I have an orchid my brother and sil gave me in October. Well, I imagine it is one of those things that maybe isn't meant to last? I was hoping I could take care of it and watered it faithfully and per the directions. I didn't pay attention and it is in a pot that is in another pot and surrounded by moss. I think many times I missed the actual pot the plant was in. Observant, I know, sigh. Anyway, I'm looking online now to see how to take care of it, but wondered if anyone here had experience with orchids and knows what I can realistically do now that the weather is colder nights get down to 60 deg in our house and the heater comes on in the a.m. Thought it might be a longshot for this board but thanks to anyone who can help and Have a great day everyone.
Thanks Everyone! I took it out of the pot. It's in a platic liner of sorts and that is in a slightly larger pot stuffed with moss. The roots look green and healthy so maybe it was a blessing I didn't know I was missing the plant sometimes because the roots look healthy and green. I suspect much of the reasonfor the leaves falling off and the flower starting to die is we had an abrupt change in the weather, and heating! I'll reread the ideas here and visit the suggested website. I have moved it to a spot where it gets more light and isn't under a furnace vent anymore. It is probably doing what it needs to do. I like the ice cube method and will put a few on it every week. Can't wait 'til spring, hoping it starts anew then! Thanks Everyone!
The best advice I can give to you, is find an orchid or bonsai store. That's what we did. They do little things to it every so often, and it has been alive and kicking for years.
I went through quite a journey with an orchid that was gifted to me and I had no idea how to care for it. Mine went through a couple of years with no blooms ... most would have given up on it but I had a sentimental attachment to it and I'm stubborn. Plus I knew that in my previous apartment, its home, it was too dry and not getting enough light. Then I moved to a 3rd floor apt with lots of light and it was in heaven. Mine was given to me by an orchid fanatic and she taught me some tips:
The moss they are planted in needs to be kept moist, but not soaking wet or they will rot. They need proper drainage and never let them sit in water. Take them out of the clay pot and thoroughly water them in the sink or tub once a week (in the inner pot) and let them drain for a few minutes. Then daily or often as possible, mist them well with a spray bottle. Avoid the leaves, concentrate on the roots. They can be watered in the sink more than once a week if they are in a very dry environment.
They shouldn't be too damp or too dry - don't keep them too close to a radiator. They love to be near a sink or shower where it is humid.
It is easy to tell if they are hydrated enough because the roots turn green. When they are white and dry looking, they are thirsty. The idea is to always keep the roots moist and green.
They love lots of light, but not too much direct sunlight. I learned this from bringing mine outside on a patio in the summer, poor thing literally burned. They will not bloom if they are not getting plenty of light.
They like to be frequently fertilized. There are special orchid foods but I always used the same stuff for all my plants and it worked well.
It is true that they can look pretty dead for months at a time, but they need to be cared for the same manner during this time. When all the blooms fall off the stalk finally, cut the stalk leaving a few inches at the bottom. Then continue to care until it is ready to bloom.
Best of luck!
I clip my stems together when its dormant with small rounded hair clips. That way the stem won't fall over when it blooms again. And I second the advice of not alot of water. I did an ice cube a week.
Don't keep it under any kind of vent if your house gets that cold. Even if you have the heater on, the constant change in air flow and temperature isn't good for orchids.
I have several orchids. They are slow growing but keep their blooms a long time. Unfortunately when the blooms come off, it can take a long while before more arrive (3 months or more).
It should be fine with the cooler overnight temperature. Actually I periodically put mine in the garage in the fall/winter to spur flower production. They don't like that much water so as long as the leaves look healthy, it's probably okay. The amount of sunlight is more critical from what I've learned. Too much is bad. Too little is bad.
I like the following website.
I have 4 orchids right now that i have had for 5 months or more. The easiest way to do it is put 3 ice cubes in the pot once a week. They do not like direct light for any period of time. They will burn up. We just split one that was about a year old and half is doing really well and the other half was dead and 2 days ago I saw a new green sprout, which means it is coming back. Yay!! There are plenty of books and websites you can find when you have questions. I actually had orchids for dummies....
mine is coming back for the third time,it has a cycle about every 4 month.
The stem dies, and after a few month you have a new one growing.
They need good light, and not a lot of water, I would give it 3 ice cubes once a week.
I think even if it "dies" for the winter it will come back, keep it by a window.. we water ours like every other day (I don't think they need a ton of water) ours has gone through periods where it looked dead but it came back.. if you're really serious about it I think Lowe's sells orchid food and stuff like that, I'd start there since they'll have more info about what to do in your specific area.
My daughter gave me an orchid and the tag said just add ice. 3 or 4 ice cubes once a week. I have it in my window at work so it gets natural and irridescent light. It's pretty chilly in the office but not cold. I'm happy to report it is very vibrant and healthy and growing strong. ooh but when I had it in my frigid home I kept it right next to a lamp I left on at night so the warmth of the light kept it ok.
