How to Care for Orchid Houseplants

Repot the orchid. You may be able to do a partial repot and remove the whole orchid, root and planting media and place in a new pot. If you repot altogether, note what type of media the orchid was originally planted in and use that when you repot it. The pot size should be slightly on the small side. Orchids grow best when their roots are somewhat confined. A clear plastic pot is helpful so you can keep an eye on the roots, a white plastic pot is good to stimulate photosynthesis and ceramic pots are aesthetically pleasing.

Water your orchid carefully. Watering is an essential piece of orchid care and overwatering is detrimental to its health. Each orchid species has its own watering requirements, but a general rule of thumb is to feel the potting mix or media to test for dryness. If the soil is not completely dry, do not water. When it is time to water, it's best to do it in the morning; according to orchidcare.com, water your orchid at the equivalent of 1/3 the pot's total volume. The orchid also must have adequate drainage so the roots don't get too wet and rot.

Keep your plant in indirect light. A few ways to assess whether your orchid is happy in the spot you've chosen is to feel the leaves for warmth -- if it's too warm, move to a different spot, and also look at the color of the leaves. Rich, dark and green leaves indicate it is probably not getting enough light because their ideal color is light green. A few days to weeks of careful observance should help you decide the best spot for your orchid.