How to Grow Laelia Briegeri

Place a Laelia briegeri root bulb into a 3-inch clear pot. If you are growing a Laelia briegeri that already has roots, ensure the roots are snug in the pot. If the roots are too tightly packed, then you can use a larger pot. If they are too loose, then fill some space in the pot with Styrofoam peanuts.

Fill in the pot with a well-draining medium, such as sandstone or the fibers of chopped tree ferns.

Water the orchid once a week during the spring and summer months with purified, salt-free water. During the autumn, you can slow down your watering to once every two weeks and in the winter, mist your plants with a water spray bottle only when the roots become very dry or you see excessive leaf shriveling. You never want to over water this orchid, as the roots will rot quickly. Water the orchid just enough so that the roots and planting medium are moistened.

Place the orchid in a room that is very bright, but in a location that is outside of direct sunlight. The room should also have a temperature of approximately 77 degrees F during the day and 62 degrees F at night during the summer. During the winter, temperatures should be 69 degrees F during the daytime and 52 degrees F at night. The humidity of the room should be approximately 80 percent during most of the year, dropping to 70 to 75 percent in the winter and early spring.

Fertilize the orchid once a week in the spring to the middle of the summer with a high-nitrogen orchid fertilizer. Read the fertilizer label instructions carefully and apply just 1/2 of the recommended application dose. In the late summer and early fall, switch to a high-phosphorous orchid fertilizer and, again, just use 1/2 of the recommended dose.