How to take care of orchid plants

An orchid is usually bought when in bloom. A little watering of the potting material and you will be able to enjoy your blooms. Once the blooms wilt, you probably are wondering...now what? When you are sure the orchid bloom peak has passed, cut the stem off near the base of it. Some people put it in a vase to enjoy the last of the blooms. Cutting the stalk will encourage a new stalk to grow, bud, and bloom. While your plant was in bloom it probably had a prominent place in the house so you could enjoy the blooms. An orchid that is not blooming still has attractive foliage. When choosing a new spot for your orchid while waiting for it to bloom again and return it to the living room coffee table for display, consider the following needs of an orchid plant.

• Light
• Humidity
• Air circulation
• Watering schedule
• Fertilizing
• Temperature

Have the orchid plant in a location that meets its care needs and is easily accessible for watering and fertilizing. Hiding your orchid when it is not blooming will put it at risk of being neglected. It will be easy to forget about caring for your plant when it is out of sight. It may not die when a watering or feeding is missed, but you will less likely see another beautiful and dramatic orchid bloom from your plant. Your plant should come with directions on care. If not you can orchid care instructions for your specific orchid on line or by contacting the grower. Local nurseries usually have knowledgeable and trained staff on hand to answer questions regarding care. Growers often have online support with a website and should be able to provide care instructions. Some of the common types of orchids:

• Dendrobium
• Phalaenopsis
• Paph
• Odonoglossum
• Vanda
• Brassia
• Miltonia
• Oncidium
• Vanilla

When your orchid plant grows out of its pot or you want to change pots to match your décor, you will need special potting mix that is specifically for orchids. Proper care of an orchid includes making sure you have the correct potting mix. Regular potting soil holds too much moisture and it will not survive. To get your orchid plant to bloom, you may need to induce a dormant stage like it would experience if grown in the wild. Manipulating the following can do this:

• Light
• Water
• Temperature
• Fertilizer

Some orchids, no matter how perfectly you care for them, will only bloom once or twice a year. Find out how often your type of orchid blooms so you won't be disappointed or think you have failed at orchid plant care. Learning to care for your orchid plant will assure beautiful foliage and a healthy plant. With a little extra care, it will reward you with beautiful orchid buds and blooms. Orchid Plant Basics Orchids are beautiful flowering plants that take a little extra care to grow. They don't grow in regular potting soil and they take some extra attention to get to bloom. Even though they need some extra attention, Orchids are well worth the time and the effort because of their beauty. Orchids are usually bought in bloom. This is good because otherwise you will need to rely on a picture to see what the orchid bloom will look like. There isn't much to do when the orchid first gets home. Here are some basics.