How to care for an orchid?

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Friday, July 31st, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed

Orchid Choice

Orchids fascinate many people, and it is pretty hard to pick one since there are over 20 000 species of them.
We can name three different species that are easy to grow and the most spectacular, as they have very large flowers that are in full bloom for a long time, from one to three months : the phalaenopsis, the cattleyas and Cymbidium.
The phalaenopsis has a further benefit. It can be grownin an apartment. Important temperature differences between day and night are needed for the other species named earlier, so you can not keep them in an apartment.

How to take care of them everyday

Leaves of a healthy orchid are glossy. You need to find a luminous place for your orchids while avoiding direct sunlight.(do not put behind a window, for example) : your orchid’s leaves might burn and the flowers may begin to wilt. Above all, do not water them too much : once every ten days is sufficient. Use a non-calcareous water like unpolluted rain water or spring water. Finally, do not wet the leaves at the heart, otherwise t may rot.

How to treat an orchid?

Once your orchid has wilted, Keep watering as before. You should not cut the stems since they might periodically blossom again .( You can cut them if they are dry.)
Generally, a re-potting every two years is enough. It is not necessary to have a very deep pot, use an “orchid special” compost, made of polystyrene and pine bark, that you can find in garden centers. Be careful with fertilizers. Too much of it and your orchid might asphyxiate. If you absolutely want to use some, you can use any universal fertilizer once every two weeks before and during flowering, but not after!

Finally, beware of pests that can colonize the plant: aphids, mites, mealybugs …. to get rid of them use insecticides for orchids that you can find in any garden center. Just remember a well cared phalaenopsis can live up to 20 years.

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