Caring for an Orchid At Home. A Guide for Beginners

Orchids have always been a timeless flower. Those who have received a bouquet of orchids often fall in love with them and later get a plant to enjoy it at home 24/7. These beautiful and attractive plants delight their owners with unique and long-lasting flowering. But as many exotic plants, they require proper care. This proper care includes the following actions: 

• maintaining the optimal humidity level;
• choosing the right soil;
• providing proper lighting; 
• timely watering.

Arrival of an Orchid. First Steps

So what is the first thing you should do when you’ve got an orchid delivered, straight to you? You will most probably want to place it somewhere where you will be able to see it all the time. But in order to enjoy its beauty as long as possible, it’s important to provide it with a so-called welcoming period. Here are the main steps to follow:

1. Welcome the plant properly. Place it somewhere where it will not be exposed to direct sunlight.
2. Do not water the orchid for a couple of weeks. 
3. For these couple of weeks, do not add fertilizers to the soil. 
4. After a couple of weeks, start adapting your orchid to sunlight and gradual watering. 

This adaptation period will let the plant get used to the conditions of the new place. 

1. It is not necessary to replant the orchid – it can comfortably stay in its substrate for few years, unless it’s sphagnum moss (then you will need to replant the orchid). 

Watering

Orchids generally don’t like too much water in the soil. However, it depends on its type. Some like being watered when the soil is completely dry, while some prefer even to stay in dry soil for a while before getting some water. The main rule will always be “better less than more” when it comes to watering because all orchids better prefer withstanding dry periods instead of overwatered ones. 

Regular watering though will be necessary when taking care of an orchid during the following periods: 

• appearance of new shoots;
• blooming time;
• active growth. 

How To Notice The Lack of Water

Your orchid will always be the first one to show it wants to drink more water. If you notice wrinkles on the leaves, then you should water the plant. But if the leaves look wet and yellow, then you are overwatering the plant and should water it much less, not to let the roots start rotting. Do not place the orchid back in the pot straight after the watering – let it first get rid of the excessive water. 

Placing & Lighting

Each type of orchid has specific lighting requirements. The sunny side is not always suitable because orchid leaves can get burned. To avoid this, you can cover the window with a curtain. The lack of light though can lead to the fading of the plant. If you notice that the orchid’s top leaves are leaning towards the window, then you should let more light get to the orchid.

• In summer, it is better to shade the orchid to prevent direct sunlight from reaching its leaves. Let it get more diffused light for at least 12 hours per day. In case your daylight hours are less, then you should consider installing additional artificial lights; 
• In colder periods, let the orchid rest. Do not shade it as it is working on growing new shoots. 

Caring for an orchid can be quite a challenge, as they are too exotic and delicate to survive without special conditions. Keep it in mind when choosing a home plant. And in case you want to enjoy their beauty with no extra efforts, then choose bouquets with orchids instead of plants.