| Orchids are fascinating flowers that are fun | | | | put pebbles under the soil. Water the plant |
| to nurture but do need some special care. | | | | thoroughly but not so much that a pool of |
| These slow growing plants are best grown | | | | water is sitting on the soil - water once a |
| indoors and will need to be repotted every | | | | week or when you feel the soil has dried out. |
| other year. In addition to repotting, you | | | | If your orchid is planted in bark, then it |
| will need to provide the plant with enough | | | | will probably need to be watered every 5 days |
| light, water and fertilization as well as | | | | or so. |
| prune it properly to keep it in the best of | | | | |
| health. | | | | You can also moisten your orchid with a spray |
| | | | bottle to give it a more humid environment. |
| Repotting | | | | Some people like to gently wrap the plant in |
| | | | a floral paper or wax paper cone and spray |
| Orchids should be repotted in a pot that is | | | | inside. The cone helps to keep the moistness |
| larger then the current, but not too much | | | | in. If you do spray your plant, use distilled |
| larger - go just one size up. Don't make the | | | | water as tap and spring water can leave |
| mistake of thinking you can repot into a | | | | deposits on the leaves. |
| really huge pot and then not have to worry | | | | |
| about it for the next 5 years! Fill the pot | | | | Temperature |
| about 2/3rds of the way with soil that is | | | | |
| formulated for orchids and set the plant with | | | | Although orchids are tropical plants, they |
| the growing tip in the center and it's roots | | | | prefer cool temperatures at night. Most |
| spread out in the soil. Fill the pot with the | | | | orchids will do best in temps that would be |
| rest of the soil and pack it gently around | | | | to cold for you in your house. When grown in |
| the plant. Water thoroughly. | | | | professional greenhouses, they are kept |
| | | | between 55 and 65 degrees at night. The cool |
| Soil | | | | temperatures help to keep the soil more |
| | | | moist. |
| Tropical orchids thrive in organic material. | | | | |
| Fir bark and osumda fiber mixed with peat are | | | | Fertilizer |
| great for growing orchids. You need soil that | | | | |
| has good drainage but will also hold some | | | | Orchids growing in bark or peat and bark |
| moisture. You can buy special orchid mix soil | | | | mixes do best with a liquid fertilizer that |
| to plant your orchids in. | | | | has a 20-20-20 analysis or, better yet, a |
| | | | specialized orchid fertilizer (30-10-10). Try |
| Light | | | | using a water soluble urea free fertilizer |
| | | | for best results. When fertilizing, simply |
| Orchids like light and your plant will do | | | | add it in your regular watering schedule |
| best in a bright sunny window. A south | | | | following the instructions on the fertilizer |
| window, where the plant can get indirect | | | | package. |
| light in the morning and afternoon is best. | | | | |
| Make sure the window is not drafty. In the | | | | Pruning |
| winter you must be sure that your plant is | | | | |
| getting enough sunlight and you may want to | | | | Pruning is important for orchids to remove |
| use fluorescent lighting to supplement the | | | | dead parts and shape your plant. You can |
| natural sunlight. Fluorescent lights work | | | | prune your orchids periodically throughout |
| quite well for growing orchids and you can | | | | the year, or reserve the pruning for once a |
| use them in even the darkest corner and have | | | | year typically in the fall or early winter. |
| wonderful plants. | | | | When the blooms have died and the stalk is |
| | | | dried up and yellow or brown, use sharp |
| Water | | | | shears to cut it back to an inch from where |
| | | | it comes out of the soil. A new bloom will |
| All plants need water but many people do not | | | | appear during the next blooming season. |
| know how to provide it properly. Some water | | | | |
| too much leaving standing water in the pot | | | | In some cases, you may want to just remove |
| all day and contributing to root rot. Others | | | | the end of the bloom stalk which may cause it |
| don't water the plant for weeks and wonder | | | | to bloom again. If you do this, you may find |
| why it can not survive. The first | | | | a new shoot or baby plant to spring up. If |
| consideration is to make sure you use a pot | | | | this does happen, you can remove the baby and |
| with good drainage - either one of those with | | | | plant it in a separate pot for an additional |
| a hole in the bottom and a saucer or at least | | | | orchid plant to enjoy! |