus is named after the orchid's curious flowers and dislike of direct sunlight.

While not a beginner species, the monkey orchid isn't the most difficult variety either, so give it a go if you fancy a challenge. The orchid thrives in partial to full shade and temperatures between 60°F to 85°F (16°C to 29°C). It needs cooler nights to thrive, so move the plant in the evening to an unheated room.

Monkey orchids love high humidity of at least 80 per cent. This will require the use of a humidifier and regular misting. Alternatively, you could grow the species in an orchid terrarium, which allows for a controlled humid environment.

4. Calanthe

Calanthe orchids, also known as Christmas orchids, make up a varied genus containing rare and more available species. While popular in their native region of South-East Asia, they are not common in the West. However, this orchid is generally easygoing in its care requirements, making it suitable for beginner growers.

You can grow calanthe orchids in the garden in USDA Zones 7-9, but they are also great houseplants. Depending on the species, their temperature tolerance ranges from 14°F to 84°F (-10°C to 29°C), but generally they prefer a minimum of 50°F (10°C). They grow best with moderate humidity of between 50 and 70%.

5. Tulip Orchid

The tulip orchid – Anguloa uniflora – is also affectionately known as the swaddled baby orchid for its unique flower formation that makes it sought after by collectors. However, it is not the easiest variety to grow, thriving best in a greenhouse with high humidity levels.

Growers wanting to try them as houseplants need to provide daytime temperatures of 70 to 80°F (21 to 27°C) and nighttime temperatures between 55 to 65°F (13°C to 18°C). Ideally aim for humidity levels of 60 to 70%, though plants may tolerate levels of 50%. Provide the tulip orchid with dappled sunlight or partial shade.

6. Zygopetalum

If scent is important to you, then the Zygopetalum orchid has wonderfully fragrant flowers that can perfume a whole room. This lovely variety is rarely seen at the garden center but can be easily sourced through specialist growers. It's a good choice for beginners, as its care is not too demanding and it is not prone to many common orchid problems.

Give Zygopetalum bright but indirect light and moderate humidity of 50 to 70%. Daytime temperatures from 70 to 80°F (21 to 27°C) are ideal, with nighttime temperatures of 50 to 60°F (10 to 16°C).

7. Clamshell Orchid

The Clamshell orchid (Prosthechea cochleata syn. Encyclia cochleata) is a most unusual specimen coveted for its exotic long-lasting clam-shaped blooms that bear tentacle-like petals. Native to Central and South America, this variety is rare to see in the wild but makes a gorgeous houseplant.

Clamshell orchids require bright, indirect light, daytime temperatures of 70 to 80°F (21 to 27°C), and nighttime temperatures of 50 to 65°F (10 to 18°C). Humidity is a must, as this species requires levels in the range of 50 to 80%.

8. Odontoglossum

Odontoglossum orchids are rarely seen as they are harder to grow than other varieties. However, they are popular among serious orchid collectors for their stunning flowers – which are hugely varied – and they are a good houseplant choice for growers in cooler climes.

Native to the Andes and other mountainous regions, Odontoglossum requires cooler temperatures of 65 to 77°F (18 to 25°C) in the daytime and 50 to 60°F (10 to 16°C) at night. They prefer bright, filtered light and high humidity, but can tolerate lower levels of 40%.

More Houseplant Inspiration

• Discover 8 longest-flowering houseplants that will give you spectacular blooms for months on end.
• Why is my orchid dying? Learn 5 common causes and how to save it before it's too late.
• Be inspired by these enchanting terrarium plants that flourish all year long.

Orchids make up one of the most gorgeous and varied groups of flowering plants in the world. Many common species are readily available to beginner growers, while avid orchid collectors can covet more unusual or rare varieties. Whichever side you fall upon, you will face some challenges as an orchid grower. If your plant is in a sudden decline, there are some very likely reasons why your orchid is dying.

The first signs of most orchid problems are usually in the leaves. You will also need to look at the roots, especially aerial orchid roots. If these are discolored, soft, and mushy, or look unusual in any way, the plant needs to be attended to as soon as possible.

Most common issues usually stem from improper orchid care and ambient conditions. However, you may also be experiencing issues with disease or pests. Here are the top 5 reasons your orchid may be dying and how to fix the problem.

1. Incorrect Light Levels

There are many commonly cultivated types of orchids. Each of these has different light requirements, so it's important to understand which variety you are growing. If you provide too much or too little light, your orchid will decline in health and may eventually die.

For example, orchid light needs for Phalaenopsis and lady slipper orchids are on the lower side. These species require on average 1,500-foot candles from a filtered, indirect light source.

Medium-light varieties are Dendrobium, Cattleya, Oncidium, and Miltonia. Bright, indirect light of 2,500-foot candles will provide ideal conditions.

Orchid species that can handle more sunlight are Vanda, Brassavola nodosa, Brassia, Degarmoara, and Cymbidium, all requiring around 5,000-foot candles.

However, you don't need to be scientific about it – just keep an eye on the leaves. If foliage turns a darker green, the plant is not getting enough light, while orchid leaves turning yellow means the plant is getting too much light.

If the plant is getting insufficient light, grow lights with both cool and warm light should be put into play. Keep the plant 10 inches (25cm) away from the bulbs and provide supplemental light for 12 hours. If the orchid seems to be getting too much light, use a gauze curtain to filter the sun.

2. Lack of Humidity

On average, orchid humidity needs to be in the region of 40-70 percent. This is a wide range, however, and will differ for each species. Most orchids are tropical and like to be in the higher humidity range.

If the leaves develop brown tips or the aerial roots are crusty and darkening, the plant may need more humidity. In the home interior, especially in winter when heating systems are in use, the plant will need some more ambient moisture.

Mist the leaves every day or place the container on a saucer lined with pebbles and filled with water. Every few weeks, sanitize the saucer to prevent fungal disease.

As a rule, the humidity needs to be higher in warmer temperatures, and lower in cooler temperatures. To raise humidity for houseplants you can use a humidifier or group the plants together. This latter solution will increase humidity through the plant’s transpiration.

3. Fungal and Bacterial Leaf Disease

Since the vast majority of orchid species are tropical and love a humid environment, fungal and bacterial orchid diseases can become an issue. Spotting, especially black spots, on the foliage can indicate either pathogen.

If the suspect is fungal, remove infected leaves and spray the plant with a copper fungicide. You can also dust the plant with cinnamon, which has natural antifungal properties.

Bacterial diseases often start out as water-soaked areas on the leaf. In Phalaenopsis, bacterial disease enters when the plant is injured and can kill the plant in 2-3 days. Other species of orchid will see the leaf breaking down and becoming mushy. Eventually, the leaf splits open and spills out liquid which will splash on other parts of the plant and pass the disease elsewhere.

In all cases, remove infected leaf material and spray the plant with a bactericide. Increase air movement, and use good sanitation practices.

4. Root and Bulb Rot

Orchid root rot is another fungal disease caused by several fungi. It can occur when the plant is overwatered, the bulb or root is damaged, or when the soil is overly fertilized. The roots and pseudobulb will become discolored, dark, and mushy.

The pathogens responsible will block the vascular system of the orchid, preventing the uptake of nutrients and water, leading to an overall wilted state. There may also be an unpleasant odor.

As the disease progresses, the stems will become limp, and foliage will turn pale and wither. Orchid buds falling off can occur and the plant will not develop any new growth.

To treat the condition, repotting orchids is required. Remove the plant from its pot. Sterilize the container with a bleach and water solution. Rinse the plant’s roots free of the old soil. Trim away any diseased roots with sterile pruners or scissors. Dust the roots with fungicide and repot in a fresh specialist orchid potting medium.

Going forward, it's vital to learn how to water orchids correctly to avoid a repeat occurrence.

5. Pests

A host of insect orchid pests find these stunning plants delectable. Thrips, mealybugs, mites, scale, whiteflies, and aphids are the most commonly found insects.

Shiny and sticky orchid leaves and stems is a sign of honeydew, a substance secreted by sucking insects like whiteflies, scale, and aphids. Many of these insects are tiny and can be hard to spot but mealybugs will show up as cottony growths on the plant.

Thrips can be detected by putting a piece of white paper under the leaves and gently shaking the foliage. Little black dots will indicate thrip presence.

In most cases, wiping the leaves and stems with warm, soapy water, or insecticidal soap will remove the bulk of the insects. Isopropyl alcohol is also useful to remove tiny insects.

Soil or fungus gnats are also often observed. These delicate, fly-like insects congregate when the soil is overly moist and over-fertilized. Their larvae will feed on roots and plant tissue that is rotting.

Always let the upper 2 inches (5cm) of the soil dry between waterings. Sticky cards are also an effective control. Cut these into strips to insert in the soil medium and catch the adults.

More Houseplant Inspiration

• Learn the 5 winter houseplant care mistakes you’re probably making, according to a horticulturist.
• Discover 8 enchanting terrarium plants that flourish all year long and are well suited to growing under glass.
• Post-holiday plant clinic! Solve these common issues to keep seasonal favorites thriving for years.

If you're looking for an orchid that isn't too fussy but puts on a stunning floral show spanning the seasons, then dendrobium nobile is the one for you. This elegant orchid blooms from winter into spring with a profusion of sweet-smelling blooms that last up to six weeks.

Dendrobium orchids make up a huge genus of over 1,000 species and are some of the most popular types of orchids for beginner growers. Dendrobium nobile is an outstanding member of this group, prized for its beautiful rose flowers measuring up to 2 inches (5cm) across, on short racemes, each with 2 to 4 blooms.

Proper orchid care for nobile dendrobium is determined by the fact it is an epiphytic plant, meaning it grows on tree branches or rocks, taking moisture and nutrients from the surrounding environment. It is also a pseudobulb orchid, meaning it can retain a certain amount of food and water in its bulbs to keep it healthy during dry spells.

While this species is considered one of the hard-to-kill orchids that anyone can grow, it does have specific cultural requirements.

Dendrobium Nobile Orchid Care

Dendrobium nobile orchids are native to Asia, in high elevations where winters are cool and summers are warm and moist. There are many cultivars of this species.

The core plants are not difficult to grow provided they have the right light, medium, temperature, and water. While not as common as some orchids, dendrobium nobile are readily available for home growers.

Light Requirements

Orchid light needs for dendrobium nobile are higher than for many other species. These orchids do most of their growth in summer when the daylight is long. They are known to be a high-light variety that requires 2,000-4,000 foot candles of light.

Situate the plant in a well-lit spot where it will receive bright, indirect light. A south-facing window, with some protection from direct sunlight, is ideal. If your home lacks bright light during the day, consider using a broad-spectrum grow light to increase the orchid’s exposure.

Temperature & Humidity

Flower production for all orchids is heavily influenced by differences in night and day temperatures. During the summer dendrobium nobile likes temperatures between 65-80°F (18-27°C). Ideal nighttime temperatures are 55-65°F (13-18°C). When the plant is not actively growing in winter, it thrives in temperatures at the lower end of this scale.

Dendrobium nobile has moderate orchid humidity levels of about 50 percent. Misting the plant daily will help accomplish this in the home interior. The addition of a humidifier or placing the container on a tray of gravel filled with water will also enhance the ambient moisture around the orchid.

Watering Needs

While D. nobile is actively growing in spring and summer, keep the soil medium moist, ensurig good drainage. It's vital to learn how to water orchids the right way – incorrect watering is one of the most critical orchid care mistakes.

Each time you water, add enough that it percolates out through the drainage holes, essentially flushing the soil. Use room temperature water. Then let the top surface of the soil dry before watering anew.

As temperatures cool and fall nears, begin tapering off water. The plant must experience cooler, drier conditions to encourage bud formation. By late fall give the plant little to no water as it is not actively growing. Water just enough to keep the plant from wrinkling. Once buds have begun forming, begin to keep the plant thoroughly moist. Where possible, use rainwater, or demineralized or distilled water.

Fertilizing

Orchid fertilizing is essential for a good show of flowers for dendrobium nobile. During the growing season, feed the plant with a balanced orchid fertilizer. Reduce fertilizing in the fall and avoid products high in nitrogen as it can impede flowering.

Flush the plant once per month to remove any built-up salts from fertilizing.

Soil & Compost

Knowing how to repot an orchid the right way starts with using the best possible potting mix, which should be loose and free-draining with some moisture retention.

Use a specialist orchid potting medium, such as shredded bark, including some moisture-retentive material such as sphagnum moss. You can make your own orchid potting mix by combining bark with moss, but ensure the bark pieces are small as dendrobiums have fine roots.

Compost tends to be too rich for orchids and can retain too much moisture, leading to root rot.

Pruning

Learning how to prune orchids is important to keep plants looking their best, Once the flowers are done on dendrobium nobile, cut out the stems. There is no need to cut off canes unless they become shriveled or woody – always leave at least three healthy canes in place.

Problems, Pests & Diseases

Dendrobium nobiles are not particularly prone to orchid problems, but there are some potential issues to be aware of.

• During the dry period, the pseudobulb and canes can shrivel. Add just enough water to make them plump again.
• Plants that are grown outdoors will be exposed to several orchid pests such as scale, mealybugs, and aphids. Wipe off the leaves with rubbing alcohol to remove the pests. Indoor plants are seldom troubled by pests – maintain good air circulation and inspect plants regularly.
• Improper mediums can lead to fungal diseases. Whenever pruning or repotting, sterilize utensils and containers to prevent the spreading of disease.

How to Propagate Dendrobium Nobile

Learning how to propagate orchids by division will allow you to create more dendrobium plants to grow your collection or give as gifts. The best time to propagate by division is after flowering, when the plant has outgrown its container.

1. First, sterilize all tools to avoid fungal infection.
2. Remove the plant from the potting mix, gently brush the debris away from the roots, then lay the orchid on its side.
3. Identify mature pseudobulbs and gently separate them, making sure each section has roots and 2-4 pseudobulbs.
4. Plant the sections into containers with fresh orchid mix.
5. Keep the potting mix slightly moist and the buds should develop fresh growth within eight weeks, before going on to flower the following year.

How to Encourage Reblooming

In nature, dendrobium nobile orchids experience a 10-15°F (5-7°C) difference between day and nighttime temperatures, which is important to mimic in the home environment to make an orchid rebloom. If the room the orchid is positioned in does not experience a drop in temperature between day and night, then move the plant to a cooler room overnight.

The winter resting period is also crucial to initiating flowering. Feed and water the plant regularly during the growing season, but reduce in the fall and winter in the build-up to flowering.

Dendrobium orchids flower better when they are somewhat pot-bound, so when the plants outgrow their pot, only go up one size.

Can I Grow Debrobium Nobile Outdoors?

Dendrobium nobile plants have absolutely no frost tolerance and should only be grown outdoors year-round in the warmest USDA zones. However, they can benefit from being moved outside in the summer months, in bright shade.

The rest of the year they make excellent houseplants, and once they are satisfied with their growing conditions, even a novice gardener can successfully grow these graceful orchids indoors.

Are There Dendrobium Nobile Hybrids?

There are hundreds of hybrids of this plant. Not only do orchids readily hybridize in nature, but breeders have developed many hybrids. These hybrids may have slightly different cultural requirements from the parent species.

More Houseplant Inspiration

• Learn how to make a terrarium in a jar – and grow your own enchanting miniature ecosystem.
• A rare houseplant expert recommends 5 extraordinary, easy-care varieties to elevate your collection.
• Discover the perfect houseplant combinations for every room in your home.

If you own a cat, you know the world is their playground and nothing is off limits – or is that just my cat? Anyway, most cats will get into or onto anything and everything you want them to stay away from, including your prized houseplants. Orchids and cats are going to interact whether you want them to or not, which leads to the question, are orchids poisonous to cats?

Good orchid care is about more than just taking care of your plant – it's about creating a safe environment for your home's occupants. There are edible orchids that humans can enjoy eating, but of course, not everything we eat is good for our pets.

Are Orchids Safe For Cats?

The short answer is no, orchids are not toxic to cats – or dogs for that matter. But, there are some exceptions to be aware of.

The ASPCA holds a list of plants toxic to pets, and claims there are no known species of orchid that are poisonous to cats. That doesn’t necessarily mean there are no rare orchids that won’t harm Fluffy – after all, over 28,000 species have been identified by scientists, so far. But stick with common types of orchids, such as Phalaenopsis, Dendrobrium, and Vanda, and the plants should pose no danger to your cat.

However, while ingesting a bit of an orchid plant is not likely to harm your pet, they may still get an upset stomach or suffer from some vomiting or diarrhea. So, if your orchid is missing leaves or blooms, keep an eye on your cat for the next 24 hours.

If your kitty does get ill, as long as the illness is brief and runs its course in those 24 hours and your pet resumes normal activity, all should be well. If vomiting or diarrhea is severe or accompanied by other symptoms, call your veterinarian right away.

What About Pesticides and Fertilizer?

While orchids in themselves are not toxic to cats, there still may be a danger lurking in the form of pesticides, fertilizer or insecticides on the plant. As a pet parent, it is your responsibility to use products that are pet friendly. That way, if your cat does get a hold of an enticing, waving stem of orchid you can breathe a sigh of relief.

Since you won’t have any idea what the supplier used on a new plants, repotting orchids in an organic orchid potting medium will give you peace of mind.

When fertilizing orchids, use a pet-safe organic feed like fish emulsion to nourish your new plant.

Why is My Cat So Interested in My Orchid?

When my cat was younger it wasn’t uncommon to hear a crashing noise accompanied by her caterwaul. More than a few times the source of my cat's distress (or amusement) was that she’d knocked a plant off a ledge or window sill.

Why was she up there when I had tried so hard to put them out of reach? Well that’s a really good question actually.

Cats may nibble on houseplants because that’s what their ancestors did. Wild cats commonly ingest plants. Domestic cats may like the taste, may be bored, stressed or just stimulated by the plant’s movement.

How to Keep Cats Away From Orchids

How do you stop Fluffy from killing your orchids or other houseplants? Play with her to begin with. Also provide her with stimulating, interactive toys she can play with on her own.

Redirect her stalking jungle tendencies to a plant that’s just for her. Get some cat grass.

Find a place the orchid will love, but the cat can’t get at. While you are searching for this area, remember that cats can and will jump great lengths to get at their “prey” – in this case the orchid. This could be disastrous on many counts.

Lastly, if your pet's behavior stems from anxiety or other stress, and nothing you do seems to help, call in the assistance of a professional animal behaviorist or speak to your vet about how you can help your baby feel better.

Orchids are one of the most amazing groups of flowering plants. They are found on every continent except Antarctica and span over 800 genera. Home orchid growers are often passionate about their plants and looking for new ways to show off prized specimens.

One of the most unique display techniques also mimics the plants' natural growth habit. Mounted orchids are not grown in a container but on a flat rock, piece of bark, or other natural surface.

The display mimics how they grow in their native range, but has an added orchid care benefit. Not understanding how to water orchids – and how often to do it – is one of the most common orchid care mistakes. However, mounted plants cannot be overwatered, which minimizes the risk of fungal diseases.

Mounting an orchid is not difficult, and the plants make a beautiful display piece in a home. It is also an ideal way to present the plants in an orchid terrarium.

Which Orchids Can Be Mounted?

Numerous types of orchids are suitable for mounting – but not all of them. Sympodial orchids, which grow outward, are perfect for mounting, but monopodial types, which grow upward, may also be used.

Many commonly grown orchids are epiphytic, meaning they grow in tree crotches and rock crevasses. Mounting them produces a very wild, and natural display.

Sympodial orchids will spread out and grasp the mounting surface. Monopodial varieties will need significant support until they are established.

The most commonly mounted epiphytic orchid types are Angraecum, Brassavola, Cattleya, Dendrobium, Oncidium, Phalaenopsis, Tolumnia, and Vanda. Certain orchid species, such as the rare ghost orchid Dendrophylax lindenii must be mounted to survive outside of their natural environment.

Pseudobulb orchids can be more difficult to keep healthy in a mounted form, while epiphytic plants with aerial orchid roots take to the procedure easily.

Suitable Mounting Structures

The type of orchid mount is important because some materials will provide more readily available organic material to nurture the plant. They will also vary in porosity, moisture retention, cost, and availability.

• Cork is the most common material because it is inexpensive, easy to find, and pH neutral. It is also resilient and will last a long time. You can get cork bark on Amazon.
• Non-organic materials, such as plastic, may be used but they do not offer moisture retention and organic benefits.
• Tree fern slabs are elegant and natural and will work on almost any type of orchid. However, they can be quite expensive. As an inexpensive alternative, try this DUSPRO Tree Fern Board from Amazon.
• Driftwood makes an attractive display and is used by many growers. If you harvest it yourself, soak it several times to remove excess salt which could kill the orchid.
• Terracotta is an interesting choice. It is porous, easy to find, and inexpensive.
• Hardwood mounts like mesquite, dogwood, sassafras, and white oak are long-lasting. Avoid using treated wood or walnut. You can drill a hole in the item and fashion a hook to hang the mount or simply place it horizontally on a flat surface. This wood wall planter from Amazon is a good option.
• Tree-mounting orchids is an option for gardeners in warmer regions.

Additional Materials Required

You will need an organic material to house the roots and help bind the orchid to the mounting structure. Choose from:

• Osmunda is a fiber derived from native North American ferns. It is slow to decompose. There are both hard and soft forms from which to choose.
• Sphagnum moss, such as this Premium Sphagnum Moss from Amazon, is also often part of the mounting material, as it's easy to find and often affordable.
• Red fir bark chips in their smallest form are also common.
• Coconut fiber, like this option from Amazon, is an excellent choice for moisture retention.
• For any of these, you may want mesh or burlap bags to put the material into so it doesn’t fall out onto your floor and make a mess.

In addition, you will need wire or fishing line to actually tie the plant to the mounting structure along with pliers and needle nose snips.

How to Mount an Orchid – Step-By-Step Guide

Start with a healthy, actively growing orchid. Avoid mounting an orchid when it has visible issues or is in dormancy.

1. Take the orchid out of its pot and carefully remove the growing medium from around the roots.
2. Soak the plant roots for 20 minutes to make them more flexible.
3. Sanitize scissors or pruners and snip off any discolored or damaged roots.

4. Soak the osmunda, coconut fiber, or moss in water. Squeeze out the excess moisture.

5. Choose the best position for the orchid on the mount. Ideally, orient the plant so it will grow as it does naturally.

6. Prepare a base on the mount by securing the organic material with a fishing line or wire.
7. Gently spread the orchid roots out around the mount and place a thick layer of moistened organic material around the roots.

8. Secure the entire thing to the mount with a wire or line. The line should be snug but take care not to cut the roots.

If you live in a warm region, you can mount the orchid to a tree. Choose a crotch just large enough to hold the roots and line it with moistened moss. Spread the roots into the moss and tie the orchid around the tree branch.

Caring for a Mounted Orchid

Right after mounting, move the orchid to a lower light situation than it would normally have. This will reduce stress as the plant attaches itself to the mount. Once it has begun to attach, move the mount to a position with brighter light.

Mounted orchids will dry out much faster than potted plants, especially when placed outdoors or inside heated homes. It is more difficult to provide humidity to those species that enjoy it on a mount. Amazon carries several different misters that fit any home.

When watering, the entire mount will need to be moved to the sink and soaked for several minutes. The best time of day to water is in the morning. Allow the moss to dry out a bit before soaking the mount again.

Mist the plant roots daily but avoid the leaves, which could cause fungal disease if left wet. Spray the plant with liquid orchid fertilizer once per week during the growing season. This The Grow Co. Organic Orchid Fertilizer is a great option, as it comes in a spray bottle.

To avoid salt build up, soak the mount and roots in distilled water once per week. Plants that grow vertically, like Phaelonopsis, may need staking.

Remounting an Overgrown Orchid

Orchids are fairly slow-growing, but in time the plant may outgrow its perch. If you need to mount it to a larger item, very carefully disentangle the wire or fishing line. Remove the old moss or fiber and soak the plant roots. Prune out anything that is not healthy.

Get a larger mount and add the soaked moss, splayed roots, and more moss, tying the whole thing into place. Again, place the new mount in a lower-light area for a couple of weeks.

Remounting can be difficult, so it is best to start with a mount that is large enough to accommodate normal mature plant size.

Orchids are prized for their exotic blooms, but achieving healthy growth can be a delicate balance. The plants require regular watering, fertilizing, and compatible light and temperature levels.

In particular, knowing how to water orchids – and how often to do it – can seem a confusing aspect of orchid care, with hacks such as watering orchids with ice cubes devised to make the process easier. Indeed, getting moisture levels wrong is one of the most common orchid care mistakes.

However, in addition to watering plants correctly, humidity plays a crucial role in their well-being.

Do Orchids Like Humidity?

Yes, orchids do like humidity and thrive in moist environments that mimic their natural habitats. Most orchids, especially those grown as houseplants, are tropical epiphytes. They evolved to grow in warm, moist climates. Rather than growing in soil, the roots are exposed to the air, which must be humid enough for the orchid roots to absorb an adequate amount of water. Conversely, terrestrial orchids get most of their water through the soil.

Some types of orchids can tolerate less humidity than others, while no plants should be grown in 100% humidity.

How Much Humidity Do Orchids Need?

There are many different types of orchids, but most are tropical and native to ecosystems with high humidity. Virtually all orchid types will grow best with humidity between 40% and 70%. This is a good benchmark for growing almost any orchid as a houseplant, but there are some variations by type:

• Phalaenopsis – or moth orchids – are tropical epiphytes, meaning they live on tree branches without soil. The roots get moisture and nutrients from the air. As houseplants, these orchids should have a minimum of 50% humidity to thrive and bloom.
• Vanda orchids make up a genus of about 80 species of tropical epiphytes. They are fussier and, therefore, less popular than moth orchids as houseplants. They need a minimum of 65% humidity in the air to grow well.
• Cattleya orchids are widely hybridized – you’ll find many different forms and colors of cattleya houseplants. A minimum of 50% humidity is ideal for this tropical epiphyte.
• Dendrobium is a large genus of epiphytes that can be deciduous or evergreen. As houseplants, they tend to be top-heavy with flowers and require staking. They tolerate less humidity better than other types of orchids. Ensure your dendrobium orchids get at least 40% humidity.
• Paphiopedilum – or slipper orchids – are named for their characteristic shape that resembles a delicate slipper. These orchids are terrestrial rather than epiphytic, growing on the tropical forest floor. A minimum of 40% humidity is required.
• Miltonia – or pansy orchids – resemble pansies in that they have face-like features. They are tropical and epiphytic. They need at least 40% humidity to grow well.
• Miltoniopsis is a type of reclassified pansy orchid, and it's important to know whether you have this variety. Miltoniopsis grow at higher elevations and require more moisture. They need at least 60% humidity. Although officially reclassified, many growers still refer to both types of pansy orchids as Miltonia.

What Happens to Orchids That Don’t Have Enough Humidity?

Because they do not get moisture from the soil, orchids will struggle to thrive or even survive if humidity levels in the air are too low. Even the most hard-to-kill orchids will begin to lose more water than they take in and will dry out.

It’s easy to tell if your orchid is too dry. The leaves and roots will look shriveled and wrinkled rather than plump. Another sign of low humidity is deformed flower buds.

An orchid will not necessarily die if humidity levels are less than optimal, especially if only slightly. However, lower humidity levels will make it less likely that your orchid will bloom again.

Lack of blooming is a common complaint among new growers, and it can be addressed by ensuring an orchid has all of its ideal conditions met, including humidity.

How Can I Increase Humidity for My Orchids?

Humidity can be a serious issue when growing orchids as houseplants. The air in the home tends to be dry, with humidity as low as 25%. Winter is especially challenging, as heating systems pull moisture out of the air. In summer, air conditioning can also cause low humidity.

It is not impossible, however, to provide orchids with more humid air in the home. One of the easiest ways to raise humidity levels right around a plant is with a pebble tray. Fill a shallow tray with pebbles or rocks and add water. Set the plants on top of the rocks. The water will evaporate and raise the humidity level in the air immediately around them.

Another solution is to use a humidifier. Again, this should be near the plants. Humidifiers can raise humidity too high, which can cause different problems from dry air. One issue is that water collects in the leaves of the orchids. This can lead to crown rot. If using humidifiers, consider also using a fan to circulate the air around the plants.

You might be tempted to spritz your orchids with water to address their humidity needs, but this isn’t the best solution. Spraying only temporarily raises humidity levels, and it can cause water to collect in the leaves.

However you address humidity, a simple tool can help you maintain the ideal percentage for your particular type of orchid. A hygrometer measures humidity and can be found in garden centers. Keep it near your orchids to monitor humidity levels and make adjustments as needed.

Orchids love humidity, which can present a challenge when growing them as houseplants. It’s not difficult, though, to monitor and increase humidity as needed. Get the humidity right, and you should enjoy many years of blooms.

The term ‘orchid’ is commonly used to describe a diverse range of plants that vary greatly from one species to another. Most types of orchids are known for their impressive beauty and immense flower spikes. One species in particular – the Tampa butterfly orchid flower – is highly prized for its floriferous habit and unique coloration.

For orchid lovers looking to grow their houseplant collection, the good news is that you can grow these plants indoors –  with the right orchid care. Learning more about the Tampa butterfly orchid can help you provide the best care possible and raise your awareness of this amazing houseplant specimen.

How and Where Tampa Butterfly Orchids Grow Best

The species of butterfly orchid originate in warm tropical regions. The Tampa butterfly orchid (Encyclia tampensis) first earned its name when it was discovered growing wild in Tampa, Florida. Native to frost-free areas of this region and in Cuba and the Bahamas, plants are most frequently found growing above the forest floor.

As an epiphytic orchid, these plants do not require soil to grow. Most spend their lives attached to the surface of trees, fallen logs or other vegetation. Southern live oak and other trees with rough types of bark are likely to play the best hosts.

In their native range, butterfly orchids thrive in areas that are high in humidity and consistently moist. Dependable shade throughout the hottest portions of the day plays an important role in the development, longevity and quality of the flowers.

Can You Grow Tampa Butterfly Orchids?

As this orchid is relatively rare, it is important to note that there are laws and regulations in place to help protect it. Under no circumstances should these wild plants ever be disturbed or harvested in any way.

Fortunately for orchid lovers who have been lured by their beauty, the butterfly orchid may sometimes be found for sale through reputable plant nurseries. Since the commercial sale of this species requires a permit, it is imperative to identify the plant’s source before you buy.

Growing Tampa Butterfly Orchids as Houseplants

Growing butterfly orchids as houseplants is a viable option outside the plant’s native hardiness range (USDA zone 8). Butterfly orchids should be planted in a light orchid potting mix specifically formulated for orchids. This will most often include a mixture of bark chips, sphagnum moss and vermiculite. This mixture helps to retain much needed moisture, but allows the excess to drain away efficiently.

The best Encyclia tampensis care involves a warm growing location safe from sudden drafts or abrupt changes in temperature. The right light is also important – bright filtered light or dappled light is ideal. Providing the proper conditions is essential in helping the plant to produce blooms. For the best results, orchids should be placed near a sunny window, allowing for access to ample indirect sunlight.

Throughout periods of active growth, routine orchid irrigation is needed to keep plants looking their best. To help maintain adequate levels of humidity indoors, an occasional misting may also be required.

Frequently Asked Questions

Watering orchids with ice cubes sounds like a simple, foolproof way to keep these picky houseplants hydrated – but is it the right thing to do?

Orchids are often labeled as difficult to grow, and there is much confusion surrounding how to water orchids – and how often to do it.

However, good orchid care is easy if you understand their needs. If you can position plants where they will receive their ideal temperature and light levels, they require minimal attention. Preferences vary between different types of orchids, so it's best to choose a plant compatible with your home environment.

Ironically, overzealous care is so often the cause of their demise and remains one of the most common orchid care mistakes. When orchids are overwatered, it causes serious issues such as orchid root rot and crown rot. If this happens, knowing how to revive an orchid is vital to prevent plant death.

The trend of watering orchids with ice cubes emerged a few years ago intending to simplify the care process, but it remains a controversial method.

Why Use Ice Cubes?

You may have seen potted orchids sold in stores with tags explaining how easy they are to water just using ice cubes. This is a marketing tactic designed to assure consumers that orchids are easy to care for.

If you’re not an orchid expert, then watering them can feel like a futile guessing game. Too much water and the orchid roots may rot and kill the plant. Too little, and the orchid will dry up like a raisin.

The ice cube watering method is designed to take the guessing out of orchid watering and make it easy for anyone to do. If you follow the guidelines, you’ll provide the orchid with just the right amount of water over a specified time.

In addition, an ice cube allows the orchid to absorb and use the water slowly. As the ice cube melts, the orchid has more time to absorb and utilize the water. There is less chance the water will pool at the bottom of the container, where it can cause rot.

How to Water Orchids With Ice Cubes

If you are going to water your orchid this way, it’s important to do it right. If your plant comes with ice cube watering instructions, follow those guidelines. If not, here are some tips:

• For a standard-sized orchid, in a pot 5 to 6 inches (13-15cm) across, place three ice cubes on the medium surface each week and allow them to melt.
• Use more or less ice for larger or smaller containers.
• When you place the ice cubes, don’t let them touch the leaves or any aerial orchid roots extending out from the growing medium.
• Evaluate the number of ice cubes and frequency you’re using by checking to see that your orchid’s leaves and roots look green and hydrated but not soggy or waterlogged. Adjust as needed.
• When it’s time to add more ice cubes, stick your finger into the growing medium. If it still feels wet, wait another day or two.

Why is it a Controversial Method?

Many growers claim to use the ice cube method successfully. However, numerous experts warn against it and recommend better alternatives.

Watering with ice cubes is usually only suggested for watering phalaenopsis orchids, which are some of the most hard-to-kill orchids. More sensitive orchid species need to be watered with tepid water to avoid shocking the plant.

Most of the orchids kept as houseplants are tropical species from warm climates. Direct contact between ice and plant tissue could be damaging. This is why it’s so important to rest them on the growing medium, not on leaves or roots.

Another issue is that the natural tropical environment of orchids allows them to remain in a near-constant state of being moist. The roots and leaves are supposed to be in humid air with regular rainfall. They are naturally always at least a little bit wet. A melting ice cube can’t mimic this natural state of moisture. The roots and leaves typically dry out, at least in some places, before the next ice cube is placed.

In addition, watering with ice cubes does not allow the orchid potting medium to be flushed out, which is beneficial due to the buildup of salts and toxins.

It’s also important to understand some myths you might have heard about watering with ice. One is that freezing water kills bacteria that could harm the orchid. This is simply not true. Only boiling water kills bacteria.

Another claim is that ice cubes trigger reblooming. It is true that orchids generally need a slightly cooler period of dormancy before blooming. However, watering with ice once a week is not a natural way to achieve this.

What is the Best Way to Water an Orchid?

Overwatering and standing water on the roots are common ways to kill an orchid, but an ice cube is not necessarily the best answer to this problem. A better solution is to start with good drainage. Many orchids are sold in cheap containers with no drainage holes and with moss, which holds too much water.

Repot your orchid into a specialist orchid container with drainage holes using a prepared growing medium. Bark is a good choice, but you can also find bags of potting mix designed especially for orchids at your garden center.

Once you have the right setup, watering your orchid is simple. Water the plant and let it drain right through the container. Do this in a sink to avoid a mess. Let the water drain completely before putting the container back in its usual spot.

Once a week is usually sufficient, but you can easily check whether your orchid needs more water. Feel around in the medium to see if it’s still wet. If so, you don’t need to water it yet. You can also evaluate the plant by weight. If it feels heavy with water, it’s still wet. If it feels light when you pick it up, it could probably use more water.

Ice cube watering can work for keeping orchids happy, but it’s not the best strategy. Regular watering with good drainage is the best way to water an orchid.

If your orchid is in decline, it may be due to a common disease called orchid root rot. This is a serious problem that diminishes the plant’s health and, if left untreated, can result in its untimely death.

Root rot is one of the most common orchid problems and is often caused or exacerbated by poor orchid care, in particular incorrect watering.

All types of orchids may become affected by orchid root rot. Several types of fungi can cause disease in the plant’s roots but the two most common culprits are Pythium and Phytophthora. These are essentially molds that thrive in warm, damp conditions.

Root rot is a critical issue, so if you suspect your orchid is affected, take immediate action to diagnose the problem and treat affected areas. Then, with a little TLC, you can revive your orchid so it will thrive and bloom once more.

Symptoms Of Orchid Root Rot

Since most of the damage occurs under the potting medium, orchid root rot can initially be difficult to spot. Some of the signs may also be present with other common problems. Look out for the following symptoms:

• The leaves of the plant will droop, pucker, and become less firm.
• The leaves will discolor and become yellow.
• The plant will generally lose vigor and fail to grow at a normal rate.
• Any aerial orchid roots will become discolored and shriveled.
• Smell the bottom of the pot. If you detect the odor of decay and mold, chances are your plant has been infected.

To truly diagnose root rot it will be necessary to remove the plant from its housing and inspect the roots. They should be firm and green if well watered and healthy. In plants that are dry, the roots will have a grayish cast

If the roots have soft spots and brown to black markings, the plant likely has root rot. Immediate steps need to be taken to save the orchid.

Root rot is slightly different from orchid crown rot, which occurs when water excessively pools at the base of the leaves.

What Causes Root Rot?

The fungi responsible for causing orchid root rot are causal agents – they need help to reach a damaging point. Orchids that get root rot are often overwatered, one of the most common orchid care mistakes. If the roots are sitting in more water than they can take up, they will begin to soften and break down.

Knowing how to water orchids and, more importantly, how often to water them, is crucial to avoiding root rot. Most orchids like to be moist but not wet. If you are unsure how much to irrigate, then you can use a moisture meter, although it will not work as well in a chunky bark potting mix.

Orchids potted in containers with poor drainage or in an improper orchid potting medium can also get root rot. Orchid containers should have several open drainage holes. The growing medium must be well draining and is usually almost soilless with plenty of bark and perlite. This allows extra water to leach out of the container and away from the roots.

Setting a container on a saucer or within a decorative outer pot that is allowed to retain water can also promote root rot. In such wet conditions, opportunistic fungi will bloom and attack the roots.

In addition to the earlier mentioned fungi, Fusarium and Rhizoctonia may also be a problem.

Saving An Infected Orchid

Once you have removed the orchid from its container and identified the rotting roots, it is time to spring into action.

• Throw out the old potting medium and sanitize the container with bleach.
• Gently shake or brush out any remaining medium from the roots. The roots will be fragile and can break so take your time on this.
• Using sharp, sterilized pruners or scissors, trim away any discolored or soft portions of the root. If you have caught the disease early enough, there should be plenty of unaffected roots to help the plant reestablish. Do not compost the diseased roots but throw them out instead.
• After the rot has all been removed, dust the remaining roots with fungicide. A copper-based fungicide is ideal. Some orchid growers swear by cinnamon or a light bath of hydrogen peroxide. This is a bit controversial in the orchid world, but may be effective.

Repotting The Orchid

Once you have treated the root rot, you will need to repot the orchid in fresh potting mix.

Make sure your container is sanitized, either by using bleach or rubbing alcohol. Allow it to dry out before placing the new potting medium inside.

You can buy orchid mixes which have bark, perlite or sponge rock, coconut chips, and horticultural charcoal. You may also make your own with 60 per cent fir bark, and the remaining balance made up of perlite or sponge rock, and the charcoal.

Treat the plant gently and seat it in the medium at the same level it was prior to unpotting. Fill about a third of the container with the medium, building up the sides a bit. Install the roots and then backfill around them. Press the soil gently around the roots.

Water lightly and place the plant where it gets bright, filtered light.

Preventing Orchid Root Rot

Correct watering practices are crucial to avoiding fungal diseases. Most orchids like to be watered once per week but your home interior will dictate the exact amount. The best way to tell is to feel the medium and test the bottom of the container at the drainage holes.

Potting the orchid into a see-through container will enable you to monitor the roots. If the roots are beginning to turn a sickly silver-gray, the plant desperately needs water.

Watering in the morning can help reduce the chance of fungal disease by allowing the plant to dry off before cooler, darker conditions arrive in the evening. Reduce watering in the colder months.

The type of container you use could also be a factor. Heavily glazed pots are beautiful but do not allow excess moisture to evaporate. A terracotta pot that is unglazed will allow for evaporation.

Consider where the orchid is located in your home. If the plant is in a dimmer area, it will stay wetter longer. A plant in a brightly lit area, a bit away from the light source, will have fewer fungal problems. The light combined with warm temperatures will encourage growth, meaning the plant will use up its water quickly.

Encourage air flow to allow for evaporation. Moving air will bear extra moisture away from the plant. If your home is not well ventilated, consider giving the plant its own fan to increase air movement around the container.

Check your plant at least once per week so you can jump into action at the first sign of trouble. You don’t have to unpot it, but do the smell test and check the aerial roots and any visible at the top of the container.

Learning how to propagate orchids is a fun, inexpensive way to grow your houseplant collection. Several tried-and-tested techniques will enable you to produce more of your favorite varieties or to grow beautiful gifts. However, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

Orchids are an extraordinarily large group of plants encompassing around 28,000 identified species, across 800 genera. The best method of orchid propagation varies by species – each type has a couple of different ways of reproducing.

In home cultivation, orchids are most often propagated vegetatively, through cuttings or division. They may also be grown from seed in specific conditions – but this can be a slow process.

Proper orchid care is essential in nurturing both the seedlings and the parent plants, which must be in good health to produce new plants.

Which Type Of Orchid?

Despite the many different types of orchids, they only have two main growth patterns: monopodial or sympodial. Before you begin propagation you need to know which type it is.

• Monopodial plants have a single root system that cannot be divided. They are commonly propagated through keikis, which are plantlets that grow from the flowering stem. However, some growers are successful at taking stem cuttings.
• Sympodial plants produce pseudobulbs, which are similar to rhizomes and can be broken apart and repotted separately in a new container.

In this article we reveal the main orchid propagation methods suitable for different species.

1. Divide Pseudobulbs

Sympodial orchids develop pseudobulbs – green, bulbous growths at the base of the plant that form on lateral or terminal rhizomes. The bulbs hold water and nutrients, acting as a storage unit during periods of dry weather.

Each pseudobulb has the potential to become a new plant, and dividing them is a fairly easy way to grow your orchid collection. It is also the quickest solution because the little plant already has roots and can begin to grow into its container.

Examples of commonly grown orchids with pseudobulbs are Cattleya, Oncidium, Dendrobium, Epidendrum, and Laela. Unfortunately, this is not a suitable method for propagating orchids without pseudobulb organs, such as the ever-popular Phaeleonopsis.

Don't harvest pseudobulbs from an orchid unless your plant is mature and healthy.

1. Remove the plant from the potting medium and take a good look at the roots. If the plant has been stuck in a container for a long time, the roots are likely tightly wound and will need to be gently teased apart.
2. Locate the pseudobulbs along the main stem and identify your divisions. You need to ensure each section will have 2-4 pseudobulbs.
3. Using sterilized pruners or a sharp knife, cut away the sections.

4. Many gardeners suggest dusting the divisions with fungicide powder to prevent disease. Cinnamon is an effective natural fungicide.

5. Pot up the divisions into containers with fresh orchid mix.
6. The buds should develop fresh growth within a month or two, and the new plants should flower the following year.

2. Encourage Keikis

Certain types of orchids produce keikis – which is Hawaiin for "children". They are baby plants, or offshoots, of the mother plant. Cultivating keikis is one of the easiest methods of propagating orchids.

Dendrobium, Phalaenopsis, Oncidium, and Epidendrum orchids may all produce keikis. These baby orchids can be encouraged to form by cutting a spent stem back. This encourages a second stem to grow. Keikis look like a flower spike initially, but they will soon form leaves and aerial roots.

If they are left on the plant, the parent is stressed from diverting energy to this emerging new plant, so if you spot a keiki, it is best to remove and repot it.

1. To encourage a keiki, cut the spent stem above a stem internode and move the plant to a slightly dimmer location.

2. In time keikis will form. Move the main plant back to normal light and wait until the keikis have 2-3 roots.

3. Slice away the baby orchids by cutting between the stem and the keiki, using sharp, sterilized equipment.

4. Pot the young plants up separately and give them the same care as the parent plant.

Like pseudobulbs, keikis are instant plants and simply need time to adjust to their new container and settle in.

3. Grow Orchids From Cuttings

There is some controversy over this method, as many gardeners have tried and failed to grow orchids from cuttings. Still, others swear by it, and you have nothing to lose by trying.

Vanda and Phalaenopsis orchids may be grown from cuttings.

1. Cut a stem with a keiki that is 10 inches (25cm) long, cutting just above a leaf node.
2. Cut the stem into pieces with each having at least 2 growth nodes.
3. Apply cinnamon, charcoal, or antifungal powder on the cut ends.
4. Place the stems horizontally into a moistened tray of sphagnum moss.
5. Cover the tray with a plastic bag or film and place the container in bright, indirect sun.
6. Watch the cuttings and make sure there is plenty of humidity in the container and the moss stays moist.
7. Some orchids will form roots within a month but others will take months.
8. Once the cutting has a full complement of roots it is time to pot it up. Use the same medium the parent plant enjoyed and give the new little plant the same type of cultural care, in the same temperature and light conditions.

4. Propagate Orchids From Seed

This is where things get tricky. Growing orchids from seed requires specialized conditions and a sterile environment. It is a lot of effort for home growers to achieve, but possible if you have the patience.

You can try the method with any orchid seed pod, but growing rare varieties holds particular appeal. Bear in mind it may take several years before orchids grown from seeds produce flowers.

The method to obtain germination at home is called Asymbiotic germination, or flasking. The seeds will be placed in a clear flask in a jelly-like agar substance.

You can purchase prepared agar or make your own using agar powder and hot water. To mix it, boil 3.4oz (100ml) of water and add to 0.8oz (25g) of agar powder. Stir the powder in thoroughly.

1. First, you need to harvest the seeds from the orchid pot. Before doing this, place the pods in a container with a bit of bleach and let sit for 15-20 minutes.
2. Using a sterilized scalpel and tweezers, open the pods and extract the seeds. Put the seeds in a sterile flask.

3. Fill the container with 3% hydrogen peroxide, cover, and shake to coat all the seeds.
4. Let the container sit in a light-filled location for a few hours.
5. Sterilize the area where you will be working with bleach.
6. If possible, obtain a glove box to ensure a sterile environment for the seeds. Failing that, thorough sterilization of the workbench and adjacent items is crucial.
7. Clean your hands and forearms and put on sterile gloves.
8. Spray bleach inside the plastic bags.
9. Mix a couple of drops of hydrogen peroxide with 3.4oz (100g) of agar into the flask with the seed.
10. Place the flask inside the plastic bag, and place the sealed flask in a bright window.
11. Some orchids will germinate fairly quickly, while others can take months. Check the flask frequently.

12. Thin crowded orchid seedlings as they develop.
13. When roots are visible, each seedling needs to be transplanted into a new container containing the agar jelly.

14. Eventually, young orchids can be repotted in containers filled with orchid potting mix. Avoid doing this until the seedlings are large enough to be handled. Before potting up, wash off the agar jelly using distilled water.

More From Gardening Know How

Orchid Care
● How to Repot an Orchid
● How to Get an Orchid to Rebloom
● How to Water Orchids
● Orchid Fertilizing

Unique Orchids
● Rare Orchids
● Ghost Orchid
● Monkey Orchid
● Swaddled Baby Orchid

Orchid Problems
● Orchid Leaf Problems
● Orchid Root Rot
● Orchid Buds Falling Off
● Orchid Pests

Orchids are one of the largest families of flowering plants, with thousands of species found across the globe in every continent except Antarctica. The plants have a reputation as being hard to grow, but looking after them is easier than you might think.

Knowing when to repot orchids is key to helping these exotic beauties to thrive. Over time the potting medium breaks down and compacts, and the plants deplete the available nutrients. Repotting orchids will refresh the soil and give plants the boost they need for new growth.

A vital aspect of orchid care, repotting can make all the difference in transforming the plant's health and is often the first port of call if you want to revive a struggling orchid or encourage repeat blooms.

As there are so many different types of orchids, you must follow the care requirements for your particular variety. For example, the best orchid potting medium may include more absorbent materials for species that don't like to dry out, or it may be a drier bark mix for pseudobulb orchids that retain more water within the plant.

Choosing the right orchid container is also key. Clear plastic pots with drainage holes, like these ones from Amazon, are best, as they allow you to inspect the health of the orchid roots.

When To Repot An Orchid

Most orchid species need to be repotted around every two years. However, rather than do it on a schedule, it's best to monitor the plant for signs it's ready to be transplanted.

Choose the time of year that's best for the plant. If you have a cattelya or other orchid that produces pseudobulbs, repot it right after flowering and before the roots begin to grow.

For most other orchids, the best time to repot an orchid is when it is not actively growing, after it has bloomed in the spring or summer. You can also repot the plant when you see new growth in the winter or early spring.

Unless there is an urgent need to repot, such as in the case of disease or insects, wait until the blooms are done.

Signs It’s Time To Repot Your Orchid

• When the aerial roots are prolific or the soil-borne roots take over the pot. In these cases the roots cannot get enough moisture and keeping the plant hydrated becomes difficult. If watering orchids has become a daily endeavor, it is time to repot the plant.
• When the medium has broken down or is moldy or otherwise compromised. After a couple of years, the bark and other material will get stinky, rotten, and crumble easily in your fingers.
• When the plant is affected by a fungal disease or orchid pests. Overly wet and old material can produce mushrooms or other fungal bodies. Mealybugs and other insects often infest the potting medium.
• When your plant’s container is unsuitable. This could either be that the container is too small or large, or it could be too porous or too sealed. Whether natural evaporation is necessary or the variety needs to be kept damp, the container needs to be suitable for those conditions. An unglazed clay pot will dry out more quickly, while a glazed ceramic pot will hold water.
• When dead roots are present. This is a cue to remove the pot from the old medium and do some judicious pruning to remove any dead or diseased roots and freshen the medium.
• As the orchid mix breaks down, the pieces get tinier and tinier, compacting the soil and reducing the oxygen that can get into it. As the medium gets finer it holds more soil which can be bad for most orchid roots. Root rot and other fungal diseases often occur in such conditions.

Tips For Repotting Orchids

Before repotting your orchid, prune the old flower stem at the bottom node. Remove any stakes and clips. For newer flowering spikes, cut 1 inch (2.5cm) above the top node.

Remove the plant from its container and shake off the old media. Inspect the roots. Using sterile snips or pruners, cut out any diseased, soft, or discolored roots. Orchid roots should be evenly colored and firm.

Some orchid experts recommend sprinkling cinnamon on the roots after trimming to prevent fungal diseases.

Select a container that is 1-2 inches (2.5-5cm) larger than the previous pot. Repot and backfill around the roots with fresh media, like this orchid media from Lowe's. Water and care for the plant as usual.

About Orchid Pots

The size of the pot depends upon the size of the plant. For most orchids, choose a container with a top diameter that is a third of the height of the orchid plant itself.

You can purchase those pretty, almost doily patterned ceramic pots that have decorative gaps to increase airflow. You can also select an unglazed, plain terracotta pot. This will be fine for most varieties.

Orchids that need to be kept quite moist will benefit from plastic pots which will keep in moisture. Other orchids will thrive in mesh containers with a liner of sphagnum moss and orchid medium. If in doubt, mimic the container the plant came in, but go up a size at repotting time.

The Right Potting Mix

Many orchids don’t grow in regular terrestrial soil. They will not thrive in gardens or potting soil. Many of these species are epiphytic and grow in tree crotches, rock crevasses, and other mostly soil-less areas. They need a very well-draining medium that lets in air.

Most purchased orchid mixes are made of bark, sphagnum moss, tree fern, and lava rock. Fir and Monterey bark are the most common barks in these mixes. The medium may also have clay pellets added to enhance drainage and prevent compaction. You can get Miracle-Gro's Orchid Potting Mix at Home Depot.

Orchids make beautiful houseplants. While they're not difficult to grow, good orchid care is essential for repeat flowering. Where the plants' needs are not met, they may begin to show signs of distress and eventually die.

If your orchid hasn’t bloomed in a while, don’t despair. Most types of orchids bloom once or twice a year and go dormant for several months.

Start to worry when it hasn’t bloomed for a year or more or if it shows other signs of ill health, like yellow leaves, excessive leaf drop, or wilting. Even then, several steps can bring it back to life.

Try these tactics tested and used by orchid enthusiasts and experts.

1. Let Your Orchid Enjoy Dormancy

Orchids are not like some houseplants – African violets, for instance – that can be fertilized until they bloom nearly constantly. Most orchids need to go dormant for a while before flowering again. A healthy orchid flowers for several weeks, even two or three months, and then goes dormant for six to nine months. Let your orchid rest during this period so that it can rebloom when it’s ready.

However, there are exceptions such as Phalaenopsis orchids, which do not go truly dormant. If you have this orchid, don’t remove its stem, as it can rebloom on the same spike.

For most other orchids, dormancy begins when the last petals drop. When that happens, snip off the flower stem and get the plant ready to rest. Ease up on watering and stop fertilizing the orchid. Place the dormant plant somewhere with slightly cooler temperatures, around 60 or 65°F (15 to 18°C). Ensure the plant is in darkness throughout the night.

2. Check Roots And Repot

If your orchid looks unhappy or isn’t reblooming, it might need some root care and a new pot. A good sign it needs a bigger pot is roots hanging over the edges or coming out of the drainage hole. Also, if it looks too big for its pot and is top-heavy, it probably needs repotting.

To repot an orchid, remove the plant from its container and examine the roots. A healthy plant should have green, fleshy roots. Pale green, slightly flaccid roots are not great but can be revived. Trim off any clearly dead roots, those that are brown, mushy, or totally dried out.

Choose a slightly larger orchid container and use a fresh orchid potting medium. The medium gets depleted of nutrients and should be replaced every year or two. You can get Miracle-Gro Orchid Potting Mix from Amazon.

Never repot an orchid while it’s blooming – wait until after the flowers are spent.

3. Change The Watering Schedule

Checking the roots is important for determining the plant’s health but also for evaluating your regular watering schedule.

Learning how to water orchids is often a case of trial and error. Many people are afraid to overwater orchids and end up underwatering, in which case you’ll see dry roots.

If you have been overwatering, the roots might be soft and mushy, showing signs of rot. Adjust your watering schedule as needed and trim away any rotten roots.

4. Soak A Dried Out Orchid

If your issue has been underwatering, give the plant a good soak before repotting and adjusting to a new watering schedule. An orchid can look very dry and shriveled but come back to life after soaking.

Growing orchids in water is a popular solution that can rescue ailing plants – though rather than being constantly submerged, orchids are usually cycled between wet and dry to mimic their natural environment.

• After pulling the orchid out of its pot, rinse and check the roots. Snip off any that look too damaged to recover.
• Fill a pot with room-temperature distilled or filtered water and set the clean roots of the orchid in it.
• Make sure the crown of the plant is above the water line. Use clips and ties to hold the plant in place if necessary.
• Alternate soaking during the day and letting the roots dry overnight for several days. Use fresh water every day.
• If you notice any mushiness or rotting in the roots, extend the drying periods.

If the orchid is revivable, it should begin to show signs of coming back to life: plumper leaves, perkier leaves, new root growth, and leaf growth. It could take up to a month, so be patient. When it seems happier, it’s time to repot it.

5. Adjust Other Parameters

If watering issues and plant dormancy don’t seem to be the issue for your plant, check and adjust other important growing conditions.

Know your orchid type to determine if it’s getting the right amount of sunlight. Inadequate light is a common issue. Signs include dark green leaves and stunted growth. Give your orchid more time under bright light, natural or artificial.

Orchids need high humidity, especially in hotter weather. If the air in your house is dry, put a pebble tray under the orchid or mist it regularly with water. Amazon carries several different kinds of plant misters to fit any style. You can also try placing it near a humidifier or in a bathroom with good light.

Growing media for orchids is not nutrient-rich, so fertilizing is a must. Use water-soluble, orchid-specific plant food as directed on the label. We recommend this Organic Orchid Plant Food from Espoma, available at Walmart. Alternatively, use a regular, balanced plant food, but dilute it to half or quarter strength. Do not fertilize your orchid during dormancy.

Finally, make sure your orchid is growing in the appropriate temperature range. Not all orchids are from hot, tropical rainforests. There are cool, intermediate, and warm growers. Find out which type you have and ensure it is not too warm or too cold. All orchids should get a temperature drop at night.

Orchids are prized for their beautiful, exotic-looking flowers. When grown indoors, it is vital to ensure proper orchid care if plants are to thrive and bloom.

There are thousands of different types of orchids, which vary in their lifespan. Most speceis are epiphytes, which grow nestled in the trees and use aerial roots to get moisture and nutrients from the air.

A smaller number are terrestrial orchids, which grow in the ground and are the most common type seen in gardens.

How Long Do Orchids Live?

On average, orchids can live for 15 to 20 years. This is with good care and all the right conditions for plants to thrive. During this period, most orchids bloom once or twice a year for several weeks at a time.

The lifespan of an orchid varies a little by species or type. Most commonly cultivated orchids have the same general lifespan, mostly dictated by how well they are cared for.

Phalaenopsis, or moth orchid, is one of the most common types grown as houseplants. Moth orchids are known to live for 15 to 20 years in good conditions.

Dendrobium orchids are another popular species, which can live for 10 to 15 years. Most other common houseplant species have similar lifespans.

Which Orchids Have The Longest Lifespan?

Giant orchids have longer than average lifespans, but due to their large sizes are not typically grown as houseplants.

One example of a long-lived giant orchid is a specimen of tiger orchid (Grammatophyllum speciosum) growing at the Singapore Botanical Garden.

It was planted in the garden when it opened in 1861 and is still going today, making it more than 150 years old.

Do Garden Orchids Live For Longer?

Wild orchids living naturally in their native range likely live much longer than potted houseplant orchids. There has been little scientific study of how long orchids live, but some have been known to thrive in the wild for decades or longer.

If you live in a location that can support an orchid outdoors, it’s possible to keep a specimen for much longer than it would live in a container. This is, of course, assuming you can provide it with the right conditions and good care.

How Can I Extend an Orchid Lifespan?

The lifespan of an orchid plant might vary a little bit depending on the species, but how you care for it matters more. Choose any typical houseplant type of orchid, and take these steps to ensure you are able to enjoy it for many years:

• Potting mix. Start with the right orchid potting mix. Unless you have a terrestrial orchid species that grows in soil, use a mix designed for epiphyte orchids. These are air plants, so they should not have their roots submerged in soil. Orchid potting mix is often a blend of materials like bark, perlite, peat moss, and sphagnum moss.
• Drainage. The potting mix helps ensure drainage. Your orchid will not thrive in soggy conditions. To further promote drainage after watering, use special orchid containers with open slits on the side and holes on the bottom.
• Watering. Watering orchids correctly is vital for helping them live longer. A common error that kills orchids early is overwatering. Let the potting mix just dry out completely before watering again. Once or twice a week is a typical watering schedule for a potted orchid.
• Humidity. Provide adequate humidity. While orchids are sensitive to overwatering, most species thrive with humidity in the air. Use a pebble tray or mist your orchid daily to keep it happy.
• Sunlight. Orchid light needs vary by species, but most thrive in bright but indirect light, at least six hours per day. Too much direct sunlight will cause leaves to turn yellow or brown. Too little light will turn them dark green. Check the leaves to ensure they are getting the right light.
• Fertilizer. Orchid fertilizing should be done about once per week during the growing season. Choose a balanced orchid-specific product or dilute a standard houseplant fertilizer to about half-strength. During winter, or more accurately, after flowering, reduce or stop fertilizing your orchid.
• Temperature. Know your orchid’s temperature needs. Orchids grow in a variety of climates in the wild, so different species thrive in different conditions.
• Repotting. Repot orchids every few years to keep them happy. Go up to a slightly larger container each time. Signs your orchid could use a new pot include roots growing out of the drainage holes and the potting mix breaking down.

If you provide your orchid with everything it needs to thrive it should give you years of beautiful flowers.

Orchid leaves turning yellow can be a symptom of a health issue, but it can also be a normal part of the plant’s growth cycle. This makes it difficult for beginner growers to know what’s going on.

A mature, lower orchid leaf turning yellow is usually nothing to worry about. This is typical behavior, as the plant is getting ready to shed the leaf so that new growth can form. Leaf loss may intensify as the plant enters its dormant stage in winter.

However, excessive yellowing – particularly affecting new growth – is one of the more concerning orchid leaf problems. It's a sign of plant stress and usually signifies an issue with orchid care.

Why Are My Orchid Leaves Turning Yellow?

While you can’t prevent yellow orchid leaves falling off, you can diagnose and solve the issue to prevent further plant decline.

Below are the common reasons for yellowing leaves, and how to solve the issue before other orchid problems begin to surface.

Too Much Light

Orchid leaves turning yellow may be a sign that the plant is getting too much direct light. Check for sunburned orchid leaves, as this will be an obvious cause. In contrast, a plant that is not getting enough light exposure usually has dark green leaves.

Orchid light requirements vary between different types of orchids. However, most species do not like to be positioned in direct sunlight.

If your plant is currently in a sunny south-facing window, for example, then try moving it to an area that receives indirect bright light – ideally near an east or west-facing window.

Overwatering

Overwatering is a common cause of plant demise, so learning how to water orchids correctly is key to growing success.

If the roots are left sitting in too much water, it can swiftly cause root rot and orchid crown rot, which may not be noticeable until the orchid leaves turn yellow.

Allow the orchid potting medium to dry out a little between waterings. Don’t wait for it to become bone dry, or you could deprive the plant of water. However, check for signs of moisture before watering again.

Pseudobulb orchid species store some water within the plant, allowing for slightly drier periods between watering. However, those without water-storage capacity, such as the Phalaenopsis orchid, should not be allowed to dry out completely.

Push your finger down into the potting mix to feel for moisture, and check for signs of condensation on the pot.

For varieties with prominent aerial orchid roots, get to know what they should look like when hydrated (plump and silvery green), versus thirsty (dry and brown). Overwatered orchid roots will eventually go mushy, and potentially black or brown with rot.

Bear in mind that when an orchid is flowering, it should be watered more frequently. Cut down waterings once the flowers have faded.

Low Temperatures

If your orchid is positioned in a cold, drafty room, this could be the cause of yellow leaves. However, a loss of flowers or orchid buds falling off would likely occur first.

Orchids can be categorized as warm, intermediate, or cool-growing. Warm-growing orchids, which include Phalaenopsis and Vanda, require daytime temperatures of 70 to 85°F (21 to 29°C), with a nighttime minimum of 60°F (15°C).

Cool-growing orchids, including Cymbidium and Dendrobium, thrive in daytime temperatures of 60 to 70°F (15 to 21°C) and nighttime temperatures of at least 50°F (10°C).

Intermediate-growing orchids, such as Cattleya, Oncidium, and Paphiopedilum, need daytime temperatures of 65 to 75°F (18 to 24°C) and nighttime temperatures of at least 55°F (12°C).

Ensure your orchid is positioned in a room where it can receive these temperatures, and move it away from sources of cold drafts, such as air conditioner vents.

Poor Fertilizing

A lack of nutrients, such as iron, magnesium, or nitrogen, can cause an orchid’s leaves to turn yellow. Orchid fertilizing is an important aspect of care – but only while the plant is in an active growth stage.

A balanced water-soluble orchid fertilizer is the easiest solution – apply weekly or bi-weekly according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Cease fertilizing when the flowers drop, and wait until new leaves begin to grow before starting again.

Disease

Orchid diseases can cause leaves to turn yellow, but there are usually other symptoms present.

Check for spots on the leaves, as these indicate a fungal infection. Black spots are a sign of black rot; white spots are a sign of powdery mildew; and brown spots are a sign of bacterial brown spot, although they can also be caused by sunburn.

Bacterial soft rot is a common culprit, and can quickly lead to plant death. As well as yellowing, leaves may appear water-soaked, and the plant will likely have an unpleasant odor.

Where disease is present, the first step is to isolate the orchid from other plants, so that the infection is not transferred. However, it would be wise to treat neighboring plants with a preventative fungicide.

Remove affected tissue from the orchid with a sharp, sterile knife or hand pruners. This may just be the leaves, or you may have to cut into the pseudobulbs or rhizome.

To stop the infection from progressing into healthy areas, you should apply fungicide. Cinnamon is an effective natural fungicide – sprinkle it over the freshly exposed cuts, or even better make a paste with cooking oil or casein glue. Alternatively, use a fungicidal drench.

Where infection is severe, either discard the plant or try a systemic fungicide treatment, which is absorbed deep into the plant, and fights infection from within.

Fungal infections thrive in damp conditions with minimal airflow, so allow orchids to dry out a little between waterings, and use a fan to improve air circulation.

Pests

An insect invasion can lead to yellowing orchid leaves. Orchid pests can easily go unnoticed unless you regularly check the plant closely for small insects, including beneath leaves. Common culprits include aphids, mealybugs, scale, spider mites, thrips, and whiteflies.

You might first notice spots on leaves or sticky orchid leaves. Honeydew-producing insects, such as mealybugs and scale, may attract ants to the plant.

Pests can usually be cleaned off with damp paper towels. Dip the towels in water with a few drops of neem oil and a squirt of washing-up liquid, and wring out before wiping the plant over.

Where pests are particularly rampant, this can also be used as a repellent spray.

Should You Cut Off Yellow Orchid Leaves?

Unless disease is suspected, it is not necessary to remove yellow orchid leaves. However, this can be done for aesthetic reasons.

Yellow leaves will eventually become weak and easy to remove from the plant. At this stage, you can gently pull off the leaf, taking care not to dislodge the orchid from its potting mix.

If you want to remove the leaf in its early stages of decline, then use sharp, sterile scissors to cut it off at the base.

Orchids are dramatic houseplants that produce beautiful, long-lasting flowers. The display can last for several weeks – even months. But once blooms have faded, growers are eager for a repeat performance.

How often orchids bloom is affected by the individual species, the standard of orchid care, and the growing environment.

This article delves into the bloom rate of different types of orchids, and how to encourage orchids to flower more frequently.

How Often Do Orchids Bloom?

Most orchids bloom at least every 8-12 months. However, some species flower more frequently. The following orchid species bloom the most often:

• Phalaenopsis orchids – or moth orchids – are the most popular houseplant type. They are easy to grow and can easily be encouraged to bloom twice a year. Their flowers last for up to three months.
• Dendrobium orchids are also commonly found as houseplants. They are prolific bloomers and often flower two or more times per year.
• Vanda orchids have showy flowers that last up to three months. Some types only bloom once a year, while others can bloom multiple times.
• Cattleya orchids are available in many hybrid variants. Their flowers are frequently bicolored and often appear more than once a year.
• Oncidium orchids are a genus of around 300 species, many of which bloom twice a year. Oncidium flowers resemble dancing ladies.
• Miltonia orchids are known as pansy orchids, as their flowers resemble those of pansies. They often reliably bloom twice per year.

In general, hybrids created by orchid breeders are more likely to bloom more than once a year.

How Can I Make an Orchid Bloom More Often?

With good care, you can make an orchid rebloom more frequently than it would naturally. Provide the best conditions for your orchid, and you will likely get multiple bloom periods per year.

Different species might have slightly different needs, but in general, orchids grow and bloom best with:

• A special, non-soil orchid potting medium that drains water very quickly.
• Orchid light requirements make a big difference. Plants usually thrive in bright but indirect light, preferably from an eastern or southern window.
• Plenty of space to allow for airflow.
• The issue of how to water orchids – and more pertinently how often to water orchids – trips up many inexperienced growers. Aim for a frequency of approximately once per week in winter and twice per week in summer or warmer conditions.
• Orchids require moderate humidity in order to flower.
• Orchid fertilizing is essential for a regular show of flowers. Aim for every couple of weeks.

Bear in mind that getting an orchid to rebloom requires a period of rest and dormancy. Learn how to prune orchids correctly, and when your plant has finished blooming, snip off the flower spike. You should reduce water and fertilizer application to allow the plant to rest. During this time, it will strengthen its roots and prepare to rebloom.

Start providing regular care again when you see a new leaf appearing. When this new leaf has grown to full size, your orchid is probably ready to bloom again. You can speed up the process by moving the pot to a slightly cooler location at night. This temperature drop often nudges an orchid into bloom.

Be patient, provide your orchid with everything it needs, and you’ll have new flowers before you know it.

Why Is My Orchid Not Blooming?

One of the most common reasons an orchid fails to rebloom is inadequate light. Provide your plant with strong, indirect light.

Bright green leaves usually indicate an orchid is getting enough light. If the leaves grow darker in color, this could indicate they are not getting enough light.

Another reason orchids do not bloom is a lack of nutrients. Many orchid experts prefer to feed their plants weekly with diluted fertilizer (about half strength). Use a balanced product or one advertised to increase blooms.

It’s easy to overwater an orchid, which can also be a cause of delayed blooming. Overwatering can even kill your orchid. Avoid watering your orchid until it has dried out. Then, let water run all the way through the roots and drain out again.

Also make sure your orchid is growing in the appropriate medium, which allows water to drain away very quickly, and choose orchid containers with good drainage.

Confused about how often to water orchids? You're not alone – it is a common concern for owners of these stunning houseplants.

Understanding how to water orchids correctly is a huge part of the orchid care learning curve. Unfortunately, many growers find it challenging, and infrequent or excessive watering is the biggest cause of plant death.

Learning the key hydration signs to look for will help you spot whether your plant is too moist or dry, so you can respond correctly.

Don't forget that orchid fertilizing is an important part of plant care and should be done at the time of watering.

How Often To Water Orchids

Orchids generally need water once a week during the winter and twice during warmer weather. However, this is impacted by the ambient temperature, humidity levels, and chosen growing medium. Different types of orchids also have different needs.

In general, orchids with pseudobulbs, thick fleshy roots, or big leaves need watering less often than those with thin leaves or roots.

Pseudobulb orchid species, such as the Oncidium orchid, Cattleya orchid, and Dendrobrium orchid, have an advantage in that their pseudobulbs retain moisture. They should be allowed to dry out a little before being watered.

Meanwhile, species without pseudobulbs, such as the Vanda orchid and Paphiopedilum orchid, may need watering more frequently.

The ever-popular Phalaenopsis orchid has both thick roots and big leaves that reduce watering frequency. However, as it has no water storage organs, it should not be allowed to completely dry out.

While most orchids operate on a cycle of wet and dry, some prefer almost constant moisture, such as the Cymbidium orchid and monkey orchid.

Never ignore your orchids' watering needs for longer than 2-3 weeks.

Signs An Orchid Needs Watering

If the orchid potting mix has dried out, then it's time to water. You can feel for moisture by pushing your finger down into the mix about one inch deep. Also look for visual clues, such as condensation on the inner plastic pot.

However, the best way to learn how often to water orchids is to gain an understanding of root health.

Orchid roots are surrounded by a thin membrane called velamen. It not only soaks up lots of water rapidly, but also adheres to rough surfaces and facilitates the uptake of other nutrients.

If the velamen is dry and silvery, the orchid is likely dry and in need of a drink. Newly watered velamen should be green or mottled.

Black or dark brown roots with signs of rot usually mean the plant has been overwatered.

Many orchids are epiphyte plants that attach themselves to trees and get their water from rain or water vapor in the air. They aren’t used to drowning in water, which can lead to rot and the death of the plant.

How The Growing Medium Affects Watering

The orchid potting medium will also impact how often you should water. If a medium retains water well – such as pine bark nuggets or sphagnum moss – the orchid needs water less often. If, however, a less water-retentive medium is used – such as charcoal or clay pellets – the plant will need more frequent irrigation.

That said, a standard medium for orchids should contain a mix of fir bark, fern fiber, perlite, gravel and sphagnum moss.

Mounted orchids need more frequent waterings than those grown in containers.

Should I Water My Orchid More When It Is Flowering?

Water your orchid more often when it is nearing bud break or when it is in bloom. There is a fine line here though. Keep an eye on the plant’s roots and the potting medium to monitor for moisture. If the medium is drying out go ahead and water the plant, otherwise leave it for a while.

Fancy growing a unique species of orchid? Look no further than the monkey orchid, named for its remarkable resemblance to the face of a monkey.

The species most widely known as the monkey face orchid is the Capuchin-like Dracula simia, one of 135 species in the Dracula genus.

However, several other Dracula orchids also look like primates, most notably Dracula gigas, Dracula lotax, and Dracula vampira.

Dracula means "little dragon", and also nods to the infamous vampire. The name was bestowed on the species due to its curious flower forms, and the plants' liking for dark, nearly sunlight-free sites.

While it stands out from many commonly available types of orchids, the monkey orchid is not a beginner species. Orchid care for this variety is more challenging, and understanding the plant’s native range and climate is the key to success.

Where Do Monkey Face Orchids Grow?

In the wild, Dracula orchids range from Mexico to Peru, with Dracula simia native to Ecuador and Peru.

The climate in Ecuador is temperate year-round. There are two distinct seasons – rainy and dry – with mild to warm temperatures. In Peru, monkey orchids occur in the cloud forests, where temperatures are cool and the air is moist.

Monkey face orchids are epiphytes, meaning they grow in the crotches of trees where they get most of their nutrient needs from detritus and moisture from the air.

Gardeners who live in warm to temperate, mountainous regions can grow monkey orchid plants outdoors in a shady location. The rest of us will need to keep them indoors except for summer, since Dracula simia does not tolerate frost.

Monkey Orchid Care

The monkey orchid is fairly high maintenance. Recreating its natural growing conditions in the home can take some attention.

Flowers are produced in cool, dim locations, so growing them in a low-light area of the home is ideal. However, creating the high humidity necessary can take some doing.

Even with the best care, it may take 6-7 years to see a flower from a monkey orchid – unless you purchase an established plant.

Dracula simia is becoming endangered in its native range due to deforestation and other factors, so be sure to source your plant from a reputable breeder.

Light Requirements

Orchid light requirements are slightly different for every species. As a forest species, the Dracula orchid favors full to partial shade. The tree canopy forms a shelter from harsh sunlight and produces a dappled light.

Monkey flowers thrive in low-light situations, but will need filtered light for at least part of the day. If grown in a bright room, move the plant away from the window and use a gauze curtain to dim the light. The optimum shade level is 70 percent.

If you are using grow lights, the preferred range is 500-1,500 foot-candles.

Temperature & Humidity

The monkey orchid enjoys temperatures between 60°F to 85°F (16°C to 29°C). In its native range, it experiences cool nights – a condition that is difficult to mimic in our homes.

Moving the plant in the evening to an unheated room can provide this temperature variation.

Very high humidity levels are necessary to grow monkey face orchids – at least 80 percent. Use a humidifier and mist the plant daily to help increase the ambient moisture.

Their love of humidity makes monkey orchids good candidates for growing in an orchid terrarium, which allows more control over the growing environment.

Watering Needs

Learning how to water orchids correctly is one of the most important aspects for home growers.

Keep the growing medium moist for these little plants. They should not be allowed to dry out completely. Water needs are highest in the spring and summer, but are diminished by half in the winter.

The type of orchid container will determine how quickly the medium dries out. If it does dry, soak the entire container in water for an hour to fully rehydrate the medium.

Orchids can be picky about the type of water they receive. Municipal water supplies often have chemicals and other items added that the sensitive plants may react badly to, so use rainwater, demineralized, or distilled water.

Fertilizing

Orchid fertilizing is essential if you want more flowers. There are many orchid fertilizers available to purchase that will be sufficient.

Use a diluted half-strength formula at least once per month until flowers form. Using a bloom booster formula may encourage the plant to flower.

Soil & Compost

A commercially available orchid potting medium will provide the plant with adequate soil, but sphagnum moss is best. It will hold moisture and create the natural soilless conditions the plant enjoys in nature.

A mixture of 80 percent sphagnum moss and 20 percent perlite will provide a moist, cool home for the plant.

Pruning

Monkey orchids do not need pruning except to remove dead leaves as they occur. Once the flower has completely died, it may be gently removed.

Problems, Pests & Diseases

Overly dry medium is one of the most common orchid problems when caring for Dracula simia. Too much sunlight and extreme hot conditions are not good for this plant.

Dry plants can become prey to orchid pests, such as scale insects.

How to Propagate Monkey Orchids

Over time, Dracula orchids will produce offsets or "pups". These are identical to the parent plant, except smaller.

Allow these to grow for several months in the container with the parent. Then divide away the little plants and pot them up alone.

The plant does best when growing in clumps, so only divide away when there are more than three clumps.

With over 25,000 different types of orchids to choose from, in almost every color of the rainbow, growers are spoiled for choice.

Some exotic or unusual orchids are rarely seen outside specialty shows, or their remote natural habitat, while others are readily available to the novice grower.

Despite having a reputation for being difficult to grow, many orchid types will thrive as houseplants and don't need to be kept in a greenhouse. While other species are well suited to growing in the garden.

Orchid care must be tailored to the individual variety and its compatibility with the growing environment.

How To Choose Between Types Of Orchids

In this guide, we give an overview of the optimum temperature, humidity, and light requirements of different species of orchids.

Choose an orchid that fits in with your home or garden, rather than trying to change your environment to fit the orchid.

If you are a beginner grower, select plants classed as "Easy". Just because a plant is more difficult to grow, it isn't necessarily more beautiful. However, "Intermediate" and "Advanced" orchids offer a challenge for more experienced growers.

Most orchids are prized for their beautiful flowers, so opt for orchid varieties with long bloom times or frequent flowering periods.

Bear in mind, that to get an orchid to rebloom, most species require a drop between day and nighttime temperatures of 10°F to 15°F (5°C to 8°C).

Popular Orchid Varieties To Grow Indoors

With so many types of orchids to choose from, it's hard to know where to start. These popular indoor varieties are widely available to purchase from stores such as Home Depot, Walmart, and The Sill, and there is a wealth of care information available for each species.

Cattelya Orchid

Often referred to as the corsage flower, the Cattleya orchid is a native of South America and loves heat and light.

It produces some of the most colorful, unique flowers in the orchid world and with proper care can last for decades.

Grow Cattleya orchids in rooms that feel almost stuffy and place them where they can get as much sunlight as possible without burning them.

• Difficulty level: Easy
• Daytime temperature: 70-85°F (24-30°C)
• Humidity: 50-80%
• Light: Bright, indirect

Cymbidium Orchid

The Cymbidium orchid – or boat orchid – is a real showstopper that can produce up to 30 flowers on one spike, lasting months at a time.

It’s a great choice of houseplant, but can also be grown in the garden, as long as it is protected from frosts and receives plenty of water in warmer months.

Indoors, Cymbidiums are ideal for cool, bright rooms.

• Difficulty level: Easy
• Daytime temperature: 50-80°F (10-27°C)
• Humidity: 50-60%
• Light: Bright

Dendrobium Orchid

Tougher than many other varieties, the Dendrobium orchid is often recommended for people who are afraid to grow orchids. Dendrobium is a catch-all orchid species, with popular varieties including Nobile and Kingianum.

Plants tolerate lower moisture in the air than other varieties and can take a wide range of air temperatures.

Their flowers are particularly beautiful, with up to 50 blooms on one stem, and can last up to four weeks.

Plant dendrobium orchids in a small pot, as they need their roots to be crowded in order to thrive.

• Difficulty level: Easy
• Daytime temperature: 65-75°F (18-24°C)
• Humidity: 50-70%
• Light: Bright, indirect

Epidendrum Orchid

Encompassing many species with either pseudobulbs or cane-like stems and various sizes, the Epidendrum orchid family is ideal for growing indoors. However, they can be grown outdoors in warmer areas, particularly in Florida.

Epidendrums are low-maintenance, but the flowers are nearly ever-blooming and highly fragrant. Plants prefer warm temperatures, filtered to bright light, and high humidity.

• Difficulty level: Easy
• Daytime temperature: Above 50°F (10°C)
• Humidity: 50-80%
• Light: Bright, filtered

Ludisia Jewel Orchid

Ludisia, or jewel orchid, is an unusual variety that is easy to grow. Unlike most orchids, its leaves are the star of the show, which are velvety in texture and red and green in color.

It also produces white or pale yellow flowers, mostly during the winter or early spring.

Plants are easy to propagate by breaking off a piece of rhizome and rooting it in soil.

Ludisia is a terrestrial orchid, which means it needs to be planted in soil rather than orchid potting mix. A commercial African violet mix is ideal.

• Difficulty level: Easy
• Daytime temperature: 60-80°F (16-27°C)
• Humidity: 50-70%
• Light: Medium to bright, indirect

Miltonia Orchid

Often called the “pansy orchid” because of its open, flat flowers, the Miltonia orchid family is divided into warm-growing, small-flowered varieties and cool-growing, large-flowering types.

These plants will bloom early in the spring and the flowers will last up to five weeks. Some hardy varieties will bloom again in the fall,

Miltonia orchids like filtered to shady light, high humidity, good air circulation, and evenly moist mediums. They struggle in periods of high heat.

• Difficulty level: Intermediate
• Daytime temperature: 70-80°F (21-27°C)
• Humidity: 60-80%
• Light: Low to medium

Oncidium Orchid

The Oncidium orchid family is vast. Known as “dancing lady”, named for its fluttering flowers, Oncidium's long-lasting blooms are most often found in shades of yellow and brown

These epiphytic orchids prefer to have their roots exposed to the air, hanging over the edge of pots. They are fussy when it comes to temperature, and require an above-average difference between day and night time of up to 20°F (11°C).

• Difficulty level: Intermediate
• Daytime temperature: 70-85°F (24-29°C)
• Humidity: 30-60%
• Light: Bright, indirect

Paphiopedilum Orchid

The Paphoipedloium orchid – or slipper orchid – is easy to care for but prized by collectors for its stunning, long-lasting blooms that can endure for three months. It’s a varied species, and some plants have striped or variegated leaves, and others have flowers with spots, stripes, or patterns.

Most Paphiopedilum species are terrestrial orchids, which means they grow in soil. Terrestrial orchids should be grown in a pot, not in a hanging mount as is sometimes used for tree-dwelling epiphyte orchids. Growing Paphiopedilum terrestrial orchids outdoors is also possible in tropical and subtropical climates.

There are two types of Paphiopedilum: warm and cool, requiring different temperatures. Although all require low lighting.

• Difficulty level: Easy
• Daytime temperature: Warm varieties 75-85°F (23-29°C); cool varieties 75-80°F (23-26°C)
• Humidity: 40-50%
• Light: Low

Phalaenopsis Orchid

Phalaenopsis orchid, also known as the moth orchid, is the most popular houseplant variety. It’s a great choice for beginner growers as it is fairly hardy and has showy, exotic-looking flowers.

Phalaenopsis blooms once or twice a year, and each flower can last up to three months with the proper care.

• Difficulty level: Easy
• Daytime temperature: 65-75°F (18-24°C)
• Humidity: 50-80%
• Light: Diffused or low light

Vanda Orchid

The Vanda orchid produces some of the most stunning flowers in the orchid world. Its family is divided into two main groups based on the shape of the plant’s leaves: strap-leaved (will bloom indoors) and terete-leaved, which are round and pencil-shaped (does not bloom inside).

Vanda orchids bloom several times a year with flowers available in a range of colors. The foliage is thick and round, with a glossy waxy sheen. Plants range in size from miniatures to several feet tall, requiring support.

• Difficulty level: Easy
• Daytime temperature: 70-90°F (20-32°C)
• Humidity: 60-80%
• Light: Strap-leaved bright, indirect; terete-leaved bright, direct

Orchids To Grow In The Garden

Wild orchids mainly grow in warm, humid environments. However, there are orchids in almost every part of the world, including colder areas.

Here we reveal the most common orchids that may be grown in gardens. Native orchids are most likely to thrive but check that the species is compatible with your USDA planting zone before investing.

Bletilla Striata

Also called the hardy Chinese ground orchid, Bletilla striata is native to China and Japan, but happily grows in many gardens in the US and the UK.

The orchid's elegant pink-to-purple flowers bloom in the spring, and will readily naturalize where optimum growing conditions are met through rhizomes.

It's ideal for growing in containers, and in cooler areas plants can be overwintered indoors.

• Difficulty level: Easy
• USDA hardiness zones: 5-9
• Soil requirements: Well-draining, rich
• Sun exposure: Partial shade

Calanthe Orchid

Often referred to as the Christmas orchid, Calanthe is a genus of orchids made up of only five species. They can be categorized as either evergreen or deciduous. Both types have a long bloom period, and the latter needs pruning in the fall.

Most Calanthe orchids are hardy in USDA zone 7, but they may be planted in zone 6 if protected from frost. This makes them a good candidate for growing in containers.

• Difficulty level: Easy to Intermediate
• USDA hardiness zones: 6-11
• Soil requirements: Well-draining, rich
• Sun exposure: Partial shade

Calopogon Tuberosus Orchid

Native to North America and parts of the Caribbean, Calopogon tuberosus – also known as the "grass pink" orchid – thrives in bogs and wetlands in the wild, and may also be spotted in prairies with wet depressions.

These orchids require constant moisture, so ideally plant at the side of a stream so that the roots get fresh, clean water. You can try growing them at the edge of a pond, but disease is a risk.

Calopogon tuberosus is rare and should never be collected from the wild. Find a specialist nursery that cultivates the flowers.

• Difficulty level: Intermediate
• USDA hardiness zones: 3-9
• Soil requirements: Wet, but well-draining
• Sun exposure: Full sun

Epipactis Orchid

The Epipactis orchid (Epipactis helleborine) is a rarity in that, in certain environments, it can become invasive and take over.

Native to Europe, Epipactis now grows all over the eastern and central US and Canada, as well as in some places in the west.

The root system is large and fibrous, and the plants produce stems reaching 3.5 feet (1m) tall. The flowers are very pretty and bloom in late summer or early fall, with each stem producing as many as 50 small flowers. Colors range from bluish-purple to pink-red or greenish-brown.

This species is low maintenance but check with your county extension office whether it is invasive in your area before planting.

• Difficulty level: Easy
• USDA hardiness zones: 2-9
• Soil requirements: Light, well-draining
• Sun exposure: Full sun

Ladies Tresses Orchid

Ladies tresses orchid (Spiranthes cernua) grows wild throughout most of the central and eastern areas of the United States and Canada.

A terrestrial orchid, it produces fragrant clusters of small white, yellow, or greenish flowers on spiky stems reaching heights of up to two feet (61cm).

Ladies tresses orchids are easy to grow, and slowly colonize via underground rhizomes. Don’t attempt to remove plants from the wild – they can be found at nurseries that specialize in wildflowers or native plants.

• Difficulty level: Easy
• USDA hardiness zones: 5-9
• Soil requirements: Moist, acidic
• Sun exposure: Partial shade

Lady Slipper Orchid

The native lady slipper orchid (Cypripedium) is a special sight to behold in the wild. Yet, adding them to the garden is not a difficult feat. They are particularly well suited to woodlands, so try growing them in dappled sunlight under tall trees.

There are numerous varieties, some of which are endangered, but many can be easily sourced through nurseries. Flowers come in white, yellow, pink, and almost purple.

Lady slippers need well-aerated soil and moist conditions in order to thrive.

• Difficulty level: Intermediate
• USDA hardiness zones: 3-8
• Soil requirements: Moist but well-draining and aerated
• Sun exposure: Partial shade

Spathoglottis Ground Orchid

Also known as the ground orchid, the Spathoglottis orchid thrives outdoors in a warm environment. However, those in cooler areas can grow them in containers and bring them indoors in the cold months.

The brightly colored flowers come in a range of hues, and bloom for long periods throughout the growing season, reaching 2 feet (61cm) tall.

As a terrestrial orchid, Spathoglottis grows in soil, though it's best to plant it in a water-retentive potting mix, such as fir bark mixed with peat moss and perlite.

Spathoglottis is a versatile orchid that tolerates light shade to full sunlight. However, warm air temperature is non-negotiable. They require temperatures in the 80s during the day and no cooler than 50°F (10°C) at night.

• Difficulty level: Easy
• USDA hardiness zones: 9-10
• Soil requirements: Well-draining, rich
• Sun exposure: Partial shade to full sun

White Egret Orchid

Also known as the crane orchid, the white egret orchid (Habenaria radiata) is named for its striking resemblance to birds in flight.

The beautiful fringed flowers have strappy, deep green leaves and grow primarily in grassy wetlands, shady glades, or bogs.

While the Asia natives are endangered in their natural habitat, they will multiply generously in gardens when well-suited to the environment.

The white egret orchid is suitable for growing in USDA zones 5 through 10, although with proper care and ample mulch, it may tolerate more northern climes. Alternatively, grow them in pots and overwinter indoors.

• Difficulty level: Easy to Intermediate
• USDA hardiness zones: 5-10
• Soil requirements: Moist but well-draining
• Sun exposure: Partial shade to full sun

Rare & Unusual Orchids

If you're looking to enrich your home or garden with a more unusual variety of orchid, then you will find one among these rarer species.

Bear in mind, that rare orchids may be more difficult to grow, so start with a more common houseplant type before graduating to an expert variety.

Bee Orchid

Native to Europe, the bee orchid – or Ophrys apifera – has evolved to look like a bee to attract the precious pollinators. Despite this, it is self-fertile.

In the US, the orchid can be grown outdoors in hardiness zones 6-9. It is not widely available, but seeds can be sourced from specialist retailers. Unfortunately, it takes several years for bee orchids to reach flowering maturity.

Plant bee orchids in a location free of pesticides and herbicides, as they may kill the plants, which also do not require fertilizing. When well suited to the growing environment, bee orchids will naturalize in lawns.

• Difficulty level: Easy to Intermediate
• USDA hardiness zones: 6-9
• Soil requirements: Most neutral to alkaline soil types
• Sun exposure: Partial shade

Brassavola Orchid

Despite its ethereal appearance and lesser-known status, the Brassavola orchid is easy to grow and ideal for beginners.

In particular, Brassavola nodosa is a prized species. Its white flowers are understated but possess a delicious citrus-like fragrance, which is only emitted at night.

Brassavola nodosa is smaller than some other species of orchid and has pseudobulbs, which help plants to retain moisture.

• Difficulty level: Easy
• Daytime temperature: 65-80°F (18-27°C)
• Humidity: 50-80%
• Light: Bright, indirect

Cataseum orchid

The Catasetum orchid is a fascinating species that will often discharge its pollen masses onto pollinators. It is unique in that it mostly produces separate male and female flowers but can also have hermaphroditic blooms.

Plants have striking waxy flowers with distinct flowering and rest periods. When resting, they will lose their leaves. During dormancy, the orchids don’t require much care and should be allowed to dry out significantly.

Catasetums require less care than many orchids but do have high heat requirements. They are ideal for growing in a greenhouse or outside in a warm climate.

• Difficulty level: Easy to Intermediate
• Daytime temperature: 80-100°F (27-38°C).
• Humidity: 40-60%
• Light: Bright

Ghost Orchid

The elusive ghost orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii) is an endangered native species that is popular among growers seeking a challenge.

Ghost orchids have no foliage, but possess graceful white flowers that emit a sweet scent at night. Their striking aerial roots need to be mounted onto tree bark, rather than planted into potting mix.

Sadly, the ghost orchid is rare for a reason, as it is extremely difficult to grow in the home environment. Many have tried and failed. However, if you want to try to beat the odds, it's worth knowing that the plant is well suited to growing in an orchid terrarium.

• Difficulty level: Advanced
• Daytime temperature: 70-85°F (21-29°C)
• Humidity: 50-80%
• Light: Bright, indirect

Monkey Orchid

The monkey orchid (Dracula simia) is one of the most curious types of orchid. Native to the tropical highland forests of Ecuador, the flowers bear an uncanny resemblance to monkey faces.

They can be grow at home, but take several years to flower. However, plants can bloom at any time of year and have a long lifespan of up to 20 years. The flowers have a pleasant citrus scent.

Monkey orchids require cooler temperatures with plenty of humidity and moisture, and low light levels.

• Difficulty level: Intermediate
• Daytime temperature: 60-85°F (16-29°C)
• Humidity: 70-80%
• Light: Low, indirect

Tulip Orchid

Widely known as the tulip orchid, Anguloa uniflora is native to the Andes regions around Venezuela, Columbia, and Ecuador. It's also known as the swaddled baby orchid, due to its appearance of a tiny baby swathed in blankets in the flower interior.

Tulip orchids' cream-colored petals are waxy and smell of cinnamon scented. The flowers are long-lasting.

While these elegant orchids can be grown outdoors in USDA zones 11 to 13, they are also good candidates for houseplants or growing in a heated greenhouse. However, they like high humidity and plenty of misting.

• Difficulty level: Intermediate
• Daytime temperature: 60-80°F (16-27°C)
• Humidity: 70-80%
• Light: Medium, filtered

Vanilla Orchid

You may be surprised to know that vanilla comes from orchids – specifically the vanilla orchid, Vanilla planifola.

While their vines make an attractive addition to the home, Vanilla orchids have an exacting list of requirements if they are to produce flowers and fruit. Plants require high temperatures of 80-95°F (27-35°C) in the day and 60-70°F (17-16°C) at night, and thrive with humidity and air movement.

If you get everything right, your vanilla vine may bear large greenish-yellow flowers that turn into vanilla pods in eight to nine months.

• Difficulty level: Advanced
• Daytime temperature: 80-95°F (27-35°C)
• Humidity: 70-85%
• Light: Bright, indirect, filtered

Zygopetalum Orchid

The Zygopetalum orchid has exotic flowers that are highly fragrant – their scent can fill a whole room. Blooms are typically green with brown stripes or spots and a white lip with velvety accents of purple, pink, or maroon.

Native to South America, Zygopetalum has specific care needs and requires intermediate temperatures with plenty of humidity and moisture. However, they are generally trouble-free. Gardeners in USDA zones 9-10 can grow them outside with some shade; otherwise, they can be grown indoors.

These orchids are epiphytes but do not grow aerial roots, so the roots should be planted below the potting medium or right on top of it.

• Difficulty level: Easy to Intermediate
• Daytime temperature: 70-80°F (21-27°C)
• Humidity: 50-70%
• Light: Bright, indirect

Orchids make the most beautiful houseplants, possessing long-blooming exotic flowers and an elegant form. They have a reputation for being prima donnas, but nothing could be further from the truth.

Follow the basic rules of indoor orchid care, and you will enjoy growing healthy, happy houseplants for years to come.

The Golden Rule Of Orchid Care

There is one golden rule that encompasses all aspects of orchid care. It is to always replicate the plants' natural growing conditions as closely as possible. In this guide, we delve into what this means for your orchid.

Wild orchids grow in warm regions of Asia and Central and South America.

They are either terrestrial orchids, with roots in the ground, or epiphytes – air plants attached to trees that get water from the air. Many epiphyte orchids have aerial orchid roots.

Recreating these growing conditions means providing appropriate light exposure, irrigation, temperature, planting medium, and fertilizer.

There are also procedures to encourage rebloom once an orchid has ceased flowering.

Which Type Of Orchid?

The orchid group of houseplants is vast and varied – there are over 25,000 species in existence in an array of different orchid colors.

Orchids all look different since each one has evolved to appeal to their particular pollinator. But they share the same distinct flower characteristics: an inner group of three petals, including the protruding lower lip petal – or labellum – and three outer sepals. Sometimes the petals and sepals are fused together.

Despite the huge number of species in the wild, the types of orchids available to purchase as houseplants are limited to those adaptable to growing indoors. Popular varieties include:

• Phalaenopsis orchid – Also known as the moth orchid, this is the most commonly available variety. It is also the easiest orchid to grow indoors. Plants have broad leaves and long-lasting flowers on arching stems. This Just Add Ice Purple Petite Orchid from Walmart is a lovely starter plant for beginner growers.
• Dendrobium orchid – There are many varieties of this popular orchid species, which grows showy flowers that bloom for several weeks. Each stem can have as many as 50 blooms.
• Cattleya orchid – This “queen of the orchids” is also known as the corsage orchid. It produces some of the brightest, most uniquely formed flowers in the orchid world.
• Oncidium orchid – Also known as the dancing lady orchid, oncidium is a quick-growing orchid featuring a mass of fluttering blooms on each spike.
• Paphiopedilum orchid – This easy-care orchid with long-lasting blooms is often called the slipper orchid due to the unusual shape of its flowers.

If you're looking to expand your current orchid collection, this variety pack of 5 orchid plants from Angel’s Orchids via Amazon is great value for money. It includes Cattleya, Oncidium, Dendrobium, Vanda, and Phalaenopsis.

Once you have learned how to care for orchids indoors, you can try growing them in the garden. North America boasts over 250 native orchids.

Most will prefer a warmer, more humid climate, but those in cooler USDA zones can try growing lady slipper orchids or hardy Chinese ground orchids.

Orchid Light Requirements

Do orchids need sunlight? Yes – but each variety has its own light requirements. When you buy an orchid, this is the first thing to check so it can be positioned in a spot where it can thrive.

All orchids need light if they are to produce flowers. Inadequate light is the most common culprit when orchids fail to bloom. If your home lacks a suitably bright window, supplementing natural light with the GooingTop full-spectrum clip-on grow light, available from Amazon, can provide the consistent brightness orchids need without exposing their leaves to harsh direct sunlight.

However, too much light on low-light orchids, such as Phalaenopsis or Paphiopedilum, can lead to sunburned orchid leaves. These species require bright but filtered light, ideally from an east or west-facing window.

High-light orchids, such as Cattleya and some Dendrobiums, require more direct light, and can usually be positioned closer to the glass in a west or south-facing window.

Medium-light orchids, such as Oncidium and some Dendrobiums, require a middle ground. They may be positioned close to the glass in a west-facing window, or a more filtered spot near a south-facing window.

Trial and error is an important part of orchid care, and will enable you to work out the right level of light exposure. If an orchid has very dark green leaves, it needs more light, while light leaves with yellow coloration are likely the result of too much light.

Ideal Orchid Temperature

Meeting an orchid's temperature requirements is the hardest aspect for home growers to control. When learning how to take care of orchids, it's best to choose a species compatible with your location and the room you want to position it.

Orchids are not all alike when it comes to preferred temperatures. They can be grouped as warm, intermediate, and cool-growing orchids.

Cool-growing orchids, such as Cymbidium and Dendrobium, need daytime temperatures of 60 to 70°F (15 to 21°C) and nighttime temperatures of at least 50°F (10°C).

Intermediate-growing orchids, such as Cattleya, Oncidium, and Paphiopedilum, require daytime temperatures of 65 to 75°F (18 to 24°C) and nighttime temperatures of at least 55°F (12°C).

Warm-growing orchids, such as Phalaenopsis and Vanda, prefer temperatures of 70 to 85°F (21 to 29°C) in the daytime, and a minimum of 60°F (15°C) at night and in winter.

A drop in temperature of 10 to 15°F between day and night is needed if plants are to flower. Orchids also require seasonal variation to mimic their natural growing conditions, with cooler winters and warmer summers.

Most orchids will survive a short period of extreme heat in the summer, although it will place stress on the plant. Relocate your orchid to a cooler spot until the temperature drops.

Watering Orchids Indoors

When learning how to water orchids, the biggest mistake growers make is overwatering. Orchids are not thirsty plants, and generally like their growing medium to dry out between waterings.

On average, orchids need water every week during the growing season. Once the orchid stops blooming, you can cut back on water, since the plant is resting. If you have an orchid with a small pot, you may need to water twice a week when the plant is actively growing.

Before watering, first test to see if the potting medium is dry. To do this, push your finger an inch (2.5cm) deep to feel for moisture.

Another check you can perform is to look for condensation on the inside of the plastic container. If moisture is visible, then hold off.

When watering your orchid, do it deeply, so that water leaks out from the pot’s bottom drainage holes. Most orchids will tolerate tap water, but ideally use filtered water or rainwater. This should be tepid, as cold water can shock the plant. Allow the water to fully drain before returning the orchid to its outer pot, as the roots dislike sitting in water.

Orchids thrive in a humid environment. You can increase humidity for houseplants by sitting pots on a tray filled with gravel and a little water, like this twin pack of humidity trays from Amazon. Alternatively, invest in a humidifier, like this Homedics Cool Mist Ultrasonic Humidifier.

Another option is to make an orchid terrarium, which will promote humidity. While their dislike of soggy roots makes it sound unlikely, growing orchids in water can provide a solution that allows the plants to stay hydrated without rotting. Rather than being constantly submerged, roots are usually soaked for two days and then allowed to dry out for five days.

Some growers leave plants constantly in water, but not all orchids will respond well to this.

Fertilizing Orchids

Orchid fertilizing is a vital aspect of orchid care and encourages plants to bloom.

Apply fertilizer when the plant is actively growing and flowering, but not in excess.

Use a water-soluble fertilizer specifically formulated for orchids, like this one from Espoma, available at Walmart. If your orchid is planted in bark, use a fertilizer with a higher nitrogen ratio, such as 30-10-10 or 15-5-5. Other orchids do well with evenly balanced formula fertilizer ratios, such as 20-20-20. Apply according to the label's instructions.

Fertilize orchids weekly or bi-weekly while they are producing new growth. Decrease the feedings to monthly or bi-monthly intervals once they mature.

After flowering, stop fertilizing until new leaves start growing.

Repotting Orchids

If your orchid stops blooming but has all the suitable growing conditions, repotting may be necessary. Knowing how to repot an orchid the right way will prevent root rot issues and make room for the plant's expanding root system.

When to repot orchids can depend on the species. However, on average, you will need to do it every other year.

You may be able to reuse the orchid container, but if you can’t squeeze the root mass back in, go up one pot size. This attractive Meshpot design from Amazon features aeration holes and grooves to guide root growth.

1. Remove the orchid from the old pot and get the potting medium away from the roots.
2. Soak the roots, then cut off dead, soft, or hollow roots using sterile scissors or hand pruners.
3. Hold the orchid in the container and add coarse soilless potting medium, using a pencil or chopstick to get it between the roots.
4. When done, water the newly potted plant thoroughly.

Best Orchid Potting Medium

If orchid roots sit in moisture for long periods, they will rot and the plant will die. This means they should not be planted in soil.

Instead, use a soilless orchid potting medium with good aeration and drainage, or purchase a special “orchid mix". Rosy Soil's Orchid Potting Mix is enriched with biochar, mycorrhizae, and beneficial microbes to support root development and nutrient uptake.

Several types of growing media can be used with orchid plants: redwood or fir bark, sphagnum peat moss, sponge rock, cork, coconut husk, charcoal, sand, or soilless potting mix.

A basic mix to promote good orchid care might consist of coarse perlite, fir bark, and sphagnum moss. Adding charcoal is also an option.

Generally, the grade of bark you add to the mix depends on the type of orchid you are growing. For instance, Phalaenopsis orchids are usually grown in coarse bark, Cattleyas in medium bark, and young orchid plants are best grown in fine bark.

Alternatively, mount the orchid plant to a chunk of bark or cork to let it grow as an epiphyte.

Pruning Orchids

Removing old stems and dead flowers will make way for new growth. When determining how to prune orchids, check the variety as different orchids need a different approach.

Some species, such as Phalaenopsis orchids, will thrive when both the spent flowers and stem are removed. Trim the stem about an inch (2.5cm) away from the main stalk, and cut back any parts of the main stalk that are yellow or brown. Felco's F322 precision pruning snips from Amazon are ideal for this delicate pruning job.

Other species, including Dendrobium orchids, need the flowers to be removed but not the stem, as they will reflower on the same stem.

How To Make Orchids Rebloom

Understanding your plant’s blooming cycle is key to knowing how to get an orchid to rebloom. Some naturally bloom throughout the year, others only once. However, you can usually encourage more flowers indoors.

Lack of light and incorrect temperature are the main factors preventing orchids from reblooming. So, check that your orchid variety is compatible with its location.

It's usually worth moving an orchid to a brighter spot to see if more light encourages a new flower spike.

Seasonal temperature variation can play a part too, so orchids after flowering care may involve moving the orchid to a cooler location.

Next, check your watering and fertilizing routine. While orchids don't like to sit in water, if you err too much on the side of caution, you won't get any new flowers. Make sure you are watering regularly, and fertilizing in growth periods.

As soon as you see a new spike, get some stakes in place, so you can train the stem. This set of support stakes and orchid clips on Amazon does the job.

Propagating Orchids

While not an essential part of orchid plant care, learning how to propagate orchids will keep you in permanent supply of these exotic beauties, and enable you to give them as gifts.

Growing orchids from seed is one possibility. However, it is difficult to get seeds to germinate, and it may be several years before you will get any flowers.

A pseudobulb orchid is a much easier option. Pseudobulbs are pod-like structures that grow directly below the leaves and have the potential to grow into a new plant.

Pseudobulb propagation is best performed early in the spring before new bulbs appear. When repotting the orchid, locate the main underground stem. This should have a number of pods along its length.

You need to slice the stem into pieces, each with two or three pseudobulbs, and the first bulb in each strand starting to bud. These can then be planted into new pots into a suitable orchid planting medium.

Planting an orchid keiki is the other viable option for propagating orchids. Orchid keikis are offshoots from the mother plant. They grow from buds on the cane, usually the upper portion. You can encourage one using this Crazy Keiki Cloning Paste from Southside Plants Store.

Keikis can be easily grown into new plants. Leave them in place until they have sprouted new leaves and shoots around 2 inches (5cm) long. When root growth begins, remove the keiki and pot it up using orchid planting mix.

Common Orchid Problems

When orchid problems occur, they are usually linked to a failure in the plant's care. However, sometimes they are a sign of orchid diseases.

If you spot any common orchid leaf problems, or issues with the stem, roots, or flowers, use them to diagnose the problem.

If left unchecked, these common orchid problems could result in root rot or orchid crown rot, which are serious issues that could result in plant death.

• An orchid leaf turning yellow could be a sign of an orchid receiving too much light, low temperatures, or overwatering.
• An orchid stem turning yellow may be a result of too much light, overwatering, disease, or lack of fertilizing.
• An orchid stem turning brown may be a result of sunburn – or it may just be time to trim it back.
• If orchid leaves are droopy, then incorrect watering is the most likely issue.
• Black spots on orchid leaves are a symptom of black rot. This is a serious issue that needs urgent treatment. You will need to cut away any diseased tissue and apply a fungicide such as cinnamon.
• Wrinkled orchid leaves are a sign of underwatering.
• Orchid leaves turning brown may be a sign of incorrect watering, sunburn, disease, or pests.
• White spots on orchid leaves may be caused by overwatering, fungal infections or pests.
• Orchid leaves curling may be caused by inconsistent light levels.
• Orchid leaves falling off may be due to improper watering, lack of fertilization, pests, or disease.
• Sticky orchid leaves aren't necessarily a problem, but can sometimes be caused by pests.
• Orchid flowers falling off is usually due to stress caused by changes in temperature, or improper watering or fertilizing.
• Orchid buds falling off is called bud blast, and is a stress response to environmental issues such as sudden temperature changes or air pollution.

As far as orchid diseases go, you may see leaf spots, petal blight, bacterial soft rot and many different viruses.

Orchid Pests

Orchids don't commonly suffer from pest problems, but it does sometimes happen.

To manage orchid pests you need to first identify which critter is causing the problem. They fall into two categories: sap-sucking and chewing insects. The latter include caterpillars and slugs, which rarely present an issue for indoor orchid care.

Sap-sucking insects remove plant sap, which hinders the orchid's ability to fuel itself. These insects include aphids, scale, mealybugs, thrips, whiteflies, and spider mites.

Pests can usually be washed off or treated with insecticidal soap, like this Garden Safe product from Amazon.

Inspect plants daily, as the sooner you tackle the problem, the better the outcome for the orchid.

The second largest family of flowering plants, orchids grow on all seven continents in various climates. Despite their prolificity, orchids get a bit of a bad rap – noted more for their difficulty when cultivated.

Though orchid care can prove challenging for some growers, the plants' sheer beauty tempts many of us to grow them, sometimes with disastrous results. Beginners are often guilty of making a multitude of orchid care mistakes.

All is not lost, however. With a tally of about 28,000 types of orchids, there’s sure to be an easy-to-grow – or at least easier – orchid for even the newest houseplant enthusiast.

Keep reading to learn about our top 5 hard-to-kill orchids that anyone can grow.

1. Phalaenopsis or Moth Orchid

The Phalaenopsis orchid – or moth orchid – is the most common type grown as a houseplant. Often called “beginner’s orchids", Phals can be purchased almost everywhere from Walmart to the local supermarket.

They come in an array of colors and while they look exotic, easily thrive in average home temperature, humidity, and light conditions. Their stunning blooms last for 2-3 months and, with proper care, the plant can live for 15-20 years.

To meet its orchid light requirements, position Phalaenopsis in partial to full shade, ideally in an east-facing window.

Beginners often worry about how to water orchids, but a good soaking every 7 days usually suffices.

Phalaenopsis thrives with orchid fertilizing once a month. Use a fertilizer made for orchids. Gently wash the leaves off with a soft cloth dipped in water. Repot orchids every year or so.

2. Dendrobium Orchid

Dendrobium orchids comprise one of the largest genera of orchids. Native to much of Asia, Australia, Vietnam, and many Pacific Islands, Dendrobium orchids are primarily epiphytic or lithophytic, although a few grow in soil.

They bloom from the top of their canes, producing up to 20 often aromatic blooms that last for 1-3 months.

Like Phalaenopsis orchids, Dendrobium orchids should be kept in an area that receives partial sun for at least 6 hours per day, such as an eastern exposure window.

To make orchids rebloom, water is often withheld for several weeks in the late fall. Except for this dormancy period, water these orchids weekly and feed them at the same time with a weak orchid fertilizer solution.

The easiest Dendrobium orchid to cultivate is D. kingianum, a fast-growing orchid that adapts well to a variety of conditions.

3. Cattleya Orchid

Referred to as the “corsage orchid”, the Cattleya orchid is a popular florist orchid that comes in a variety of hybridized colors, often accented with streaking or speckles.

Cattleya orchids like a warm room of at least 70-80°F (21-27°C) during the day, with plenty of bright yet indirect light; again, an easterly window is best. This orchid likes a humidity range of between 40-70%.

Native to Costa Rica and areas of South America, this flamboyant orchid only flowers about once a year, but what a flowering it is! That said, there is a hybrid of Cattleya and Laelia orchids that has been created to bloom more than once a year.

Water weekly or when the orchid potting medium is dry. Do not overwater or let this orchid sit in water. Fertilize with an orchid food at quarter strength each week.

Unfortunately, orchid pests seem to adore this variety. Keep an eye out for scale, thrips, and spider mites. That said, they make great beginner orchid houseplants.

4. Cymbidium Orchid

Cymbidium orchids – or boat orchids – have large, waxy blooms that come in an array of colors. One of the oldest horticultural orchids in the world, cymbidium makes an excellent cut orchid. Native from much of India to South-East Asia, boat orchids have a unique three-lobed lip.

The large, 4-5 inch (10-12cm) wide flowers are produced in the summer. Some species or hybrids of Cymbidium are also sweetly scented.

Cymbidium thrives in warm, humid conditions with a distinct drop in temperature at night. Water each week to keep the medium moist and fertilize after watering with diluted orchid food.

The smaller Asian miniature Cymbidiums are perfect for beginner orchid growers as they do not need a chilling period to trigger blooming and acclimate well to the warm year-round temperatures of the home environment.

5. Paphiopedilum Orchid

Paphiopedilum orchids – or "slipper" orchids – are semi-terrestrial orchids. They grow in humus on cliffs or the forest floor.

If you can grow the African violet – a common blooming houseplant – you can easily grow slipper orchids. Plus Paphiopedilum is one of the easiest orchids to get to rebloom.

The blooms have a unique slipper-shaped lip available in a multitude of colors replete with strips, hairs, and other markings that usually bloom from November to March. The gloriously quirky blooms can last for up to 3 months and generally need to be staked.

There are two types of Paphiopedilum: warm and cool. Warm slipper orchids require temperatures between 75-85°F (23-29°C) during the day and 60-65°F (15-18°C) at night, while their cooler counterparts need daytime temperatures of 75-80°F (23-26°C) and 50-60°F (10-15°C) at night.

Either variety requires low lighting conditions. Shade to partial shade during the summer and in a bright window in the winter.

Slipper orchids are not pseudobulb orchids, which are better at retaining water, so need watering 1-2 times per week. Reduce the amount of water in the winter months. Keep the plant in an area of 40-50% humidity and fertilize once a week after water with a high nitrogen food at a quarter strength.

This plant is also easy to propagate via division at maturity. Pull or cut the leaf fans apart into 3-5 clumps after the orchid has bloomed.

Do you struggle to keep your orchid flowering? Or even alive? You’re not alone. Growing orchids, while a popular hobby, requires a bit of finesse.

During the 1800s, when the term “orchidelirium” was coined, orchid collecting was solely the province of the wealthy. Professional orchid hunters were employed to procure exotic varieties, which were carefully curated in extravagant glass greenhouses.

Fast forward to today, and people still love collecting orchids for their stunning forms and colors. However, many growers struggle with orchid care and are disappointed when the plants don’t rebloom due to misinformation or lack of maintenance.

As an avid orchid grower, I’ve made plenty of mistakes – and learned a lot along the way. Here are my top seven orchid care mistakes beginners always make.

1. Overwatering

This orchid care mistake is a biggie. Too much water and the roots of your orchid will rot, followed by the death of the entire plant.

While it is true that orchids grown indoors may dry out more rapidly due to the air circulation of fans, AC, and furnaces, an orchid can only tolerate so much water. 

Inside, orchids should be watered about once a week; this is predicated on the orchid being in the correct growing medium in a container with adequate drainage. Orchid water requirements vary between different types of orchids and your preferred watering method. 

To me, the easiest way to water is to sit the plant in the sink or tub and stream water into the medium, avoiding wetting the leaves. Allow excess water to drain, and then return the plant to its tray.

I always water my orchids in the morning, which allows them plenty of time to drain before nightfall and discourages disease.

You can also place the bottom of the orchid container in water for about 15 minutes, remove it from the bath, and then allow it to drain well before returning it to its tray. 

You have probably read about using ice cubes to water an orchid. Honestly, I’ve never tried it, but it seems counterintuitive to water a plant with ice-cold water when it is from the tropics. When I water my orchids, I use room-temperature water.

If you do want to try the ice cube watering hack, do NOT get the cubes on the leaves of the plant, which would cause chilling injuries. 

2. Underwatering

Much the same type of mistake as above, underwatering is a common issue with orchids. Indeed, this newbie error is widely seen with all houseplants. While orchids don’t need a lot of water, they are used to the pitter-patter of raindrops falling from the trees they grow on, so they do need some.

Also, orchids in nature are used to higher levels of humidity. Conditions in the average house are usually too dry for them and will dry the plant out.

Water the plant when the top of the medium is dry to the touch or eye, and raise humidity. This may be by placing the plant’s container atop a saucer of pebbles and water, or by running a humidifier near the plant. You can also mist the leaves of the plant, but take care to avoid misting the blossoms, which could rot.

3. Using the wrong planting medium

Orchids, or at least the most common ones grown as houseplants, are epiphytes. This means they grow on trees without soil or substrates to feed their root systems.

So, orchids should never be grown in potting soil. Instead, they should be grown in an orchid planting mix that has either been purchased and is specifically made for orchids, or one of your own making.

The most common type of orchid for the home grower, the moth orchid – or Phalaenopsis – thrives in a simple mix of 80% fir bark and 20% sphagnum moss. DIY mixes can get more complicated with the addition of perlite or sand and charcoal, but the previous two ingredients are the most crucial.

4.  Unnecessary pruning

Unless your orchid has yellowing leaves or black air roots, it usually doesn’t require pruning. People see aerial orchid roots and think they need to prune them out. You don’t.

If your orchid produces pseudobulbs or canes, leave them alone, too. Aerial roots, pseudobulbs, and canes are all signs of healthy growth.

The only other thing you might prune out is the spent flower stem. This varies depending on the type of orchid.

Moth orchids can bloom on old flower stalks. However, after five years and as many reblooms, my moth orchid’s spent flower stalk always dies, so I cut it off. Following a seemingly interminable time spent waiting (probably six months), a new green shoot appears.

5. Not repotting

Quite a few tropical to semi-tropical blooming houseplants like to be slightly container-bound. This includes orchids, within reason.

When you purchase an orchid, it is usually in a tiny clear plastic cup filled with sphagnum moss. It will do fine within those confines for a while, but will eventually need to be repotted. This also applies to other orchids that have been in the same container for a year or more.

Orchid repotting is necessary if you see a tangle of roots beginning to stick up from the container; not aerial roots, but roots that would normally be growing in the medium.

Also, if your orchid begins to look sickly, check the roots. If they look brown, black, or mushy, the plant has a fungal orchid disease likely caused by the growing medium breaking down and retaining too much water.

6. Using the wrong container

Orchids are not like other types of houseplants. In the wild, epiphytic orchids grow on trees; their roots absorb moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, and surrounding debris. 

Before repotting, you need to select a container that will replicate the orchid's habitat. Special orchid containers are slatted or basket-like, allowing the root system to free range. Pots with multiple air holes drilled into them, both on the bottom and along the sides, will facilitate airflow and drainage. 

Do you really need to buy a special container for your orchid? No. The clear plastic container the plant likely came in will work well. You can easily view the roots for signs of decay, and the pot can be set in a decorative container between waterings.

If you want to use a decorative pot for your orchid, make sure it has plenty of drainage holes at the base and is ideally a shorter, squat pot; orchid roots don’t need depth, and a wider pot will support the thick, heavy leaves of older orchids better than a tall container. 

I have an older moth orchid in a clear plastic food storage container. It is wide but not deep, and I have drilled multiple holes in the bottom. I set it atop a similar food storage container inside a shallow decorative glazed pot. This works much like placing a potted orchid atop a saucer filled with water and pebbles, facilitating humidity while at the same time allowing airflow and the ability to see the roots of the orchid.

7. Sun exposure

Many houseplants are tropical to semi-tropical species that love the sun. Orchids do not fall under this category. Since they grow in humid, tropical regions in densely canopied forests, they do not love full sun exposure. If you place your orchid in full sun, the foliage will burn, and the plant will lose water too rapidly.

To create optimal orchid light conditions, place your plant in an area of bright but indirect sunlight – it needs at least six hours per day.

If your orchid looks peaked and you suspect placement is the issue, gradually move the plant into an area with less or more light over a couple of weeks. This will give the orchid time to acclimate rather than suddenly shocking it with a new location.

Learning how to make an orchid terrarium is a simple, inexpensive project that creates a stunning decorative feature.

Terrariums have soared in popularity in recent years, and planting them has become an art form. These enchanting miniature worlds offer a creative outlet for displaying small plants and even wildlife. 

Orchids are sculptural flowers that make ideal centerpiece plants. Once established, they will require minimal maintenance, as the glazed container will help to control temperature and promote humidity, reducing the need for watering.

How To Make An Orchid Terrarium – Step-By-Step Guide

Making an orchid terrarium requires a glass vessel, suitable terrarium plants, and a growing medium – you can use small pebbles or purchase terrarium gravel.

Read on to discover how to successfully create your miniature living display. A simple design can be made in less than an hour.

1. Open or Closed Terrarium?

In general, whether to opt for an open or closed terrarium depends on personal preference. However, when making an orchid terrarium, it is usually best to opt for an open terrarium that is not sealed shut.

This is because orchid roots usually need a certain amount of airflow, otherwise they will eventually rot. An open terrarium will provide some airflow, whereas a closed terrarium will not.

However, if it is your preferred option then there are some species that can be planted in a closed terrarium – Masdevallia orchids are the most compatible option.

Nearly any clear glass container is suitable for hosting your terrarium. Check out the local thrift store for a vase, large pickle jar, goldfish bowl, or even an aquarium. Make sure this has been thoroughly cleaned before use.

2. Choose The Right Orchid

Unless you are planting a large terrarium, you will need to opt for a miniature orchid to ensure it doesn’t outgrow the vessel or dominate other plants. It will also need to be a species that thrives in a high-humidity environment.

Happily, there are many different types of orchids that are suitable, including: Aerangis, Angraecum, Cattleya, Dendrobium, Dracula, Laelia, Lepanthes, Masdevallia, Oncidiums, Phalaenopsis, Platystele, and Tolumnia.

3. Add Compatible Companion Plants

Growing an orchid on its own in a terrarium can make a striking statement. However, they also look great combined with other small plants. These will ensure your terrarium has appeal when the orchid isn’t flowering.

You will need to choose plants that share similar care requirements to your orchid. They also need to be on the small side so that they don’t dominate the main star.

Good choices include air plants, baby’s tear, small ferns, peperomia, selaginella, and mosses.

4. Include A Drainage Layer

When making an orchid terrarium, you will need to arrange a layer of small pebbles at the bottom of the container, around 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5cm) deep. This provides a drainage area where water can collect.

You should wash your pebbles before use, otherwise you could introduce a disease to the terrarium. Alternatively, you can purchase specialist bagged terrarium gravel.

You can choose to top the gravel with a layer of soil, however this will make your terrarium a bit messier. You can make this decision based on the care needs of the other plants that will be included.

The soil will need to be a specialist product that is well draining, and includes purifying elements such as activated charcoal.

5. Plant Your Terrarium

The next step is to add your plants. It’s recommended to keep your orchid in its clear pot – which can be disguised using your filler plants, moss, bark, or driftwood. This ensures that airflow to the roots is maintained, and also allows access to the plant for future maintenance.

However, if you would prefer, you can mount your orchid to a piece of cork bark covered with sphagnum moss. This is simple to do by securing both the moss and the orchid to the bark with fishing wire.

When arranging the plants in your terrarium, ensure you leave enough space between them to allow for airflow and future growth.

Remember that the orchid is the focal point of your terrarium, and so the other plants should be subservient in the design.

6. Create The Right Conditions

Add about an inch of water to the bottom of your terrarium and position it in its new home. A terrarium should not be placed in direct sunlight on a windowsill, as the leaves could burn through the glass.

Position it in a fairly bright room where the orchid won’t experience extremes of temperature throughout the day.

Regularly check that the terrarium contains moisture, and when needed add moisture through misting with distilled water, to avoid overwatering and salt buildups. Misting is also the best way to fertilize the orchids, as their feeding needs will be much lower, requiring only a very diluted solution.

Exposed orchid roots are a completely normal feature of these uniquely beautiful plants, and tending to them is an important aspect of orchid care.

Aerial orchid roots are most likely to occur in epiphytes species. In their native setting, epiphytes grow on other plants, such as on the branches or trunks of trees.

Unlike parasitic plants, orchids don’t hurt the tree because the humid air and the surrounding environment provide all the plant’s necessary water and nutrients.

In this article, we will explore the beneficial nature of aerial orchid roots and their care in greater detail.

Why Orchid Roots Appear

Though the development of aerial roots is most common in Phalaenopsis orchids, other different types of orchids may also exhibit this unique pattern of growth.

Orchid roots in air are used to draw both moisture and nutrients from the surrounding environment. This is achieved through the formation of dense root clusters above the surface of the plant’s medium.

In the wild, these structures are considered essential to the plant’s survival. However, where conditions are ideal, aerial roots will also grow indoors.

Healthy orchid roots should appear plump and have a glossy white or green appearance.

How To Treat Aerial Orchid Roots

Aerial orchid roots should be left intact, provided that they are healthy. As exposure to air is needed as a part of their primary function, surface roots should never be buried or forced below the surface of the growing medium.

Root structures should never be removed from the plant unless they have died back naturally or have become damaged in some way. Doing so may cause the plant to become stressed, ultimately resulting in the loss of vigor.

Continued care for aerial roots aligns closely with overall orchid maintenance. This includes regular misting with something like this FLAIROSOL The Original Spray Bottle from Amazon as a means of watering orchid plants, as well as careful handling.

Do You Ever Need to Remove Orchid Roots?

Unhealthy orchid roots can be trimmed from the plant, as needed. Root rot is one of the more common orchid problems, and affected roots should be removed.

Dead air roots are often those that have lost their color or have taken on a dried, shriveled appearance.

The loss of aerial growth most frequently occurs due to inadequate levels of humidity or moisture within the air.

Dried or damaged roots are best trimmed from the plant after it has finished blooming. A sterile garden knife or pair of secateurs, like the Corona BP 3180D Forged Classic Bypass Pruner from Amazon, are considered the best tools, allowing for clean, precise cuts.

Be sure to sanitize your cutting tool by wiping the blades with rubbing alcohol or a solution of water and bleach before you begin.

How To Repot Orchids With Aerial Roots

Though the thought of repotting orchids with pronounced aerial roots may seem intimidating, the process is relatively simple. However, the plants will require some special preparation in order to ensure success as it is repotted.

First, growers should consider hydration. Submerging pots into clean, tepid water will greatly prevent water-related stress.

A brief soak will also help to loosen the roots from the growing media, making for easier removal. The orchid can then be gently shaken from its container.

Trimming orchid roots should be avoided, aside from those that have browned or shriveled.

Plants can then be placed into new pots that have been filled with a potting mix suitable for orchids, like this Espoma Organic Orchid Soil Mix 4qt from Amazon.

Check the size and type of container. If the plant seems a little too snug, move the orchid into a larger pot, because overcrowded roots may escape and look for space to grow above the surface of the soil.

Aerial roots should be positioned atop the pot so their growth resumes naturally.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you put orchid aerial roots in water?

Air roots are known for their ability to draw moisture from the atmosphere. Though briefly placing aerial roots into water can help to revitalize dehydrated plants, prolonged soaking or oversaturation may do more harm than good.

Growers should be careful to monitor humidity and moisture levels indoors, making sure that their plant’s unique needs have been met.

How can I tell if my orchid roots are drying out?

Most experienced growers are able to determine an orchid’s need for water based on the appearance of their plant’s roots.

Healthy roots are plump and have a full, green appearance. Dried roots are more likely to appear faded in color, and in severe cases, may have already started to shrivel.

Dehydrated orchids often benefit most from brief periods of soaking or routine misting.

Quick Reed OrchidFacts:

• Botanical name - Epidendrum ibaguense, Epidendrum radicans
• Height - 3 ft. (1 m.)
• Spread - 18 in. (45 cm.)
• Sun exposure - Bright, Indirect Light; Part Sun
• Soil requirements - Orchid Mix, Well-Drained Acidic Soil
• Hardiness zones - USDA Zones 8-11
• When to plant - Spring

Reed Orchid Uses

Also known as crucifix orchids, reed stem orchids are among the easiest orchids to grow. Though several species are commonly referred to as “reed orchids,” most have very similar growth habits and needs.

While gardeners successfully grow these tender plants indoors, those living in frost-free garden zones may even be able to grow the species outside, in containers or flower beds. When in bloom, reed orchids produce a profusion of vibrant red-orange flowers atop tall stems. Because the plants flower quite readily, they’re a good choice for novice orchid enthusiasts, as well as anyone hoping to add a bright burst of color to the home landscape. Learn more here about the specific needs of reed orchids.

Reed Orchid Care

Many orchids need special containers, but terrestrial reed orchids can be grown directly in the garden in their hardiness regions. In the garden, these plants require beds rich in nutrients and soil that drains well. Reed orchids appreciate warm, humid climates. Container grown orchids do best in a potting mix specifically formulated for their growth, usually consisting of bark and perlite.

Light is also important to promote blooms. Orchids should receive bright, indirect light. Those grown outdoors will benefit most from early morning sun, or extended periods of dappled light throughout the day. While too much sun may cause the plants’ leaves to yellow or become sunscorched, inadequate light can prevent flower buds from initiating. Reed orchids also benefit from routine applications of a well-balanced, slow-release fertilizer throughout the growing season.

Water Needs

During active periods of growth, consistent soil moisture provides the plant with ideal conditions needed for the production of flowers. In areas where there are prolonged periods of drought, supplemental watering becomes necessary. But, be careful not to allow the soil to dry completely and, just as importantly, take care not to overwater the plants. Becoming waterlogged can be detrimental to the overall health of the plants. As the weather begins to change in autumn, it’s best to reduce the frequency of watering in preparation for the cooler months.

Problems, Pests, & Diseases

Root rot, as the direct result of overwatering, is often a concern when growing reed orchids. Most instances of rot can be avoided by paying special attention to soil moisture levels. Small insects, like aphids, may also become problematic. Stay vigilant throughout the growing season, taking careful note of early signs of infestation. In most instances, orchid pests and disease do not pose a serious threat to reed orchid plants.

Propagation

Propagation of reed orchids is relatively simple. New plants can be created by rooting stem cuttings and through division. To propagate new cuttings, each one should be placed into a moist potting medium. Throughout the rooting process, be sure to maintain adequate levels of light and humidity.

Reed orchids spread quickly through underground rhizomes. Each plant can be easily cut apart and potted into its own container. Pups produced on stems can also be rooted and placed into containers in this manner.

Much of our food comes to us from plants. Their varied forms, colors, and blooming habits make each species special in its own right, but orchids are standouts in the flora genre.

Can you eat orchids? Vanilla orchids are a well known plant that produces a delicious pod, however there are several other varieties of orchid that are commonly eaten around the world. Edible orchid flowers are just one part of the plant consumed, although many applications are not common in the Western world.

The natural world provides us with housing, clothing, fuel, and food. Much of what we know about our food comes to us from our ancestors, whose palates were varied and adventurous. The first person who considered an orchid edible is lost to history, but the plants have a long and storied past in many cuisines. Not every orchid is edible but many are delicious in flower, pod, and root.

Are Orchids Edible?

It would be unwise to put just any orchid in your mouth, but centuries of trial and error have identified the plants that are tasty. Vanilla orchids develop deeply brown, leathery pods , which are the source of a common baking ingredient. Vanilla planifolia and Vanilla pompona are the usual source for the beans. But there are other orchids that produce aromatic pods. The Vanillas odorata, cribbiana, and insignis also produce scented pods, but they are not eaten.

Two species outside the Vanilla genus are also used as vanilla substitutes. These are Selenipedium chica and Leptotes bicolor. The plants are notoriously difficult to grow, but in 1841, a young man developed a way to hand pollinate the flowers which is still used today. This allowed the introduction of vanilla to Europe and eventually the world.

Facts on Vanilla Orchids

Vanilla is the second most expensive flavor, with saffron number one. It is also the most popular flavor in the world. Until the 19th century, Mexico had the corner on the vanilla market, but most of our vanilla today is grown in Madagascar and Indonesia. Some vanilla is grown in Hawaii and Puerto Rico, but shipping costs in any area continue to make the flavoring expensive.

Growing and harvesting the plant is also labor intensive. The native, tropical American plant produces a very large, creamy white, yellow, or pink bloom but it only lasts one day. The plant matures to vines and is semi-epiphytic. The leaves are oval and deeply green. Vanilla orchids are hardy in USDA zones 10-11. In Florida, there are four native species of vanilla, but these are endangered and not harvested. Vanilla is the only edible fruit bearing species of orchid.

Other Edible Orchids

Vanilla may be the most well known orchid edible, but other species also have culinary attributes. Plants in the genus Orchis are often used to make a delicious drink called sahlab. The roots of the plants are dried and pounded to powder, enhanced with spices, and served as a warm beverage. Turkish ice cream is also made from sahlab.

The pounded orchid tubers are made into Chikanda, a Zambian food that is thickened and served sliced. In the Dendrobium genus, some have edible flowers and the stalks are sliced and used in stir frys. Cymbidium orchids cooked with spices and cheese comprise the dish Olatshe. Even orchid flowers that are edible may cause stomach upset. Orchid roots of many varieties have formed part of traditional medicine in Greek and China. Their efficacy is unknown, but they were considered non-toxic.

Orchids are one of the world's most show stopping flowers. They have an exotic appeal and feature many forms and hues. Certain varieties of orchid are commonly found in nurseries and the floral centers of supermarkets, while others are elusive, rare, and very valuable. This diversity leads one to ask, "Where do orchids grow in the wild?" There are more than 20,000 species in the genus. Such diversity means they are endemic in many areas.

Orchids growing in the wild is a rare sight for many in North America and parts of Europe, but although not typically spotted, many species are native to these locations. Spotting an orchid in the wild may require the seeker to look up, since most orchids grow on trees. But you can also spot them in other locations depending upon the variety and species.

How Do Orchids Grow in the Wild?

Most orchids are epiphytes that grow on trees, but some are terrestrial in the ground, while others are lithophytic and grow on rocks. One species, Habenaria repens, even grows in the water. But for the bulk of the species, the plants will be found growing on other plants, particularly trees. The majority of these epiphytes are found in tropical to sub-tropical regions of the world. Trees with rough bark that holds moisture are particular favorite sites, but orchids are also found in the crevasses and inner branches of other varieties of tree. Epiphytic orchids develop a pseudobulb which stores moisture and have thick leathery leaves with a protective cuticle to prevent water loss. While epiphytes may appear to be living off the tree or plant, they actually derive nutrients and moisture from the air. Terrestrial plants root in rich humus and have fleshy roots. Lithophytic varieties nest in organic material deposited on rocks.

Where Do Orchids Grow in the Wild?

The orchid natural habitat extends to all parts of the globe with the exception of Antarctica, where it is too cold to support their growth. Every other continent is host to species of orchid and they are even known to migrate from their specific range. Such is the case with the giant orchid, native to the Mediterranean, but recently spotted in South East England. It grows up to 3 feet (1 m.) in height with elegant purple blooms. North America boasts over 200 native species of orchid.

The most cold hardy orchids come from the cymbidium and dendrobium groups, and can even survive brief freezes. One of the more commonly known and used orchids is the vanilla orchid. It hails from South and Central America. They are considered semi-epiphytic and develop as vines. After flowering and proper pollination the plants produce beans which are the source of the sought after flavor.

Common Varieties to Grow

One of the more available plants is Phalaenopsis or moth orchid. It is commonly found as a gift plant and usually sports hot pink flowers. It is also possible to find dancing lady, boat, slipper, reed, butterfly, and pansy orchids.

Orchids can be finicky, especially when it comes to getting them to re-bloom. As a general rule, orchids need to be watered once per week. The medium should be a special orchid soil or a combination of perlite, sphagnum moss, and shredded bark. This, along with drainage holes will allow any excess moisture to evacuate, an important consideration to prevent root rot. Set the container in a brightly lit area such as an eastern or western window, but avoid the southern exposure which is too bright. Most orchids respond to weekly feeding with a specially formulated orchid food, but suspend feeding in November until spring. After bloom, cut off the spend flower stem and re-pot in fresh soil. With a little luck, the plant may bloom the following year.

If you’ve heard of Zygopetalum orchids, you may be wondering how to grow one. If you’ve never heard of one, your interest may now be piqued. Click here for info on Zygopetalum orchids and their care. 

Zygopetalum Orchid Care - How to Grow Zygopetalum Orchids

A popular feature of many Zygopetalum orchids is its heady fragrance, which can fill a whole room. Zygopetalum variety orchids are typically green with brown stripes or spots and a white lip with velvety accents of indigo, fuchsia, purple, or maroon. 

You may be wondering how to grow Zygopetalum orchids, which originate in tropical South America. Zygopetalum orchid species and hybrids require specific care, but when those needs are met, growing these orchids can be achievable and rewarding. 

Zygopetalum Orchid Culture: Zygopetalum Variety of Orchid

Zygopetalum orchid care begins with a healthy species or hybrid plant. The long, glossy leaves should be yellow-green. Although these orchids are epiphytes, which typically cling to trees and collect nourishment from the air, Zygos do not grow aerial roots, so make sure the roots are below the potting medium or right on top of it. Leaves can grow up to 2 feet tall (61 cm.). Flowers will rise from a stem that can grow taller than the leaves. 

Light

Zygopetalum orchid culture includes bright but indirect light. Place your orchid near a south-facing window for the best exposure. An east-facing window will work too if the orchid will not be in direct sun. If the leaves begin turning a dark green, there is not enough light, which can hinder blooming. 

Temperature

Zygopetalum orchid species and hybrids prefer a moderate temperature during the day and cooler nights. Daytime temperatures from 70 to 80 degrees F. (21-27 C.) are ideal, with nighttime temperatures between 50 and 60 degrees F. (10-16 C.). Those in hardiness zones 9 and 10 can grow their orchids outside with some shade, but the rest of us will need to grow them indoors. 

Soil

For the soil use a combination of well-draining materials such as coconut chips, bark, and perlite. Repot the orchid every 12 to 18 months, sooner if the growing medium has broken down or the plant is rootbound. 

Water

Zygo orchids need lots of water and high humidity during the warmer months and less once the pseudobulbs have fully formed. (Pseudobulbs are water-storing organs that form between the leaf nodes). Do not let the potting medium completely dry out. Water when the center of the soil begins to dry. To increase humidity, place a pebble tray with water beneath the container. Make certain the pot sits high enough on the pebbles so it cannot absorb the water. 

Nutrients

When the orchid is actively growing, fertilize every other watering with a balanced water-soluble fertilizer at half strength. During nonactive periods once a month is plenty. Regularly flush out the potting medium to get rid of excess fertilizer buildup. If the tips of the leaves begin to turn black, this is a sign the fertilizer is building up. 

Troubleshooting

They are generally trouble free but avoid wetting the leaves when it is cool because that can lead to black leaf spots. Occasionally they are bothered by scale insects. Dab them with alcohol-soaked cotton balls or spray regularly with neem oil to remove them. 

What are lycaste orchids? Native to the tropical areas of South and Central America, lycaste orchids are striking plants that produce spikes of big, fragrant blooms in winter and spring. Not surprisingly, lycaste orchids are the national flower of Guatemala.

There are at least 30 species of lycaste orchids, and most are relatively easy to grow. Some species are deciduous, while others keep their foliage during dormancy. 

Lycaste Orchid Culture: Tips On Lycaste Orchid Care

Lycaste orchid care isn’t difficult as long as you take care of the plant’s basic needs. 

Lycaste orchids perform best in moderate, indirect, or filtered light. Intense sunlight can burn the leaves, while low light will impact the number of blooms. Bright, emerald green leaves are an indication the plant is receiving sufficient light, while brittle edges are a sign that light is too intense. (A little more light is welcome during the winter months).

Lycaste orchids are tropical plants that like warm daytime temperatures between 60 and 85 F. (15-30 C.) Avoid temperatures above 85 F. (30 C.). Nighttime temps should be 50 to 60 F. (13-15 C.). 

Humidity levels should be between 60 and 80 percent. It’s fine to spritz the plant occasionally during warm summer weather, but be sure the plant has good air circulation to prevent the development of fungal diseases.

Visit Our Complete Guide to Houseplant Care

When it comes to lycaste orchid culture, it’s best to use a potting mix consisting of fine bark or sphagnum moss, or a mixture of fine bark and perlite. You can also add a small amount of charcoal, which helps keep the potting mix “sweet.” Clay pots keep the potting mix from becoming too warm.

The potting mix should be kept moist, but not soggy. However, mature plants should be kept a little drier, especially between blooming and the appearance of new growth. Deciduous species also benefit from slightly drier soil. During winter, water just enough to keep the bulbs from shriveling, but never allow the potting mix to become bone dry.

Feed lycaste orchids every other watering, using a water-soluble orchid fertilizer at half strength. Cut back to one feeding per month during the winter months.

Repot lycaste orchids every year between early spring and early summer, when new growth is about 3 to 6 inches (8-15 cm.). Remove dead roots, along with old potting mix around the roots. Avoid repotting during the heat of summer. 

Orchids are a very popular option for gardeners who wish to grow plants indoors. With their magnificent, colorful blooms, few would deny their beauty. For some of us, however, learning how to successfully grow orchids can feel intimidating. With a very specialized set of growing requirements, depending upon type, growers often question whether or not they'll be able to provide proper conditions for growth and bloom. One aspect of these requirements is the orchid's specific light needs. When growing any type of orchid, light is key in maintaining healthy plants. 

Orchid Light Conditions

Though some types of orchid are more difficult to grow than others, many of these plants are highly adaptable to a wide range of indoor growing conditions. Upon purchasing an orchid or receiving one as a gift, researching that species of orchid light requirements is essential. 

The overall health of the orchid and light are directly related. Orchid plants should always be situated within the home with available light sources in mind. This includes the proximity to windows, as well as the use of supplemental light like plant grow lights. Most orchids are classified into one of three light categories: high, medium, or low light. 

How Much Light is Enough

High light orchids are usually best situated near east or south facing windows, where they will receive at least six hours of sunlight each day. Still, to avoid issues like leaf burn, medium and low light orchids may need more indirect access to lighting. Proper exposure to light when growing orchids is among the most important factors in determining whether or not the plant will rebloom. 

What the Orchid Wants

When growing an orchid, the best lighting can often be measured by how the plants respond to their environment. Gardeners can determine if orchid light needs are being met by carefully observing the color of the plant’s leaves. Unlike many other house plants, orchid leaves should be light to medium green in color. Orchids with very dark green leaves are likely not receiving enough light and, as a result, may not bloom. Very light leaves with prominent yellow coloration, the result of too much light, may also be problematic. 

Though maintaining growth conditions for the orchid and light needs may require quite a bit of trial and error, but doing so is likely to reward growers with spectacular floral displays. 

Catasetum orchid species number over 150 and have unusual, waxy flowers that may be male or female. They require less care than some other orchids but do have high heat requirements. It’s a great orchid to grow in a greenhouse or outside in a warm climate. 

What is a Catasetum Orchid

Catasetum is a genus of orchids native to Central and South America. In their native range, many of the species grow in the open canopies of trees where it is sunny, warm, and moist. Some grow at the base of palm trees, while others actually grow on rocks and on the ground. 

The catasetum orchid type is unique in that it mostly produces separate male and female flowers but can also have hermaphroditic blooms. Conditions of light and water determine which type of flowers a plant will grow. The flowers are also unusual for being fleshy and waxy.

Catasetum orchids grow from pseudobulbs and bloom during the growing season. They then go dormant and lose their leaves. During dormancy, the orchids don’t require much care and should be allowed to dry out significantly. 

Growing Catasetum Orchids

Grow catasetum orchids in a medium that will hold a significant amount of water. Ideally, they should have a moist potting medium throughout the growing season. Sphagnum moss is a good choice. During the dormant season, you can remove the roots and let them dry. 

Catasetum like more light than some other orchid types. Grow it in a bright window where the plant can get a half to three-quarters of a day of strong light. The higher the light, the more likely you are to get female flowers. 

These orchids come from a hot climate, so they cannot tolerate colder temperatures. Unless you live in the subtropics or tropics, grow these in a greenhouse. They should have temperatures between 80 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit (27 to 38 Celsius). 

Catasetum Orchid Care

The catasetum’s natural growing period is short and wet. They need to store a lot of water in the pseudobulb, so water regularly and heavily as the plant is growing new leaves. You can slow watering as the bulb gets bigger and leaves begin to turn yellow. 

Once the leaves have dropped from your catasetum orchid, cease watering completely. Don’t water it again until new growth begins. Keep humidity around 40% to 60% using a tray with gravel and water under the plant or with a humidifier. 

During growth, the orchid’s pseudobulb needs to store water and nutrients. Provide a high-nitrogen fertilizer during the growing period and taper it off toward dormancy. Catasetum does best with regular, dilute applications of fertilizer.

For many gardeners, growing orchids indoors is a rewarding endeavour. With species ranging greatly from one to the next, choosing which type of orchid to grow may feel overwhelming. With a little research, however, gardeners can learn to select plants which will thrive under the growing conditions present within their own homes. Brassavola orchid types are just one example of an easy to grow orchid that is ideal for first-time growers. By learning more about growing Brassavola orchids, even novice growers are able to enjoy an abundance of blooms all season long.

What is a Brassavola Orchid?

Though some orchids are known for their large, showy flowers; Brassavola orchid hybrids actually produce blooms that are much more understated. Pollinated by moths in nature, the pristine white flowers are prized for their strong fragrance, which only occurs at night. Immensely scented citrus-like flower blooms are also praised for their longevity, sometimes lasting up to 30 days. Brassavola orchid hybrids are much smaller than some other species of orchid, reaching only about 10 inches (25 cm) in height at maturity. 

Growing Brassavola Orchids

Brassavola orchid hybrids are epiphytes. This means that they grow without soil within their native habitat. Their pseudobulbs are used to store water and nutrients that the plant needs to survive. This makes them an ideal candidate for growth in mounted baskets, hanging orchid planters, or on shelves. 

Regardless of the container, Brassavola orchid types will require strong indirect light. 

This is most often achieved by positioning plants near an east or south facing window. Though the plants can continue to grow under less than ideal light conditions, they may not flower. Those growing Brassovola orchids can often determine whether or not light needs are being met through the careful observation of the plant’s leaves. Leaves which are a very dark green may indicate a need for more light. 

Brassavola orchid care will also require fertilization. Since the plants bloom much more frequently than other types, many growers suggest routine fertilizing. Brassavola water needs can vary depending upon the conditions in which it is grown. While mounted specimens may require more frequent irrigation, care should be used to ensure that potted plants do not become waterlogged.

Orchid winter care is different from summer care in seasonal climates. These tropical plants love warmth and humidity, so unless you have a greenhouse for the colder months, you’ll need to take certain steps to keep orchids happy and healthy.

Providing Warmth to Orchids During Winter

One of the most important considerations for orchid over winter is temperature. Orchids can tolerate colder temps ore than most people realize, but it isn’t ideal. Drops in temperature, even to just above freezing, for a short period are fine as long as the plant does not freeze or frost.

The ideal temperature range is 50 to 80 degrees F. (10-27 C.). Windows, where orchids often sit for the light, can get too cold, especially at night in the winter. Protect them at night by moving or insulate the plant with a layer of bubble wrap between it and the window.

Avoid putting your orchid near a radiator or heating vent. The dry, hot air is no better for the plant than cold air. Make sure there are no cold drafts either.

Light for Your Orchid Plant in Winter

Shorter days in winter mean less light. Orchids thrive in bright, indirect light, so put them in the sunniest room in the house with the most windows. Windows facing north or east are best. Keep orchids a little bit away from any south facing windows, as the light can be too direct.

Supplement natural light with a grow light if necessary. Inadequate light may prevent the orchid from flowering.

Additional Care for an Orchid Over Winter

Orchids also need less water in winter, but they still need humidity. Winter orchid requirements for humidity are no less than in summer. The problem is that winter air tends to be drier. Set plants on a tray of pebbles and water and mist them a couple of times a day, including the roots. Just be sure the roots aren’t actually in the water. Water less frequently, but keep the air around the plants moist with the pebble tray and regular misting.

This is the dormant time of year for orchids when they grow slowly. They don’t need as many nutrients as in summer, so don’t provide too much fertilizer. Let the plants rest. Cut back fertilizer to half-strength and provide it less often.

If an orchid suffers winter damage, such as frost or chill damage, it may still be salvageable. Signs of damage include sunken spots on leaves, discoloration, pitting, wilting, and browning. You may also see signs of fungal infections. Give damaged plants time to heal by eliminating fertilizer, reducing water, and increasing humidity as well as keeping them warm and away from direct light.

If you are Turkish, you probably know what salep is, but the rest of us likely have no idea. What is salep? It is a plant, a root, a powder, and a drink. Salep comes from several species of diminishing orchids. Their roots are dug up and prepared to make salep, which is then made into ice cream and a soothing hot beverage. The process kills the plants, making salep orchid roots very costly and rare.

Salep Plant Information

Salep is at the heart of a traditional Turkish beverage. Where does salep come from? It is found in the roots of many orchid species such as:

• Anacamptis pyramidalis
• Dactylorhiza romana
• Dactylorhiza osmanica var. osmanica
• Himantoglossum affine
• Ophrys fusca, Ophrys. holosericea,
• Ophrys mammosa
• Orchis anatolica
• Orchis coriophora
• Orchis italica
• Orchis mascula ssp. pinetorum
• Orchis morio
• Orchis palustris
• Orchis simia
• Orchis spitzelii
• Orchis tridentate
• Serapias vomeracea ssp. orientali

Note: Most of these varieties of salep orchid plants are in jeopardy due to habitat loss and overharvesting. The wild orchids of Turkey used to bloom across the hill and valleys. They are some of the prettiest and most unique wildflowers. Some of the orchid varieties are preferred for salep because they produce tubers that are round and fat as opposed to elongated, branched roots. The tuber must be cut away and this kills the parent plant. The insensible harvesting of the plant has led to certain species being banned as a source for salep. Many of the strains of salep that are harvested for use in the country are banned from being sent outside Turkey. Several other regions also harvest orchid roots for their medicinal, thickening, and stabilizing properties. Salep orchid plants are in bloom in spring. By the end of the summer, the tubers are filled with the starch that creates the salep. Plump, washed tubers are briefly blanched and then skins are removed and the tubers are dried. Some salep plant information offers the suggestion that they are boiled in milk, but this does not seem necessary. Tubers that are properly dried can store for a long time until use, at which time they are ground. The powder is yellowish and used to thicken certain edibles or as a medicinal. There is a high mucilaginous content as well as sugar. The common beverage made from the powder is especially appealing to children, but adults enjoy the concoction as well. It is boiled with milk or water and seasoned variously with sassafras root, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and sweetened with honey. Sometimes, it is mixed with wine to give to people with certain ailments. It is also added to a hardened form of ice cream which is a popular dessert. The powder is also made into a medicine that can ease gastrointestinal distress and enhances the diet of infants and ill persons.

Orchids are one of the most beautiful, exotic flowering plants. In the past, famous orchid growers such as Raymond Burr (Perry Mason) used to have to go to great lengths, distances, and costs to get their hands on orchids.

Now they are available in most garden centers, greenhouses, and even big box stores, making orchid growing an easy, inexpensive hobby for anyone. However, even the most experienced of growers can encounter orchid leaf problems – one being a sticky substance on orchid leaves. Read on to learn about common reasons for sticky orchid leaves.

Sticky Stuff on Orchids

Many people who are new to growing orchids panic at the first sight of any sticky stuff on orchids. Avid gardeners know that sticky substances on plants are oftentimes the secretions, or ‘honeydew,' of insect pests such as aphids, mealybugs, or scale insects.

Although these pests certainly can cause a sticky substance on orchid plants, there is a natural sap that is produced by some orchid flowers and buds. Orchid growers call this clear, sticky stuff “happy sap.”

While this happy sap is produced by the flowers, probably to attract pollinators, it can drip a lot, causing sticky orchid leaves or stems. So, if orchid leaves are sticky, it could simply be attributed to this clear sap, which washes off the plant surfaces easily and is no cause for concern. However, it could potentially point to other orchid problems.

Treating an Orchid with Sticky Leaves

When you see any sticky substance on orchids, it is best to thoroughly investigate all the plant surfaces for insects. If you see ants running around on your orchids, it is a sign that there are aphids or mealybugs present, as they have a strange symbiotic relationship with these pests.

Aphids, mealybugs, and scale can go unnoticed under plant leaves, at leaf joints, and even on the flowers and buds, so closely inspect every bit of the orchid plants.

Honeydew is prone to sooty mold, which will form gray to brown sticky, slimy patches on orchid foliage. Sooty mold is a fungal infection that can cause significant damage if left untreated. Aphids, mealybugs, and scale can also cause great damage and even death to infected orchid plants. If you suspect your orchids have any of these pests, thoroughly wash all the plant tissues with horticultural oil or rubbing alcohol.

You can periodically use horticultural oil or neem oil to prevent future infestations. These oils can also prevent an array of fungal diseases. If your orchid has dark brown to black sticky, wet looking spots on the foliage and stems, this could be a sign of a serious bacterial infection. Infected plant tissues can be taken or sent to your local extension office for an exact diagnosis.

However, there is no treatment for bacterial infections of orchids. The diseased plants should be removed and destroyed to prevent further infections. Some fungal diseases may also produce sticky brown to black rings on orchid foliage. In the case of fungal diseases, the infected foliage can be removed and horticultural oils can be used to prevent further infections.

Orchids can be sensitive plants and they need a specific environment to thrive. When something isn't right, orchid buds falling off is a typical stress response.

Known as orchid bud blast, this defense mechanism enables the plant to divert energy to the stems, foliage, and roots. It is one of the most common orchid problems, and usually a simple fix, but you will need to amend your orchid care routine.

Orchid flowers falling off – known as bloom blast – may also be a sign of stress. However, orchid buds not opening is particularly frustrating, as you won't get to enjoy any flowers.

This article delves into the causes of orchid bud blast, and how to remedy the condition.

Common Causes Of Orchid Buds Falling Off

The causes of orchid buds falling off can vary. There are many types of orchids, but in the wild most grow in warm, humid environments. The best way to prevent orchid bud blast is to mimic the plant's natural growing conditions as closely as possible.

You should research the specific needs of your particular variety to identify any obvious causes. However, these are the most common reasons for orchid bud blast:

Temperature Changes

To get orchids to rebloom, they need a drop between day and night-time temperatures of about 10 to 15°F (5 to 8°C). Like all plants, they also expect climate variations between seasons. However, temperature changes should never be sudden.

Something as simple as a hot oven releasing heat or a cool draft from an air conditioner can cause bud blast in orchids.

Even watering with water that is too cold or too hot can stress your plant and cause buds to drop.

Extreme weather conditions may also be to blame, as well as bringing plants back inside after spending summer outdoors.

Bear in mind that different varieties of orchids have different temperature requirements, depending on whether they are warm, intermediate, or cool-growing. Keep orchids in an environment consistent with their preferred temperature range.

If you need to move your orchid to a new position, do so after it blooms to prevent stress.

Incorrect Watering

Learning how to water orchids correctly is key to preventing orchid bud blast. Overwatering and underwatering are both common culprits.

Orchid buds drying up before dropping is often caused by underwatering, as the stressed plant drains moisture from the buds.

However, overwatering can be even worse, as orchids hate sitting in water. As well as bud blast, this can cause root rot or orchid crown rot.

Orchid buds turning yellow may be a sign of overwatering.

On average, orchids need watering every week, but this can vary depending on the species. The plant's potting mixture should be allowed to dry out between waterings. Check it every few days by pushing your finger an inch (2.5cm) deep.

Bear in mind that orchids also absorb water from humidity in the air, so in dry environments, orchid buds dying can be a result of underwatering and low humidity.

Increase humidity with a humidifier, daily misting, or by placing them on top of a tray filled with pebbles and water.

Pollutants In The Atmosphere

Orchid buds falling off due to harsh chemicals in the air is surprisingly common, as the plants are highly sensitive to pollutants.

This may include perfumes, paint fumes, chemical cleaners, gas leaks, cigarette smoke, and fumes or drift from herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides.

Even ethylene gas from ripening fruit, and methane released from flowering plants can all be causes of orchid bud blast.

Improper Fertilizing

Applying too much fertilizer can sometimes be the cause of orchid bud blast. Orchid fertilizing encourages plants to bloom, but when applied in excess can cause salt build-up and fertilizer burn.

Fertilize orchids weekly or bi-weekly only when they are actively producing new growth. Use a water-soluble fertilizer specifically formulated for orchids, and apply according to the label's instructions.

After flowering, stop fertilizing until new leaves begin to grow again.

Light Issues

Orchids need enough light if they are to bloom, and if light levels are too low it can cause the buds to blast.

However, if the light is too bright for your particular species, the plant may scorch and the buds may fall off.

Orchid light requirements vary by species so check whether your plant is a low-light, medium-light, or high-light orchid.

This will make a big difference as to whether you can position it right next to the window, and whether it needs to be next to an east, west, or south-facing window.

Pests

Orchid pests can sometimes be a cause of bud blast. An infestation of pests can lead to plants dropping buds or orchid leaves falling off.

Sap-sucking insects, such as aphids, thrips, and mealybugs, drain the plant sap, which harms the orchid's ability to refuel.

Inspect plants regularly for any pest presence. Minor infestations can usually be washed off or treated with insecticidal soap.

Orchid Bud Blast Remedy

Orchid bud blast must be dealt with promptly, as it is an early warning sign that the plant is stressed.

Trial and error may be necessary, as you need to ensure that the orchid has the correct temperature, light levels, and watering regime.

If you have ruled out the most common culprits, try repotting your orchid. Potting soil does not work well for orchids. Plants need a light, airy orchid potting medium.

Learning how to repot an orchid correctly will save you a lot of heartache, helping to avoid common orchid diseases.

Soak your plant and remove it from its potting mix. Examine the orchid roots – their condition can help to establish the plant's health.

Remove any dead or infected roots and allow the plant to dry before repotting it with a soilless orchid potting mix. Make sure you push the mix between the roots.

The plant may need to go up a pot size if the current orchid container is struggling to accommodate the spread of the roots.

When done, water the orchid deeply, and allow it to drain through.

What are odontoglossum orchids? Odontoglossum orchids are a genus of about 100 cool-climate orchids native to the Andes and other mountainous regions. Odontoglossum orchid plants are popular among growers due to their interesting shapes and beautiful colors of the various odontoglossum orchid varieties. Interested in growing odontoglossums? Read on to learn how.

Odontoglossum Plant Care

Odontoglossum orchid plants aren’t the easiest orchid to grow, but they’ll reward you richly if you can meet their basic needs. Temperature: Odontoglossum orchid plants prefer cooler conditions and are fairly picky about temperatures. Keep the room below 74 F. (23 C.) during the day and about 50 to 55 F. (10-13 C.) at night. Orchids in warmer rooms will need additional water and humidity. Light: Sunlight should be bright but not intense, such as an east-facing window or a lightly shaded south-facing window, although odontoglossum orchid plants in high temperatures require a little more shade. Water: Odontoglossums prefer light, frequent watering, usually two or three times per week. Water odontoglossum orchid plants in the morning, using room-temperature water. Allow the potting mix to become nearly dry between waterings and never let the plant stand in water. Too much water can cause rot, but insufficient moisture may cause the foliage to take on a pleated, accordion-like appearance. Fertilizer: Fertilize your orchid every other week using a diluted solution of an orchid food with an NPK ratio of 20-20-20. If your odontoglossum plant is growing primarily in bark, use a high-nitrogen fertilizer with a ratio of 30-10-10. Be sure the soil is damp before applying fertilizer. Repotting: Repot every year or two – whenever the plant grows too big for its pot or water no longer drains normally. The best time is in spring after the plant has finished blooming. Use a fine-grade orchid potting mix. Humidity: Odontoglossum orchid plants in their natural environment are exposed to cloudy, misty conditions, and humidity is vital. Stand the pot on a tray of moist pebbles to increase the humidity around the plant. Mist the plant lightly on warm days.