I was gifted this orchid with absolutely zero knowledge or prior experience with orchids. Any tips/recommendations? I want to give her a good life š„ŗ Should I change out the moss? Should I repot? I basically just need a little āorchids for dummiesā rundown š
Trim the spike (with sanitized tool!) and get it out of the moss. Also, when you remove the moss, if you see a plastic cage or plug, clip that off as well. Repot it in orchid medium or leca balls and donāt overwater it.
2 Mi piacePhalaenopsis want bright indirect light, not full sun, or their leaves can burn. When you repot, Iād transition into an orchid specific mix with bark AND sphagnum moss to ease its transition because itās used to the heavy water retention of full moss itās in now. Iād also highly recommend a clear plastic pot with many more ventilation holes or slits than this nursery pot. It will help to keep the roots from rotting. Speaking of which, watering: see how bright green your roots are? They are wet. As the media around them dries, the roots will turn a pretty silvery green color. Only then is it time to water again. In your environment, that could be every 4 days, it could be every 10. When you add bark to the mix, that time frame may change. Let your plant lead you. Do not keep the roots wet all the time. When you have all your supplies ready for a repot- post again, thereās a lot of really good advice in this community- we can walk you through it so you can avoid the beginner mistakes we have made. ā¤ļø
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There are many simple online guides on how to care for a Phalaenopsis orchid (the type you have). Google āPhalaenopsis careā to find many (I am unable to post links here). Pay particular attention to advice on how to water - pour clean water through the pot, saturating the media, let it fully drain, and then let it partially (but not completely) dry before watering again (usually once or twice a week, depending on your conditions). Repotting is a good idea, but no need to over-complicate it. A good commercial orchid potting mix (with bark and often sphagnum moss) is a good place for a beginner to start. You could get fancier later. Then put it in the brightest spot you can without direct sun, relax, do a little reading about care (youāll eventually want to learn about fertilizer for example), and before you know it youāll be an orchid addict too.
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look at those juuuuuicy roots! Jenās tip to transition from sphag only to bark + sphag is a good one, so i second that! if you tend to underwater, sphagnum moss might be a better medium, if youāre an overwaterer, heavier on the bark which retains less moisture.
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