How to Care for a Hybrid Orchid

Water your hybrid orchid once every five to seven days to keep the planting medium lightly moist at all times. Run the pot under a tap with tepid water until the medium is drenched. Allow all of the excess water to drain away before putting the orchid back in its tray or decorative pot. While collected rainwater is the best water for your orchids, it is an impractical option for many. Tap water or filtered tap water will suffice, but chemically softened water should never be used.

Feed your hybrid orchid once per month with a water soluble orchid 30-10-10 food used at a half strength dose from what is recommended on the label. Dilute the orchid food with water and pour over the pre-watered planting medium and roots until soaked, allowing the excess to fall through the pot.

House your hybrid orchid in bright indirect light and never in direct sunlight as the leaves can burn, the medium can desiccate and the flowers will wilt. When the orchid is in bloom, move it to a low light location to extend the life of the blooms.

Allow the flowers to die back and drop off of the plant on their own. When every flower on the stem has bloomed and faded, leave the orchid stem in place to die back on its own as it will transfer all its stored nutrients down into the roots and leaves of the plant. Cut the flower stalk back to the crown of the plant between the leaves after it had turned brown and desiccated.

Re-pot your orchid once every year or two, replacing the planting medium with fresh material in the right form for your type of hybrid orchid. If you have an epiphytic orchid, such as a phalenopsis or dendrobium, use a coarse orchid mix without soil. For terrestrial orchids, such as paphiopedalums or cymbidiums, use an orchid mix with some soil.