How to Grow Orchid Plants

Growing orchid plants always seems to be one of those impossible things to do and probably only if you have a greenhouse. However, you will be pleased to find out that orchids are really not all that hard to grow if you live in a warm sunny house. There are a few criteria that need to be addressed but they are easy to meet.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

things you’ll need:

• Potting soil
• Plant pot with shallow tray
• Gravel
• Plant support stick

1. Find a nursery that sells orchids. You can look in home improvement stores and sometimes even grocery stores will have them for sale if they are large enough. Ask them which ones you can grow in a sunny window and not in a greenhouse. Hopefully they will have a selection from which you can choose a color variation that you like.
2. Clear an area in a sunny window where the orchid will get around 12 hours of sunlight a day. The sunnier the better, although a little shade is okay. If you don’t have a window that provides enough sunlight, you can try growing your orchid under a fluorescent light. Keep turning the plant each day so that not just one side gets the light.
3. Heat the plant with regular room temperature, unless it is getting down to freezing at night. It will be too cold on the window sill and you will need to move it to a warmer part of the room. Typically it likes to grow in an atmosphere of 60 to 70 degrees.
4. Check the soil. If you bought the plant from a reputable nursery, it will be sitting in a fibrous and light soil mixture. If it is sending shoots up and over the sides of the pot, it is time to re-pot it. Orchids like airy soil; that they grow on trees in their native habitat of the rain forest.
5. Water the plant every day if possible, especially if you have mostly bark in the soil. Make sure it is sitting on a tray filled with pebbles or marbles or anything similar. The roots do not like sitting in water, but the evaporating water will provide the orchid with the humidity it likes. If you are using tap water, let it sit out for at least 20 minutes to let the chlorine dissipate.
6. Fertilize the plant with liquid fertilizer made for orchids that has been diluted in half. Since it is liquid, it can take the place of the regular watering, but only fertilize about once a month. Don’t expect any fast growth as an orchid is a slow grower.