19 Aug How to Grow the Perfect Orchid
Orchids have a reputation for being a challenging flower to grow. Although they are quite delicate, it is easier to have success in this area than you may realize.
The #1 rule for growing orchids is that you must start thinking like one. It would be best if you duplicated the typical environmental conditions for the flower as carefully as possible. Since most species are epiphytes, which means they grow on other things, you need to include stone or bark in your pots or containers for root-clinging support.
What Are the Optimal Growing Conditions for Orchids?
Orchids thrive when they have access to robust sunlight. The flowers prefer the early morning beams instead of the ones in the late afternoon with more intensity.
You must provide orchids with lots of airflow around the roots and plenty of humidity. Each plant is a little different with its needs. Still, all of them need regular dry periods that alternate with significant watering.
The flowers perform better when you can keep them at a consistent temperature, somewhere between 50°F to 85°F.
You’ll get more robust blossoms and more success when you can duplicate those conditions.
What to Expect When Growing Orchids
Shipping an orchid home after your stay in Honolulu can give you a permanent reminder of the joyous memories you made here.
Most store-bought varieties get packaged in cheap plastic containers. You’ll see the roots packed with damp moss as a way to preserve the plant’s health. Both techniques violate the rules of successful growth, which means it may be helpful to re-pot it before sending it ahead to your home.
If your plant is already flowering, wait until it completes the cycle before re-potting it.
An orchid’s roots are closer to a set of lungs instead of it being a way to absorb nutrients. They bring in water quickly and help the plant to breathe.
How to Re-Pot an Orchid Successfully
1. Remove the orchid from the plastic pot. Carefully eliminate as much moss as possible. You’ll see healthy roots that are white and firm.
2. Remove any roots that look black, rotten, or shriveled.
3. Place the orchid into the new pot, filling around it with a potting mixture explicitly made for orchids. You want the plant to be firm in its new home, but it should not be entirely anchored.
4. Find a warm spot for your orchid to continue growing. Most varieties prefer an indoor window facing the east because that gives them the hours of morning sun they prefer.
5. Unless you plan to repetitively spray the orchid, use a deep tray for the plant filled with gravel to preserve water run-off.
6. Yellowing or wrinkled leaves, no blooms, or lackluster growth are signs of a distressed plant. Keep tweaking your environment until you start seeing a recovery happen.
Growing orchids can be a lot of fun, especially if the plant reminds you of your time in Honolulu. Remember to bookmark this page to keep track of these tips so that you can have a successful experience!
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