How to Keep Your Orchids Healthy

Orchids are some of the most beautiful houseplants you can find. Orchids are delicate plants that require nurturing and loving care to flourish. However, if one carefully follows orchid care instructions and provides the plant with the appropriate attention, caring for orchids can be very fulfilling as a hobby or just as beautiful accents to one's home.

The first step one must take is, of course, planting the orchid. Fill the pot with soil 2/3 to capacity. (More on soil choices later.) Place the plant in the center of the pot and spread the roots out in the soil. Next, fill in the rest of the soil and water the newly potted orchid.

There are quite a few options when choosing the soil for planting an orchid. Some popular choices are osumda fiber and fir bark. Bark mediums usually require more frequent watering, so if you choose to use bark, be mindful of this. All orchid soils provide support for the roots while also allowing for air spaces between the particles, providing good drainage for the plant.

Orchids like humidity, so to increase humidity around the plant, it is a good idea to gently mist the leaves on the plant. Do not, however, mist the plant directly, but instead mist it in a way that the water rests on the leaves as it settles. Orchid enthusiasts often fill a tray with pebbles, fill it half way with water and have the pot resting on a dry layer of pebbles on top. This allows the water to evaporate and thus, creates a more humid climate for the plant.

Lighting is very important in caring for orchids. In fact, it may be the most important aspect of its care. These plants require about 12 hours of light each day, possibly more in the wintertime when the weather is cooler and the days shorter. For this reason, the best place to keep an orchid is near a south-facing window, where it will receive indirect light from the sun.

Watering, as in any plant's care, is vital to the life of your orchid. One should never over water an orchid to the point where there is a pool of water in the pot. Generally speaking, orchids should be watered once a week, or when the soil feels dried out to the touch.

Make sure to properly prune your orchid to keep it clean and healthy. This not only helps your orchid's health, but also keeps it looking its best. Orchids are one of the most beautiful flowers in the world and their beauty has inspired many people worldwide to take up orchid care as a personal hobby. Of course, they also provide your home with an exquisite touch year round. Whatever your interest in orchid care, you will find success if you follow these instructions and provide your orchid with love and care.

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Young Orchids

For the newbie orchid grower, starting off with younger orchid plants is a great way to learn how to care for them as you watch them grow and blossom. When getting a young orchid plant for the first time, try and find out as much about it as possible. Knowing what species it is is very important, as is the sort of environment it is found in the wild. From here you'll have a better idea what watering, temperature, light and humidity requirements it needs.

Make a list of supplies you may need for your young orchid plant. This should include the correct potting mix and a specialized orchid fertilizer. Keep a plant pesticide and fungicide handy in case your plant suddenly gets attacked by something. Orchids generally need repotting once a year so there is no hurry to get another pot just yet. A water sprayer is handy as it is easier to control the quantity of water you give your plant.

It is essential that you get the potting mix right. Most orchids do not grow in the standard garden soil or garden plant potting mixes. There are species of orchid that prefer a bark potting mix and others that prefer a sand mix. Always leave the young orchid plant in the potting mix that you received it in. Don't repot the plant until it has grown to a size where it has overgrown the existing pot. When you do repot, select a pot size slightly bigger as orchids do not like being transferred to containers that are much larger then the one they are in.

Often young orchid plants are kept in potting media that appears quite dry. This is done on purpose to prevent fungal infections. Orchid roots rot very easily if they are over watered. It is much better to gradually water the plant over time, rather than do a sudden soak if the potting medium is very dry. Because young orchid plants are not yet flowering, they require different light intensities to those needed by mature orchids. If the lighting is too low, the leaves will start to turn a dark green color. Gradually increase the light by changing the plant's position and when the leaves appear a healthy light green color then that should be fine.

A great online Orchid resource site can be found at Orchid Care Learn more about growing orchids at Orchid Growing Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jan_Wilson

The Basics of Orchid Care

Orchids are exotic plants that have thrived on this planet for millions of years but many people are reluctant to grow them as they do not understand the basics of orchid care. While orchids can be challenging to grow, their care is really not that complicated and if you understand what they need to florish, you, too, can enjoy these beautiful and fragrant plants.

Watering

One of the big mistakes that people make is over watering their orchids. People assume that since they are tropical plants they need a lot of water and this is not necessarily the case. While they do appreciate the humid environment, over watering can kill them.

The amount of watering necessary depends on the temperature any type of orchid a general rule of thumb is to water once a week. You may want to water more frequently in the summer and a little bit less in the winter. The Cymbidium, Miltonia, Odontoglossum and Paphiopedilum varieties like to be kept with the soil a bit moist even between wanterings while the Ascocenda, Vanda and Phalaenopsis prefer to have their soil become dry in between.

Fertilizing

Proper fertilization is an important part of orchid care as it is for caring for any plant. You want to be sure that you use a fertilizer that is formulated specifically for orchids and follow the directions to the tee.
Fertilizing too much or too little could harm your plant.

Light

Providing your orchids with the right amount of light is important for its care as well as to be sure that it blooms. Some orchids like the dendrobiums and cattleyas like to have a lot of light so you want to place them in a south facing window but take care that their leaves do not burn in the hot summer sun. Paphiopedilums and phalaaenopsis, on the other hand, prefer less light so you want to make sure that they are placed further away from the window. If you notice your good leaves are a dark green this can be an indication that they are not gettingg enough light while a more reddish tone might indicate that they are getting too much light. Generally speaking, you want your work is to get about 12 hours of light a day. if you cannot provide them with natural sunlight you can always get a growing light but be sure that you do not leave it on for more than 12 hours.

Repotting

If you take good care of your orchids they may last for several years and you want to think about repotting them every two years. You want to wait until the plant is not in bloom. Choose a pot that is a bit larger than the one you currently have an orchid and and be sure to remove all the dead roots before putting it In the new pot. Let it adjust to his new home for about a week before you start with your watering and fertilization schedule.

Basic orchid care is not that different from caring for any other plant. Just like other plants they need light water and food as well as a proper home with adequate room for their roots to spread. Getting a good system in place for watering and fertilizing is a great way to ensure that you be able to enjoy these beautiful plants for many years.

Lee Dobbins writes for http://www.orchids.garden-corner.com where you can learn more about caring for and growing orchids.

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