With flowers that look like butterflies and last for months at a time, orchids are gorgeous indoor plants. Thus, you need to keep them happy and blooming every year to come. Hence, prolonging the life of an orchid should be your main focus. However, you are not alone on this journey. Here, in this article, I have 5 incredible tips you should use to keep your orchid alive and blooming. Keep reading!
1. Shine bright, indirect light like a diamond
Joking aside, your orchid does need that beautiful bright and indirect light to survive. Hence, an east-facing window that gets morning light is the best way for this. Thus, you need to be sure your orchid is shielded from the brightest and harshest of the afternoon sun. This issue can easily be fixed with a sheer curtain. Also, the leaves should be a bright shade of olive green. Hence, if you notice that your orchid has darker leaves, that means the plant is not getting enough light. On contrary, when it has red-tinged leaves, that means there’s too much exposure to light. Check out your plant every day and keep this information in mind.
2. Check the temperature
Also, you need to take care of the temperature, the orchids are very happy at the same temp we are. Thus, you need to get them to above 60º at night and between 70º and 80º during the day. You should also remember that temperatures on a windowsill are colder or hotter than the rest of your house. Hence, fluctuating temperatures can cause buds to drop off right before they open. In this instance, pay close attention that your orchid is out of the way of any drafts.
3. Cut the stems of faded flowers
You should also cut the spike down to the leaves when flowers fade. This way, your plant will grow a strong stem with even larger flowers within a year. Another option is that you can cut the stem just above the first node, below the lowest faded bloom. That is because sometimes, the remaining stem will produce another round of flowers within 8 to 12 weeks.
4. Food and water are a must
Hence, you should water your orchid with a once-weekly lukewarm water. You might need to be a little more frequent in summer, and less so in winter. When in doubt, give it another day. If you are using a narrow-nose watering, irrigate just the inside of the pot rim, under the plant leaves. It is very important to keep dry the crown. Use a paper towel to blot any excess water to avoid crown rot. Make sure the pot has drainage and excess water can run out, and that the container doesn’t sit in a saucer full of water.
Regarding feeding, make sure you do it weekly with a light fertilizer. Once a month, skip the fertilizer and use clean water to flush any excess salts.
5. Also, repotting is important but on occasion
You are allowed to use potting soil! When bark chips have decayed, water your orchid, jiggle it out of the pot, and wash the old bark from the roots, snipping off any dried or mushy roots with clean clippers. Repot in moistened, medium-grade bark so the base of the bottom leaves sits above the bark and 1/2 an inch below the pot rim.
