Growing Orchids at Home: How to Grow and Care for Orchids

Orchids, also known as Orchidaceae, are one of the most beautiful flowers around due to their large, long-lasting blooms and crisp colors. They can be found in white, pink, magenta, purple, and yellow hues. Orchids symbolize fertility, elegance, and love. Orchids are some of the most commonly grown houseplants. Provided they have proper growing conditions, it isn’t difficult to learn how to take care of orchid plants. If you are new to the world of orchids, don't be afraid of them. Many orchids can be easy to grow if you take some time to learn what they need.

One of the most popular types of orchids is the moth orchid or phalaenopsis. This variety blooms one to two times a year and the flowers last from two to three months. Other popular types of orchids are dendrobium and oncidium, which bloom one to two times a year and have flowers that last a little over a month.

Orchid Growing Tips

There are more than 20,000 types of orchids around the world, and their growth is dependant on a few factors. Most orchids require moist, well-draining conditions. Proper potting, soil base, watering, and lighting are all components that are vital to an orchid’s growth.

There are several types of growing media that can be used with orchid plants—redwood or fir bark, sphagnum peat moss, rocks, cork, charcoal, sand, potting soil, etc.

Soil

Orchids should be planted in fast-draining soil. Using moss-based or bark-based potting mix is suggested. Depending on which you choose, the orchid care will vary. The bark-based mix allows the water to drain quickly, so you will need to water your orchid more frequently. The moss mix retains more water, so you can go longer between waterings.

How to Fertilize Orchids

The American Orchid Society recommends feeding your plants regularly with a 20-20-20 fertilizer with little to no urea. Another recommendation is to fertilize with quarter-strength, water-soluble fertilizer each time you water your plant. That means use just ¼ of the amount that the label recommends, and mix it with water. You can give this mixture to your orchid on a weekly basis (though it's better to under-fertilize than over-fertilize). Also, make sure the potting mix is a little damp before fertilizing because it can burn the roots if they're completely dry.

Best Pots For Orchids

Plastic pots and ceramic containers make the best pots for epiphytic orchids. Baskets made of plastic, wire, or wooden slats are ideal, especially for hanging displays. Besides being unnecessarily heavy, unglazed clay pots are porous, allowing water to seep through them, leaving salts behind which can damage delicate orchid roots. They also take longer to dry out which can lead to root rot.

Light

As a general rule, orchids are light-hungry plants. For best results, they should get 12 to 14 hours of light each day, year-round. In a tropical environment, the duration and intensity of natural light do not vary as it does in temperate climates. For this reason, you may need to move your orchids around and supplement them with artificial light to keep them happy during the winter months.

South- and east-facing windows are usually the best spot for orchids. West windows can be too hot, and northern ones are usually too dark. If you don’t have a good window location for your orchids, they will be perfectly happy growing under artificial lights.

Temperatures

Orchids prefer daytime temperatures of 75 °F or more and nighttime temperatures of 65 °F or more. In wintertime, this is not always practical to achieve temperatures quite this warm; however, efforts need to be made to not allow blooming orchids to be exposed to temperatures significantly colder than this.

Air Circulation

Orchids must also have fresh, circulating air. In the wild, continual gentle breezes are vital for their survival. Air in motion helps to evaporate stagnant water, which is a breeding ground for fungi and bacteria that are trapped during watering.

Ventilation also helps orchids to tolerate intense light that would otherwise burn the leaves. Create gentle breezes: Open windows in the summer and use an oscillating fan in winter. Without ventilation, orchids may eventually die from rot, lack of carbon dioxide, or disease.

Over Watering

One mistake that beginner orchid growers often make is excessive watering. Beginners can be over-enthusiastic in terms of overwatering their plants. For instance, phalaenopsis orchids only require a limited amount of water to survive and grow, and they are more than likely to experience problems such as root rot when overwatered. Therefore, only water your orchid with three cubes of ice each week, or equivalent to 1/4 cup of water.

Humidity

Indoor orchid plants also need adequate humidity, about fifty to seventy percent. There are various ways to increase the humidity in your home. Place a water-filled saucer or tray of pebbles beneath plants, mist plants daily, or use a humidifier.

Encourage moth orchids to flower again

With moth orchids, once all the flowers have fallen, cut off the stem just above a visible joint (node). This may stimulate the production of another flower stem, which you should clip to support. If no-shoot appears and the original stem turns straw-colored, then remove it at the base. Most other orchids won’t flower twice on the same stem, so cut off spent stems immediately.

Repotting Orchids 

Orchids should be repotted when their roots begin to grow over the edge of the container, or when the potting medium deteriorates. Always use fresh orchid potting mix.  

Treat orchid pests

The most common orchid pests are scale insects and mealybugs. Signs of infestation include stickiness on the leaves or nearby surfaces or black sooty mould. Scale insects can be found on the leaf surfaces (above and below) and flower stalks, while mealybugs prefer new leaves. It’s easy to remove pests by hand, using a soapy sponge to clean the leaves. Alternatively, spray with an insecticide.