5 tips to grow your own orchids.

I posted the last color scoop and had to immediately grab a couple pretty orchids for my new place. They're infamous for being difficult to care for and taking forever to bloom, but they're really pretty easy. Here's some tips to get the most out of indoor orchid plants and to enjoy those bright colors for as long as possible.

The orchid you buy should come with a little care tag. Read it, it's helpful! But more specifically...

ONE.

identify.

The most important thing is to know what you're working with. There are so many different varieties and each has different preferences when it comes to watering, light, fertilizing and humidity. In order to have success, evaluate your environment and pick the one that's the best match for your space. The easiest way to identify an orchid is by their blossom shape, but foliage is also an indicator.

I chose the Moth Orchid because of it's fairly easy maintenance. It's also pretty common, which makes it easy to find in Vermont... in March... when there's still a ton of snow on the ground.

TWO.

 water.

 For the Moth Orchid, typically watering once every ten days is the norm. If it's in a clay pot, it may need to be watered a bit more often (every seven days) because clay is more absorbent medium (compared to a plastic container for example). When watering, don't let water collect at the base of the pot. If it does, just remove the inner plastic liner and dump the excess. Overwatering is one of the main reasons why orchids die - it will stop flowering and eventually lead to root rot. Also take care to not get water on the leaves, and if you do, wipe dry immediately.

THREE.

 light.

Low to medium light for the Moth Orchid means that it will work in a room with indirect sunlight, but it can also take brighter light as long as it's only for a few hours at most. The huge window in my living room never gets direct light, but it's bright all day, so it's the perfect spot for these orchids. The best indicator as to if your orchid is getting enough light is its leaf color. For most species, including the moth orchid, leaves should be bright green (dark green indicates too little light, reddish green indicates too much light).

FOUR.

feed.

Although fertilizing your orchid is not critical, it will help it grow and bloom. Look for a fertilizer that contains nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) along with trace elements like orin (Fe). Typically, orchid food is granulated and must first be dissolved in water before feeding. Water your orchid thoroughly with plain water first, then pour dissolved orchid food directly into the pre-watered plant (avoiding the leaves and foliage).

FIVE.

re-pot.

A newly-purchased orchid should be able to stay in its original pot for one to two years. When the root and plant overgrowth becomes excessive, the dead roots can be removed and the orchid can be repotted. Be sure to choose a large enough pot to accommodate for two years' growth.
Moth Orchids prefer growth in a mixed medium of coconut husk, fir bark and sphagnum moss, but other mediums can be used as well. If dividing the orchid, make sure that each division has plenty of smaller, healthy, younger shoots.

A selection of orchid potting media. Clockwise from one-o-clock: tree fern, lava rock, Aliflor, 
sphagnum moss, osmunda, rockwool and fir bark in the center. (Source: American Orchid Society)

And just because I've now absorbed a ton of orchid knowledge while writing this post, here's a few more more quick tips:

- When the last flower falls, cut the flower spike halfway down the stem to encourage regrowth. -

- A drop in temperature (no lower than 50 degrees) helps encourage the Moth Orchid to bloom. -

- Use ribbon instead of plastic clips to keep your orchid upright. So pretty! -

It's easy, I promise! If you're itching to know about more varieties of orchids that you can grow in your home, take a peek at this list.
Good luck, and let me know how it goes!


xo Emily