Orchids have exotic blooms that can last for as long as 3 months and very popular as the world’s best-selling indoor flowering houseplant. Not only the flower is beautiful and long lasting but orchids also can purify your house air and give off oxygen at night. But in fact, most orchids as houseplant will not re-bloom or even the plants will die. Yes I know, to grow orchids successfully is difficult but if you follow below basic tips on how to grow orchids at home, I believe you can keep your orchid plants alive and even re-bloom them.
How to Grow Orchids at Home
Just follow 6 tips on growing orchids at home as below in order to grow orchids at home successfully
Tips on Growing Orchids at Home #1: Watering
Watering is the most critical step in growing orchids since most orchids are killed due to overwatering. Make sure you put your finger in the growing mix before watering. If the medium feels moist, don’t water until the medium feels dry. If it is dry, just water the medium and let the water runs through the pot. Keep in mind, never let the plant sit in water.
Tips on Growing Orchids at Home #2: Light
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Maybe you have a Phalaenopsis at home. Phalaenopsis is the most popular orchid in displays at groceries or box stores, this orchid have broad, flat leaves and stems of white or brightly colored flowers. This orchid like low light conditions and live best in east-facing or southern or western windows. But don’t place your orchid next to the glass of a western window since the sunlight could burn its leaves. Northern windows is not good for orchid since your plant do not receive enough light to re-bloom.
Tips on Growing Orchids at Home #3: Temperatures
Orchid will be most comfortable at temperature between 60 degrees F and 80 degrees F. If your house is cooler at night than during the day, your chances to get re-bloom orchids will be increased. A night rest allows orchid to save energy that has made during the day from photosynthesis. You may think of this as a plant-energy savings account that pays dividends in flowers :-).
Tips on Growing Orchids at Home #4: Fertilizer
You may use a fertilizer made for orchids which is available at garden centers. Just follow the package directions / instruction. This is a good practice that you can fertilize for three waterings and flush the medium with clear water at the kitchen sink on the fourth watering. This is required to remove fertilizer salts.
Tips on Growing Orchids at Home #5: Repotting
As soon as the orchid finishes flowering, cut off its flowering stem and remove it from the pot. Just ease the potting mix off the roots as much as possible, you may swishing it in water to help you, and repot it in a plastic container. The new pot should be slightly bigger than the root ball, no matter how large the leaves are since orchids like to be under-potted. Add the potted mix around the roots until the orchid is snug in the pot and you can pick the plant up by the stem and it doesn’t come out of the pot. You need to be careful not to break off any tender green or brown root tips. Don’t force roots that want to wander in the air into the pot.
Tips on Growing Orchids at Home #6: Reflowering
A temperature decrease in day length and night temperatures usually helps Phalaenopsis to begin the flowering process. Since these conditions naturally occur in the fall, just place your orchid outside at night as long as temperatures are above 55 degrees F. Make sure to place it where dew will not collect in the crown. Just bring it inside during the day unless it’s located in a spot that not get direct sunlight.
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