5 Tips to a Healthy Orchid!

Hey Greenies! We’ve had some customers ask what they can do to keep their Orchid in the best shape possible, here we have answered a few of those questions with some tips we have learnt along the way. This will also give your Orchid a little encouragement to have a long flowering time as well as vibrant and exotic buds in bloom.

1. Repot!  After your orchid plant loses its blooms and goes into dormancy, repot it in an orchid pot – designed to allow for aeration among the roots.

2.  Replant in Bark or Moss.  Orchids should be planted in sphagnum moss or Orchid potting medium/bark.  If you tend to water your plants a lot, then choose bark because it dries out faster, but if you tend to underwater your plants, then moss is a better choice because it holds moisture longer.

3.  Avoid Overwatering.  Overwatering your orchid and wetting the leaves while watering can lead to root rot. Use your finger to determine if any moisture remains underneath bark pieces to avoid overwatering.  In hot or humid climates where the air conditioner runs indoors, mist once or twice a week with a water spray-bottle.  Humidity helps orchids thrive – bathrooms are a natural place to put them, but not essential. If your orchid is overwatered it will show signs of rot displaying yellow-browning leaves.

4.  Fertilize.  Once a month add a small amount of orchid food to an empty squeeze bottle filled with water (ketchup bottles work well).  Dose the outer edges of the pot. You can help your orchid to grow faster and bloom sooner by feeding it the right fertilizers. You should look for a fertilizer containing Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium along with trace elements such as Iron.

5.  Grow in Filtered Light.  Most orchids do not thrive in direct sunlight, so situate them in filtered light or partial light. Reddish-green leaves would indicate too much light; Phalaenopsis orchids prefer lower light intensities and should be located further away from a window or placed in a window facing east or north.

For further information on Orchids and how to care for them you can see our ‘Care For Me’ instructions under any of our Flowering Orchid gifts. Also check out some of our other Blogs!

GTG Team x