Adding flowers to your home is a vibrant way to enhance your sense of tranquility, particularly if you choose warm color schemes. Orchids are excellent houseplant choices, offering a diverse range of tens of thousands of species with unique shapes and a variety of colors (although for blue orchids, you’ll need to dye them yourself). These plants require careful attention to thrive and produce the largest, healthiest blooms. One common misstep in orchid care is improper watering.
Overwatering is a typical way to harm an orchid; these plants might only require watering every five to 14 days, depending on your local environmental conditions. Underwatering can also pose a problem. While specific care can vary by orchid type, generally, they flourish in shady, humid settings with loose growing media that ensures good drainage.
Moth orchids (Phalaenopsis), a popular variety found in plant stores, do not benefit from simple misting. If your orchid is in a large pot with plenty of drainage holes, you can place it in your bathtub or sink for a warm water rinse. Do this by drenching it three or four times over about 10 minutes, and then return it to its resting spot once it’s dry. You’ll know your orchid is well-watered when its roots turn pale green. Remember, this process is typically only needed once a week.
Be careful with alternate watering methods for your blooming orchids
Drenching isn’t the only method to maintain healthy, blooming orchids. You can supplement misting the leaves—which isn’t sufficient on its own—by placing the potted orchid on a tray of pebbles with a small amount of water. This setup allows the roots to absorb water directly throughout the day, as long as they are not allowed to dry completely. Additionally, you can experiment with home remedies like using rice water as a natural fertilizer, which is beneficial due to its nutrient content.
However, not all home remedies are beneficial. Some people suggest ice irrigation, which involves placing ice cubes around the roots for gradual water runoff. Since orchids are tropical plants from Asia and Australia, using ice can cause cold shock and damage their roots. Try this method cautiously.
Despite these guidelines, it’s still easy to either underwater or overwater your orchids, leading to either dried-out or rotting roots. Some orchids may be beyond saving, but you can attempt to revive a seemingly dead houseplant orchid by using different growing media or relocating it. You might be pleasantly surprised to see it bloom vibrantly again.
