I recently got gifted this beautiful baby by a friend! I am brand new and a stranger to orchids so I have to say she’s a little intimidating. I wanna keep her alive as long as possible. Any advice and any must-knows you wanna throw out there for a first time orchid lady? I would appreciate any advice at all cause she’s so pretty!
I highly recommend the YouTube channel MissOrchidGirl! That’s where I learned everything about orchids lol and mine have stayed in bloom for a month and a half now 🌸
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They love high humidity. I had one that kept its flowers for 6 months on my porch. Love your name btw :)
1 Like Thank you for that! And I love yours too! 😁
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The most important thing to keep in mind is orchids like their water but the LOVE for their roots to dry out. The best way to tell is to look at the roots. Green roots = don’t water. Silver roots = watering time. The type of media dictates how I water. I grow most of my Phalanopsis in bark so they dry out reasonably fast in my growing conditions. When the phal is ready for some water, I soak the pot for 10-15 minutes. Each time I water, I use fertilizer at 1/4 strength. Wait until the media dries out (look for silver roots) before watering again. For my setup, that works out to roughly once a week. For plants in sphagnum, I top water only because soaking causes the sphagnum to take in too much water. These orchids usually are ready for water every second week. Again this is based on my growing conditions so watch your plant to determine when it wants water. Once a month flush with pure water to reduce salt buildup (this is especially important if you are using synthetic fertilizer or have hard water). Put your plant in in bright but indirect light. Direct sun will burn a phal pretty quickly. Too low and you won’t get blooms. I have mine an a west window that is shaded by landscaping. They get absolutely no direct sun. If the edges of the leaves turn reddish you know you are at the max limit of sun for your plant. Since this is a new orchid, the media is probably at the end of its useful lifespan so you’ll probably need to repot when it’s done blooming. I like to repot mine especially if it’s in sphagnum because I just don’t have luck with growing phals in it. Phalanopsis blooms typically last one to three months, so don’t worry when they start to fade. It’s just part of its natural annual cycle. I would cut the inflorescence back to the base of the plant once the final bloom drops. There is a way to try for a second bloom but in the following year flowers tend to be fewer in number and sometimes smaller. Flowering is very taxing process for the plants. The best tip for orchids is learn. Read up on their care if you are so inclined. In addition to Miss Orchid Girl there are several YouTube channels like Here.. but Not, Hello Plant Lovers and Growing Orchids With Roger. Podcasts like Plant Daddy and On the Ledge are also useful. The American Orchid Society is another handy resource. I especially like their monthly to do lists. If you really want to dive into the rabbit hole, you can look for orchid societies in your area; nothing can replace interacting directly with growers that have been doing it for years. I find caring for orchids very rewarding and mildly frustrating. Luckily they are tough plants. As long as you don’t drown them, you will do great. Good luck!
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