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Orchid help! Sorry not the best picture. I have been gifted orchids… | Anything about plants | Communauté Planta

Rene

Orchid help! Sorry not the best picture. I have been gifted orchids so many times over the years and I can never keep them alive. Help?!

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8 commentaires

  1. Amateur plant mama

    I only have one that I've kept alive for 3 years now. I repot in an orchid pot with lots of holes with orchid bark. Break off any moss they have around the roots. Water in the sink once a week and let water run through. Make sure the crown doesn't get wet if it does dry it. Use an orchid fertilizer once a week during growing season. Don't be afraid when the flowers die off that's normal.

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  2. ABagel

    I’ve kept this alive since 2021, bought it from a discount grocery store. I keep it in a west facing bathroom window and essentially follow the advice above, watering weekly, fertilizing during growing season and misting regularly. Mine blooms yearly due to the winter cold snap when I leave the bathroom window open over night, USDA gardening zone 10A. The shelf it sits on is small so I prune the roots 30% yearly when repotting with orchid bark to keep it small enough for the pot it lives in.

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  3. Waspinator

    Everything amateur plant mama said is correct. I'll add on: DON'T use ice cubes for watering. Do water with room-temperature water. Be sure to get water directly on the roots. The leaves should be a bright apple green. They darken if they're not getting enough light. They turn yellow and/or turn a purpley color if they're getting too much light. (Just a slight flush of purple at the leaf edges is okay.) If you ever get a variety with a dark flower, the leaves on those are naturally darker and can even be deep purple when they're first growing in. It's always a good idea to repot new orchids since nurseries use peat plugs that are only good for baby orchids. Unless the plant has a health issue, wait to repot until after it's done blooming as repotting can make the flowers fade earlier. I'll also add a picture to help you assess root health:

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  4. Lyds and Leelees Mum

    Mine used to die too. Now I repot immediately by removing all the medium around the roots and rinsing them well in water, trimming any papery or mushy roots, and putting them in a pot with drainage and chunky bark mix. I've had good luck with that method.

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  5. Michigan mommy

    The one thing I will add…. The flowers won’t last and the stalk the are on will start to brown. Cut it after flowers down to the first node below where the lowest flower was. If that’s already brown cut it to the lowest node that isn’t brown. Even if you have to cut it off completely, it will grow a new one.

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  6. katrina

    i always heard people say to put orchids in water !! rinse off the roots and let sit in a cup of water for a day or 2

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    • Waspinator

      That's only for if they're severely dehydrated. Orchids are epiphytes (they cling to trees in the wild) so their roots need a lot of air. A soak can help them recover if they've gone too long without water, or can help make their roots flexible for a repot, but they should not be kept in water long term

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  7. Rene

    You all rock!! Thank you!

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