The Top Three Orchid Care Mistakes
Everyday we receive your questions on how to best care for your orchids. We know orchids can seem hard to care for, and we love helping you enjoy your orchid care and feel confident doing it!
We often find that our community comes to us with a lot of the same questions and situations. You can find the top orchid care mistakes we see below. With just a few tips you can grow happy, healthy orchids in your home too!
Too Much Water
This is by far the most frequent mistake we find with orchid care. When orchid roots are dry and grey and it’s time to water, you need enough water on the roots until they turn green once again. This is where it gets tricky. Once you’ve watered your Phalaenopsis orchid, it needs to fully drain. Absolutely NO water should remain in the grow pot or remain at the bottom of the decorative pot. Excess or sitting water can lead to rotting of the plant. Only return the plant to the grow pot when it is fully drained.
In the case of Orchid Gardens, the amount of water to use weekly is ¾ of a cup at the base of each plant in the Orchid Garden arrangement.
Find the specific instructions for each kind of orchid here.
Too Much Light
Placing your orchid where it is exposed to strong, direct sunlight is another frequent source of problems for your plant. Too much sunlight can lead to a red tint on the leaves or the texture of the leaf will become tilted, wilting or droopy.
An easy way to tell if the light your orchid is receiving is just right, is to place your hand underneath the flowers and leaves. Is the shadow on your hand clear and defined? If so, the light is too strong and you should move the plant. If the shadow is blurry, then the light is indirect and your orchid should do well in that spot.
Strong Drafts
Finally, another mistake we often see is placing the orchid somewhere it is exposed to a strong draft like that of an air conditioner. Strong drafts can dehydrate the plant and cause early wilting of the flowers.
The ideal humidity for orchids is 70%-80%. Most homes are within this range, as long as you stay away from those A/C drafts.