What Your Orchid Needs in October – These 6 Quick Checks Are Key to Triggering More Blooms
Orchids slow down in fall, but a few key October changes to light, water, and feeding will keep the roots healthy and set up the next round of flowers.
Plenty of people care for a moth orchid the same way in fall as they do in summer. But by October, days are shorter, the sun sits lower, and the furnace dries out the air. Growth slows down, and that slowdown is when the plant starts setting up its next flower spike.
Fall orchid care isn't hard. You'll move the plant, water it less and feed it less, and you'll want to look it over more closely than you did in summer. Most of that takes only a few minutes.
These six tasks apply to moth orchids (Phalaenopsis) and other common types of orchids sold in grocery stores as houseplants. Yellow leaves, wrinkled leaves, and stray roots show up a lot this time of year, too.
1. Move Orchids Into Their Brightest Spot
Light fades fast this month, and that bright spot from July might not cut it by November. East windows are the safest bet most of the year for meeting orchid light requirements. Once winter settles in and the sun hangs low and weak, though, a south window usually works, too.
With orchids, the leaves will tell you if you've got it wrong. A deep, dark green is the giveaway for not enough light. Too much shows up as a reddish edge, although that's less of a worry this time of year. For an interior room or a dim corner, try a grow light like the Sansi full-spectrum LED plant lamp, available on Amazon, which clips onto the side of the pot.
Whatever you do, just don't let the leaves rest against cold glass, as this can cause chilling damage, leaving unsightly dark patches on the foliage.
2. Adjust Your Watering Routine
Slower growth means the potting mix stays wet longer. That makes overwatering the bigger danger until spring. Wait until the mix is nearly dry, then water thoroughly and let it drain. Never leave the pot sitting in a saucer of water.
Root color is often the best guide for watering orchids – they're silvery white when dry and green right after watering. Traditional moisture meters like the popular Yamron 4-in-1 don't work very well with orchids, as chunky bark mixes throw off probe readings; however, the Sustee Aquameter, available in a pack of 5 on Amazon, uses a moisture-absorbing wick rather than electrical conductivity, making it better suited, as long as it's in contact with plenty of potting mix. The indicator changes color from blue to white as the growing medium dries out.
Hold off on repotting orchids in the fall unless the bark has started to break down and become compacted, which can restrict airflow around the roots and increase the risk of rot.
3. Reduce or Stop Feeding
It's tempting to keep the summer feeding schedule year-round. But an orchid's fertilizer needs follow its growth, and growth slows as the days shorten. You can still feed moth orchids that are putting out new leaves, just less often. Every third or fourth watering is enough. Use a water-soluble fertilizer like Better-Gro Orchid Plus, which you can pick up at Walmart.
Plants with no new leaves, roots, or spikes can go without until growth starts again. Extra fertilizer on a resting plant mostly means soft, leafy growth and fewer flowers. It also leaves salts in the bark, so flush the pot with plain water now and then.
4. Increase Humidity as the Heat Comes On
So what does the furnace do to an orchid? Indoor humidity can drop below 30 percent once the heat runs regularly. Most tropical orchids prefer humidity around 60 to 75 percent. A spray bottle won't close that gap. The mist is gone within minutes.
To increase humidity for your orchids, try a pebble tray. Simply fill a shallow tray with gravel, add water about halfway up the stones, and set the pot on top. This Brussel's Bonsai tray from Amazon is a ready-to-go solution. Don't let the roots touch the water.
If you have a lot of houseplants grouped in one space, humidity will naturally increase. But if orchids are still struggling, try a small humidifier – this Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier from Walmart runs up to 25 hours per fill.
5. Inspect for Pests Before Winter
Healthy-looking orchids can still have pests. Many hide where you'd never notice unless you go looking, and a warm, dry house helps some of them along. Grab a flashlight and magnifying glass (this Large Magnifying Glass with 37 LED Lights from Amazon covers both) and check under the leaves, down in the joint where each leaf meets the stem, and along the flower stems.
- Cottony white clumps tucked in there are probably long-tailed mealybugs (Pseudococcus longispinus).
- Scale is sneakier – Boisduval scale (Diaspis boisduvalii) looks like whitish, waxy flecks stuck flat to a leaf, and it can pass for dried residue.
- Fine speckling, sometimes with a bit of webbing, usually means two-spotted spider mites (Tetranychus urticae).
- And fungus gnats (Bradysia spp.)? They're mostly harmless on their own – more a sign that the mix is staying too wet than a real threat.
Isolate any orchid with pests. Then dab the mealybugs with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol (you can buy it cheaply at Walmart), and keep the alcohol off the leaves.
6. Watch for Flower Spikes
Cool fall weather triggers a new spike in many moth orchids (Phalaenopsis). Four or five weeks of days around 77°F (25°C) and nights near 68°F (20°C), or a little cooler, reliably bring one on. Days above 82°F (28°C) can hold it back.
New spikes look a lot like new roots at first. Check the tip. Spikes have a flattened, mitten-shaped tip and usually come up between the lower leaves, and root tips are round.
Stake the spike while it's still flexible – you can pick up a pack of bendable orchid stakes from Stroller on Amazon – and don't turn the pot once buds form.
Prune old brown spikes off at the base. Viruses can spread on tools, so dip the blades in a 10 percent bleach solution between plants.
Quick Fixes for Common Orchid Problems
Three problems come up again and again once orchids move indoors:
- Yellow Leaves
One yellow leaf at the bottom of a moth orchid is nothing to worry about. The oldest leaves age out and drop as the plant grows. Several yellow orchid leaves at once are another story, especially newer ones. That usually points to the roots. Too much water and old, soggy bark are common causes of root rot. Unpot the plant, trim off any mushy roots, and repot it in fresh bark. - Wrinkled Leaves
Limp, wrinkled orchid leaves mean water isn't getting to them. Moth orchids have no pseudobulbs to store water, so they show thirst quickly. Check the roots first – firm, healthy roots point to underwatering or dry air. Rotted roots can't take up water no matter how often you water. - Aerial Roots
Silvery roots climbing over the rim of the pot are normal. Orchids grow on trees in the wild and use their roots to cling to bark. Leave healthy aerial roots alone. Trim dead or shriveled ones the next time you repot.
An orchid doesn't need much from you this month. More light, less water, lighter feeding, and a quick pest check cover most of it. Keep those habits going through winter, and there's a good chance a fresh spike shows up before spring, followed by a gorgeous run of flowers.
Shop October Orchid Essentials
