Caring for and Feeding Live Orchid Plants

Light and Air

• Keep your orchids in indirect sunlight. For example, place them one to three feet from a bright window with a southern exposure. Moving orchids to an outdoor shady patio works well in summertime. The color of an orchid's leaves show whether it has enough light to bloom. Medium green to light-colored leaves indicate a healthy amount of light. Yellow leaves or black, burned spots indicate too much light. On the other hand, dark green leaves mean the plant is getting insufficient light. Supplement insufficient sunlight indoors with plant lights. Slightly moving air helps orchids grow properly. Increase indoor ventilation by opening windows partway or by using small fans.

Temperature and Humidity

• Orchids prefer moderate to warm temperatures and humidity ranging from 40 to 60 percent. Indoor temperatures between 50 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit suit them the best. Don't allow orchids to become hot. Avoid putting them too close to windows or in other areas where temperatures range widely. In dry climates, mist the orchid leaves in the morning. Alternately, place the pots on trays filled with pebbles and water. Keep the pots out of direct contact with the water, however.

Water

• Water orchids thoroughly, allowing excess to drain through the holes in the pot. Don't overwater, however. Check soil dryness by inserting your finger or a wooden stake in the potting mix. Water only when the pot is nearly dry, once a month at a minimum. The frequency of watering needed depends on the humidity, the type and size of the pot, and the size of the plant. Orchids in clay pots, for example, need more frequent watering than those in plastic pots. Don't allow the pot to sit in standing water.

Feeding

• For best results, fertilize your orchids, but not too much. Choose a balanced 20-20-20 fertilizer or a 30-10-10 orchid mix. Fertilize every two to four weeks. If you prefer, use a quarter of the normal dilution and fertilize every week in the summer growing season. Skipping a feeding does not create problems. Prevent damage from fertilizer accumulation with thorough watering to flush out excess. When your orchids stop flowering, fertilize less frequently. Resume a more frequent schedule when new growth appears.

Repotting

• An orchid should stay in the original pot until it becomes too large or until the potting mixture deteriorates. Remove the orchid from the pot and clean off the potting mixture. Then cut off dead or rotten roots. A suitable orchid potting medium allows air flow and has good drainage. Some examples include coconut fiber, sphagnum moss, peat moss or bark chips. Plant the orchid with the crown just lower than the edge of the pot. Then fill the new pot with planting mix without covering the crown of the orchid. Press the potting mix down, and add a stake if the plant needs support.