Orchids

Joined
Mar 12, 2022
Messages
56
Reaction score
35
Location
Philadelphia
Country
United States
I’m planning on getting an orchid, however, I’ve heard they can be hard to take care of. How can I pick a healthy orchid once I get to the store? And how can I make sure that I give this plant a long life? Is there anything I can do to give it a good start once I get it home?
 
Joined
Aug 10, 2021
Messages
4,224
Reaction score
1,485
Location
California
Country
United States
There are many species of Orchids (~28,000), and innumerably more hybrids and cultivars.
However, if one were to randomly buy an orchid in an American supermarket, chances are it would be a Moth Orchid (Phalaenopsis hybrids). There are several reasons for this. They are attractive, long-blooming, of easy care, and grow well in moderate light, even the light in a north-facing window is often sufficient.

What follows is care for most Phalaenopsis, if you do get another type of orchid the care may or may not be different.

Phalaenopsis do best with either filtered sun or bright indirect light. They are grown in loose, fast-draining media, often coarse, bark, sometimes sphagnum moss, scoria, or expanded shale. The media should be allowed to partly dry before the next irrigation.
Fertilize monthly with a complete, liquid fertilizer.

As you can see, the day-to-day care of a Moth Orchid is not very different from that of an average house plant.
The biggest difference comes when it is time to re-pot, as special media is required instead of potting soil..
 
Last edited:
Joined
Mar 12, 2022
Messages
56
Reaction score
35
Location
Philadelphia
Country
United States
I purchased two small phalaenopsis orchids. Should I water them? They don’t feel wet. I know they will need a repotting after they are finished blooming.
 

Attachments

  • E10ACBE9-A86E-43B8-8DA1-0588FB5F56A5.jpeg
    E10ACBE9-A86E-43B8-8DA1-0588FB5F56A5.jpeg
    143.8 KB · Views: 12
  • 8EC28F93-7FA6-4707-A1C2-C353D3AE5AA2.jpeg
    8EC28F93-7FA6-4707-A1C2-C353D3AE5AA2.jpeg
    89.9 KB · Views: 10
  • 7920916C-C788-4242-8A9E-A53E4D813CE3.jpeg
    7920916C-C788-4242-8A9E-A53E4D813CE3.jpeg
    88.6 KB · Views: 15
  • 5BF9CA00-D3A1-4DFD-B8C9-50786551E00E.jpeg
    5BF9CA00-D3A1-4DFD-B8C9-50786551E00E.jpeg
    150.7 KB · Views: 11
Joined
Aug 10, 2021
Messages
4,224
Reaction score
1,485
Location
California
Country
United States
Get into a cyclica rhythm where you irrigate the plants, let the media partly dry down, and then irrigate again.
Also, be sure to let the clear plastic container fully drain before putting it back into the ceramic cache pot.
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Similar Threads


Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
26,588
Messages
256,637
Members
13,258
Latest member
amndwltns01

Latest Threads

Top