Tips for Your Own Beautiful Orchids
Many of us have a hard time growing orchids. They are finicky plants that require just the right amount of light, water, and humidity to grow.
If you’re an orchid lover who wants to grow your own beautiful flowers but doesn’t know where to start, this blog post is for you!
Growing orchids at home may be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. They produce flowers about twice a year, which will last 3 months with proper care.
We will discuss 6 steps that will help guide your way through the process so you can finally enjoy growing these gorgeous plants!
6 Tips for Beautiful Orchids
1. Pick the right orchid
The first step to successfully growing an orchid is choosing a variety that fits your needs.
For instance, are you looking for something low maintenance and easy? If so, consider purchasing Phalaenopsis Orchids (Moth Orchids) because they require less light than most other varieties of orchids and grow in more varied conditions.
You can also find miniature versions that only need watering once every two weeks!
2. Find the right pot
Next, you will need to find a pot for your orchid. Orchids should be planted in bark and moss mixes so that they have sufficient drainage while still staying moist.
The best pots are shallow (less than six inches deep) and wide with plenty of surface area for roots to reach out. Make sure not to use clay pots because these tend to dry too quickly which can result in root rot!
3. Pick the right potting mix
The next step is to find a good potting mix. You can either create your own by combining three parts of bark with one part peat moss or purchase pre-made potting mixes from most garden stores for an affordable price.
If you decide to go with store-bought, make sure it has perlite and charcoal in addition to sphagnum moss because these will help keep moisture levels consistent in the soil so that roots don’t dry out too quickly! They will not survive in soil or compost.
4. Pick the right light
Just like humans, orchids need a certain level of light to grow well. Too much exposure to direct sunlight can burn leaves and cause them to develop brown spots while too little won’t allow flowers to bloom.
The best place for an orchid is somewhere that receives bright indirect sun from about 30-50% on all sides during most hours of the day (morning and evening are the only exceptions). If you keep other houseplants such as cacti or succulents, they should also be in this type of environment!
5. Watering
Orchids should be watered once a week on average. This may seem frequent but is necessary for the plant to grow properly! If you live in a rainy region, watering less might work better as long as there’s enough humidity; if this isn’t possible, try putting your orchid near a humidifier and spraying it with water every day.
6. Humidity
Humidity should be between 40-70% during the day and 50-60% at night. This can easily be achieved by placing your orchid near a humidifier, using natural humidity from spraying it with water every day, or buying an inexpensive humidifying tray that is made to fit on top of pots!
If you are thinking of bringing home one of these beauties or your previous attempts with them didn’t turn out so well, try these six tips, and you’ll soon be on your way to beautiful orchids.
You might want to check out some of our other guides to growing houseplants next:
