How to Care for Blooming Orchid Plants

Orchids are beautiful plants, and they can brighten up any room with their graceful stems and bright, colorful flowers. According to the American Orchid Society (AOS), phalaenopsis orchids are the most popular for indoor growing, although there are nearly 20,000 recorded species of orchids around the world. Taking care of your blooming orchid is not exceptionally difficult. As long as you provide it with the essentials all plants require—water, sun and air—your orchid should do just fine.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

things you’ll need:

• Warm tap water
• Diluted orchid food
• Pruning scissors

1. Water your blooming orchid in the morning and only when the soil is nearly dry, probably about once each week depending on your climate. According to the AOS, overwatering is much more serious for orchids than not providing enough water. Stick your finger in the soil; if it feels moist, the orchid does not need water.
2. Use slightly warm tap water for your orchid. The amount of water will depend on the size of your plant, but do not saturate the soil. Simply pour enough water into the soil to moisten it.
3. Feed your blooming orchid with a diluted liquid plant or orchid food once a week. The AOS recommends avoiding any plant foods that contain urea. Dilute your orchid food to one-fourth of its original strength and apply it when you water the plant.
4. Keep your blooming orchid away from direct sunlight, as direct sun will cause the blooms to burn and wilt. Orchids thrive in bright, indirect light.
5. Keep your blooming orchid in a moderately warm location—over 70 degrees F—and avoid moving it while it is flowering. Orchid flowers are very susceptible to stress and will drop earlier than normal if they are exposed to cold air.
6. Remove the orchid flower when it begins to wilt, dry and hang from the stem. Most orchids will bloom for 1 to 4 months, depending on the plant.
7. Trim your orchid with pruning scissors after it has finished blooming. Some orchids will bloom again, while some will bloom only once. The phalaenopsis orchid will bloom again, according to the AOS, if you trim the stem to just above the second node. Nodes are brown notches on the green stem.