With a rich history that spans over 200,000,000 years, Orchids are one of the oldest plant species in the animal kingdom. Originally from Asia, Australia, the Phillippines, and the Himalayas, there are 28,000 different kinds of classified orchids, each as unique as the next. One of the best things about orchids is that they are highly adaptable and are capable of growing in almost any kind of environment—including the one inside of your house. To learn more about indoor Orchid plant care, keep reading the tips and tricks below.
Indoor Orchid Plant Care
The kind of care needed by your Orchid, depends on whether or not it is in bloom, believe it or not.
For Orchids in Bloom:
To make sure your Orchid blooms for as long as possible, make sure that you provide a warm, humid environment. Keep out of direct sunlight when the plant is in bloom, or you could loose some of the flowering due to wilt. When blooming, the plant doesn’t need much water. Inspect the roots and water when they look shriveled and no longer plump. Snip off the flower stalk at the base as soon as the leaves have dropped.
For Orchids Not Blooming:
Place your Orchids in a southern facing window, and cut off the flower spike after it’s done blooming. Follow the same watering instructions as above, and only water when the roots are no longer plump and a bit wrinkled.
What Kind of Soil Do Orchids Prefer?
For the best success growing Orchids indoors, you need to recreate it’s natural growing habits. Orchids naturally grow with their roots exposed while clinging to the bark of trees. Use an orchid mix of rocks, bark, etc to recreate this. Miracle Gro sells an Orchid mix that works very well.
Additionally, Orchids purchased from the store tend to come bound in small plastic containers. Remove your plant from these containers ASAP and repot into a more suitable material.
When to Repot Indoor Orchids
Repot your indoor orchids immediately after they have stopped blooming. Never repot during a blooming session or you could risk losing the blooms and stunting the bloom cycle.
When Do Orchids Rebloom?
Orchids are natural perennials. Look for them to follow a natural bloom pattern with leaf growth in the spring/summer and then a flower stalk in the winter months. Expect your plant to bloom every year in the Spring. However, if your orchid is really happy, it might bloom twice a year like my coworker’s.
