All you need to know about ORCHIDS

Orchid is one my favourite flowering plant. Each visit to the garden shop ends up with a new orchid to my collection of many. If you too are a big orchid lover or have just bought yourself one then welcome to the orchid fan club!

Orchids makes the largest family of flowering plants with its in-numerous number of species and its following hybrids. With such a huge variety and all being a winner in its beauty, it is difficult to just talk about one breed. That’s right we will be talking only about the one and only– Phalaenopsis (fayl-eh-nop-sis), which is also known as moth orchid.

Phalaenopsis has beautiful blooming throughout the year. Their flowers are vibrant, intriguing and incredible. Phalaenopsis are said to be one of the most common orchids due to its ease of production. A lot of people prefer buying Phals because of its blooming pattern which works round the calendar. You would be surprised to know, as charming Phals are, they are truly one of the low maintenance plants and does well as an indoor or home plants. Being said that, it´s one of the low maintenance plant, it still needs some caring and pampering.

Light: Phalaenopsis likes to be in a bright spot, but not direct to sun. Direct sunlight is harmful for the plant, it will turn its leaves red causing sun-burns. South/south-west or east facing windows are the best suited. If you observe the leaves turning darker than its usual shade, then probably it´s not getting enough sunlight. Consider moving it in a bright spot if you have dark winters. Presently, my Phals are on an east facing windowsill and they are doing amazing.

Water: Watering your Phals mostly depends on the potting medium and on the light it receives. If you are using bark, like me, then you can water your plant every once a week or every 10 days, as bark tend to dry off faster than moss. I usually check the weight of the plant before watering it. And if you are using moss, then it is easy to judge, feel the moss, if dry then water it. In summer Phals needs frequent watering, while in winter it needs comparatively less water, so change the watering cycle accordingly. While water, if some water gets to the leaves or the root-crown then clean it with a paper towel.

Phals are not any ordinary plants, they are different (they originally grew on the bark of a tree and could absorb water and resources from the tree), but now as they are cultivated in a pot form, they have different method of watering. Use a big vessel or bowl with the height enough for the plant to dip in without letting its crown or the leaves touching the water surface. Preferably, use filtered water and not salty or hard water. Sink the plant into water till all the bark are sufficiently wet, this can be around 3-5 mins, remove the plant, let the excess water drain out completely. Be sure that the water drains out completely, as the roots and the crown can rot due to excess water.

Temperature: Phals are perfect indoor plants because they are apt for the indoor temperatures. They do well in the range between 19-30°C during the day and between 16-19°C during the night. As other plants they too hate temperature fluctuations and can lose buds if there are any. Avoid keeping them in direct contact to heaters or ACs.

Humidity: Phals are the plants that likes humid air. If you have sufficiently humid air then you shouldn’t worry, but if you have moderate or low humidity in your house then you need to consider some options.

For moderately humid environment, you can consider placing small bowls of water surrounding the orchids, the water in the bowl will evaporate and cause vapours, now if your orchid is seeking for humidity then it will absorb the vapours; giving it an artificial humid environment. On the contrary, if you have an issue of low humidity in air, then you might want to place your Phals in a shallow tray of pebbles with water, not letting the roots, or the leaves sink in water.

If you want to save all those efforts than consider buying green house.

Fertilizers: Orchids do starve if not feed well. This is mainly because they thrive on bark and moss, which obviously do not provide the nutrients that they need. Phals like balanced fertilizer, so look for 20-20-20(nitrogen-phosphorous-potassium) on the container label. While the plant is in its blooming season, fertilize it as frequently as you water. The fertilizer is to be used in ½ strength, so dilate it with water while watering. Be sure to the fertilizers flush out completely, accumulation of its salts will affect the plant adversely. Use fresh soft water to flush them out well.

That was all about orchids that you need to know, to get started. Taking good care of these lovely plants can be a of an efforts but the results are outstanding. The more you invest your time in knowing your plant well, the sweeter fruits it will yield in return of your care.

If you are new here, then you also might want to check out few tips and tricks for having happy plants

Happy Orchids!