Great Orchid Care Tips

Anyone growing orchids these days knows just how tough orchid flower care can be. The gorgeous flowers are incredibly sensitive to things other plants are not, including humidity and the temperatures they’re exposed to. To make things even more difficult, those requirements can actually change depending on what season it is and even what time of day it is. It only makes sense that beginning growers – and even people with a little experience – need orchid care tips to ensure their orchids grow the way they should.

What Kind Of Lighting Do They Need?

Maybe one of the trickiest parts of growing an orchid is figuring out how much light an orchid needs. So here’s an orchid care tip: before you worry about how much light you need, find out what type of orchid you’re growing! Different types require different amounts of light, so if you accidentally give it too much or too little because you have the type wrong, it will be heartbreaking.

Low-light orchids require just that – low lighting. Too much light will quickly burn an orchid’s leaves, effectively killing it. An orchid care tip for someone with a low-light orchid is to place it inside, behind a window with curtains, so direct sunlight doesn’t fall on it. It’s also a good idea to generally keep these types inside. Moderate-to-high-light orchids, however, are different. A good care tip for these orchids is to place them outside, usually to the west, so they get a good amount of sunlight, although in between May and September you have to watch them to make sure they don’t burn.

Temperature And Humidity

Something else that affects orchids is both what temperatures they’re exposed to as well as what humidity they reside in. Orchids are picky in that they don’t flower unless they’re exposed to ideal temperatures on a regular basis, so while they may grow fine, they may not flower. A great orchid care tip for getting an orchid to flower is to always keep the temperature between 60 and 62 F. They can tolerate lower or higher temperatures for short periods of time if they have to.

As for humidity – orchids need a consistent humidity. A tip for orchid care humidity is to do your best to keep it at 50% to 70% humidity. If you have trouble with that, you can put a humidifier near the plant to help maintain humidity. And a final orchid care tip is this: water them only in the morning, so that they have plenty of time to dry overnight. Water has a great deal of effect on the humidity so it’s always best to start the morning with a clean slate!