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Your complete guide for growing beautiful orchid blooms at home
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Do you love the look of big and bright orchids in your home? If you want to grow these fresh flowers, orchids are really easy to keep as houseplants under the right conditions. Orchids have a few different requirements than other flowers you might grow at home, but we’ve got everything you need to know right here. Keep reading, and we’ll cover all of the basic plant care for your orchids so they continue to grow and bloom for years to come!
Things You Should Know
- Keep your orchid in bright, indirect sunlight.
- Water your orchid when the soil has almost dried out completely.
- Fertilize your orchid once a week during the spring and summer with a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer diluted to quarter-strength.
- ​​Grow your orchids in a pot with drainage holes filled with bark-based potting mix or moss-based medium .
Steps
Expert Q&A
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QuestionHow often should you water an orchid?Matt Bowman is a Gardener, Landscaper, the Owner of Georgia Farm to Table, and the Owner of Tradition Property Services in Atlanta, Georgia. With over 20 years experience, he specializes in organic gardening, landscape maintenance, handyman services, homecare services, and supplying Christmas trees. Matt earned a BA in Journalism from the University of Georgia.Over watering is a very common problem with orchids. They don't require as much water as a lot of people give them. We recommend a small glass of water per week.
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QuestionAfter flowering, should I cut off any brown or dead looking stalks?Lauren Kurtz is a Naturalist and Horticultural Specialist. Lauren has worked for Aurora, Colorado managing the Water-Wise Garden at Aurora Municipal Center for the Water Conservation Department. She earned a BA in Environmental and Sustainability Studies from Western Michigan University in 2014.Yes. Leave about 2 inches (5 cm) of the stem until the next flowering season. If it doesn’t regrow from there, you can remove the rest of last season's stem.
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QuestionNew leaves are growing at the end of two separate flower spikes and air roots. Should I just leave them on the parent plant?Lauren Kurtz is a Naturalist and Horticultural Specialist. Lauren has worked for Aurora, Colorado managing the Water-Wise Garden at Aurora Municipal Center for the Water Conservation Department. She earned a BA in Environmental and Sustainability Studies from Western Michigan University in 2014.Leaving it could cause the orchid to outgrow the pot. They might be able to be separated into two different plants if the roots are able to easily be separated. Replant the orchid into a bigger pot about every 2 years.
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Tips
- Clean your orchid’s leaves twice a year by putting the pots in your tub and running warm water over them for 3–4 minutes.Thanks
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References
- ↑ https://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/yard-and-garden-growing-orchids-home
- ↑ https://extension.umd.edu/resource/overwatered-indoor-plants
- ↑ https://warren.cce.cornell.edu/gardening-landscape/warren-county-master-gardener-articles/orchids-as-houseplants
- ↑ https://www.johnson.k-state.edu/docs/lawn-and-garden/in-house-publications/houseplants/How%20to%20Care%20for%20Orchids.pdf
- ↑ https://warren.cce.cornell.edu/gardening-landscape/warren-county-master-gardener-articles/orchids-as-houseplants
- ↑ https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/growing-orchids-indoors
- ↑ https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/orchids.html
- ↑ https://ipm.illinois.edu/diseases/rpds/614.pdf
- ↑ https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/growing-orchids-indoors
About This Article
Article Summary
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The best way to take care of your orchid is to place it near a south- or east-facing window that receives strong, indirect light. Water your orchid whenever the soil feels dry, and fertilize it with a 10-10-10 fertilizer once a month while it’s flowering. Make sure the room your orchids are in receives circulation, or set an overhead fan to low if it doesn’t. For help from our Horticulturist reviewer on clearing bugs or removing diseased spots, read on!
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Reader Success Stories
- "The flowers fell off my orchid a few months ago, but the stem kept growing. Just when it seemed to put on a growth spurt at the tip, the stem darkened, died and began to shrivel. The foliage remains healthy - at least in my estimation. This article taught me that the stem dying is perfectly normal after the flowers are gone and told me that it was OK to cut it off. Watering and fertilizing advice was also helpful. I'm now waiting for a new stem and flowers this winter. Thank you." ..." more
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"The flowers fell off my orchid a few months ago, but the stem kept growing. Just when it seemed to put on a growth spurt at the tip, the stem darkened, died and began to shrivel. The foliage remains healthy - at least in my estimation. This article taught me that the stem dying is perfectly normal after the flowers are gone and told me that it was OK to cut it off. Watering and fertilizing advice was also helpful. I'm now waiting for a new stem and flowers this winter. Thank you."
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"We are in the process of developing an activity to help us work through our retirement. The thought of growing orchids and succulents, cactus also will give us something to do and enjoy. This section will help in the choice suited to our environment, also care and feeding for we are first time growers. Thank you!"
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"This article was helpful as it helped to properly identify orchid type and exact growing conditions, including temperature and light restrictions. I found the information regarding the soil dependent vs an non-dependent helpful. Also the information about watering during non-flowering times was very helpful too."
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"Thank you. Mid-April bought my first orchid. Live in Cape May, NJ, and when the AC and ceiling fan were left on for a few days, the blooms limped and dropped. Going to cut the spike all the way down. The leaves are healthy and have hopes of bringing it back. Thank you for your help. "
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"Our orchid has been flowering continuously for nearly three years. It has produced one flower spike after another. It has now stopped producing flowers and is producing roots galore. The page explained this is part of a natural cycle. We will repot the orchid and see what happens."
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