A Guide To Taking Care Of Orchid Plant

Orchids are exquisite plants that have specific needs of light, humidity, growing medium, air movement, water and temperature to thrive. It is not difficult to keep them alive as long as they are given right combination of essential ingredients, and the results can be very rewarding. Many people are passionate about flowers, and they have the hobby of cultivating orchid plants.

Tips For Taking Care of Orchid Plant

There are certain members of orchid family that are relatively easy to grow, and these species are Dendrobium, Phalaenopsis, Oncidium and Paphiopedilum. For novice orchid growers, these plants are the ideal choices to start with as they are easily available, and are relatively easy to bloom.

It is important to keep in mind that for taking care of orchid plant, you must give them right combination of essential ingredients. There is enough information available on Internet regarding orchid care instructions, and you should gain enough knowledge about the species you plan to grow.

Many types of orchid plants are easily available in home supply stores or supermarkets, but it is better to buy one from plant nursery where they are given the specialized care. The experienced staff member can help you choose the right orchid as per light, humidity and temperature level in your house.

For taking care of orchid plant, one must understand its water needs. Most people think that as orchids belong to tropical regions, they need to be watered daily. But when orchids are grown at home, it is best to water them once a week. However, different orchids have varying moisture needs, and watering also depends on other environmental factors including time of the year, temperature, container size and growing medium.

The humidity level in average home environments is approximately 30-40%, but as orchids are tropical plants, they need high humidity to thrive. For taking care of orchid plant, there are certain measures that can add to the level of humidity near the plant. Orchid evaporation trays, misting the plants, grouping orchids and circulating the air around orchids are few low-cost ways to supplement the humidity level.

Another aspect of taking care of orchid plant is ideal light, and it can be determined by the color of the leaves. Most of the orchids thrive in medium light, and they must get around four hours of bright light everyday. Flowering can be energetically expensive for the plants, and right amount of light helps them store energy required for production of blossoms. Too much light will make them wither and die, and insufficient light will inhibit their growth.

Orchids also need right kind and amount of fertilizer to grow and bloom. Make sure that the soil is kept healthy by adding the fertilizers periodically.