How to care for orchids in a pot ?

Orchids are one of the most popular houseplants. Although most species are exotic plants, orchids grow great in apartments, enriching them with their beautiful flowers. Check how to care for orchids in a pot.

If you want orchids to be a beautiful addition to your home for as long as possible, you will have to provide proper care for them. See how to care for orchids in a pot so that they bloom beautifully and grow healthy!

There are few important rules about proper care. Let’s look into them.

Orchids – varieties, care, growing at home.

You must water orchids in pots frequently, using a small amount of water. Water them on average 1-2 times a week. Many species of orchids have fleshy leaves or pseudobulbs that store water. Orchid roots should never stand in the water as this leads to their rotting.

The substrate should be visibly dry between watering. Dried soil will create air pockets and root system will be properly oxygenated. Thanks to this, the orchids will grow in better condition, and fungi will not develop on the surface of the substrate and the edges of the pots.

Good to know! The color of the roots informs about the need to water an orchid in a pot. The green ones indicate the appropriate level of hydration, while when the roots turn silver, you should water the orchid. To make observation of the roots easier, it is good to grow orchids in transparent casings.

Adjust the frequency and intensity of watering to the air temperature in the room and the season. Water orchids most often and abundantly in summer, when they are fully vegetating. In sunny and hot weather, water your orchids should every 2-3 days.

The roots should not be poured with water. A much better solution is to sprinkle the top layer of the substrate with water from the sprinkler. In winter, when you move the orchids to a cooler room during rest, limit watering until the substrate is completely dry.

The quality of the water for watering is very important. Water the orchids with soft, low-salinity, slightly acidic water that contains a lot of dissolved oxygen and does not contain chlorine or fluoride, which are toxic to orchids. Tap water taken directly from the tap is not suitable for watering orchids.

Watering and sprinkling orchids with hard water containing too much dissolved mineral salts causes a gradual increase in their concentration in the substrate. As a result, root growth is inhibited, and the roots die later and the plant is lost.

Tap water must be boiled or “treated” before watering orchids. To do this, fill an open vessel with water and leave it for a few hours in a bright place. After this time, the chlorine that is toxic to orchids will oxidize and the water is ready for use.

It is best to water orchids in the morning with water at ambient temperature. In spring, when you want to stimulate the orchids to start growing faster, you should water them and sprinkle them generously with warm water (at a temperature that allows you to dip your hand in it).

To be successful in the cultivation of orchids you must provide them with sufficiently high air humidity. In summer it should be on average 75-80%, and in winter 50-60%. The water used to sprinkle orchids, as well as water for watering, should be soft, slightly acidic, at room temperature and low in mineral salts.

It is much easier to maintain high air humidity by growing orchids in terrariums or showcases. If you prefer to grow orchids on the windowsill, you can increase the air humidity by frequent sprinkling the plants. You should not spray the leaves and flowers of orchids directly, as they react badly to it.

Water should be sprayed over the plant. A good solution is to place a regularly operating air humidifier near orchids. You can also place pots with orchids in a litter box filled with pebbles or gravel and water.

Water evaporating from the litter box will not only increase the air humidity around the plants, but will also keep the moisture in the substrate longer.

You should never try and rise humidity around orchids by watering them with a stream of water.

How to keep orchids at the right temperature?

Orchids in a pot, require right ambient temperature. There is no single simple rule for all types of orchids. Therefore, it is worth checking what orchid you have in the pot and then check the recommended temperature for it.

Orchids in a pot also require fertilization, but not too abundantly! Orchids are very sensitive to the salinity of the substrate. That is why you must use highly diluted fertilizers to fertilize orchids.

Fertilize the orchids during the period of intensive growth, from April to September, with every third watering. Special fertilizing preparations for orchids are available commercially. It is better to use liquid fertilizers than in the form of sticks.

Never fertilize orchids immediately after planting, when they have a damaged root system, or during the period of rest. Orchids should also not be fertilized on cloudy days, or in winter when the days are short.

Orchids will not be able to use the supplied nutrients due to the reduced intensity of photosynthesis. Nutrients then remain in the substrate, which may result in its salinity and the appearance of symptoms of physiological drought.