Xavier Deaton
What’s the best way to care for an orchid? I’m in zone 6 and I have seen a lot of mixed things. Like the ice cube every week. Do they like light? I’m interested in getting one but want to make sure I can care for it first
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What’s the best way to care for an orchid? I’m in zone 6 and I have… | Anything about plants | Planta community
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Plant Fatherphalaenopsis orchids, otherwise known as moth orchids, are the most common kind. they appreciate lots of bright indirect light (a little bit of direct light is ok) and will need to be planted in a chunky mix mainly composed of bark or coco chips. younger orchids will benefit from a slightly more moisture-retentive mix with the addition of long fibered sphagnum moss. repotme dot com is a great website for orchid supplies and care advice. definitely don’t water any of your plants with ice cubes, unless they like freezing cold water. for tropicals, the water should be at least 65° to prevent shock to the roots. here in zone 6a, in a rural part of the tri-state area, our north facing bay window is the perfect spot for growing orchids and african violets.
2 likes- Xavier Deaton
So like orchid bark for the potting mix and do they need smaller pots than what you’d think? I’ve seen a lot about that because they like to retain moisture they need smaller pots. And also they want pots with a lot of airflow so like ones with holes, is this right?
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yes orchid bark is called that since it’s a very popular media for orchids, it’s actually large fir bark chips. smaller pots dry out quite a lot faster than larger ones, especially if they’re filled with roots, so i’m not quite sure what you mean here. orchids prefer to dry out quickly and be watered regularly, so a snug pot with holes is ideal. the root system will turn silver when it’s thirsty, so clear pots can be very helpful to know when to water. there are also beautiful ceramic pots with holes for orchids, eventually the roots will grow out of the pot’s holes making for a very cool looking plant.
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GigglzngreenzWhen I had moth orchids I was told the ice cube thing but I couldn’t do it. It didn’t seem right. I would just run tepid filtered water through them once every week or two, whenever they felt pretty dry. They were pretty happy and they always came back and reblossomed every year. They’ll even be fine if you totally forget about them for a month or two. I gave mine away as gifts when they bloomed the second time. (I don’t have patience waiting for the flowers to come back.) there are other types of orchids though so make sure your care is appropriate for the species of orchid you have.
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Magneticgarden_I have one that has flowered multiple times. I've had it for 3 years now and have repotted it once into an orchid pot with an orchid mix. I water it typically every 7 days with luke warm water. It's also under a grow light but not completely under it, if that makes sense.
0 likes- Xavier Deaton
Could you add a picture by chance?
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