One Hundred Dollars a Month

My local grocery store always carries potted Orchids about this time of year.  Every time I walk in and see them, I have to resist the urge to buy one of each color.  They are soooo cool looking, and purchasing one always makes me think I will be somehow simplifying my life–like all Orchid owners are centered and de-cluttered.  Crazy, I know, but they have that affect on me.

If you have decided to take one home and fen shui your house, here’s a couple basic care tips to make sure you get the most out of your attempts:

First, you have to try to recreate their natural habitat, the best you can.  Think rain forest.  While you don’t have to run out and get yourself a water mister and monkeys, you do have to consider that Orchids prefer to cling to rocks and/or barks of trees, with their roots exposed to humidity.  So, rule number one, it’s best not to grow your Orchid in dirt. You can actually buy Orchid blends–which include a lot of rough bark.  {Don’t be worried if your Orchids roots are someone exposed outside of your growing medium.}

Next, the pot/container.  Obviously Orchids aren’t grown in pots in the wild, but they do like to cram themselves into the nooks and crannies of trees and rocks, so smaller is better when it comes to choosing a pot.  Choose the smallest pot your Orchid will tolerate and still establish itself.  Also, if possible, clear plastic is best.  It allows you to simulate exposed roots, by exposing the potted roots to light.

Orchids need dappled light–direct afternoon sunlight is a no-no.  They also love to have periods of dry and wet–again, think rain forest.  Let them dry out, and then drench them, to simulate a rain cycle {usually this translates into a weekly watering schedule}.  Meanwhile, you can simulate humidity by misting them with a water bottle–plus you will look like you have botany basically mastered as you mist your plant.

Try to fertilize your Orchid once a year and re-pot it once a year.  After your flowers have disappeared, it is best to trim it back to its base, so nutrients aren’t wasted on growing the spike.  You should get more flowers in a year {if you care for your Orchid properly, you should get the blooms to last a couple of months each year, though, it does depend a bit on the variety too.} and your plant should last for years with this cycle.

How about YOU, any tips on maintaining Orchids?

~Mavis

P.S. Last year I visited the Kew Royal Botanic Gardens and the Denver Botanic Gardens during their orchid exhibits and they were amazing! Be sure and check out those stories for more orchid pictures.