How to care for an orchid?

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Friday, July 10th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed

Orchid Choice

Orchids are the kind of flower that interest many people, and it is pretty hard to chose one since there are over 20 000 species of them.
Some of the most impressive orchids which are easy to cultivate are : the phalaenopsis, the cattleyas and Cymbidium. These orchids have large flowers that blossom up to three months.
The phalaenopsis has an additional advantage. It can be grownin an apartment. Significant temperature differences during the day are needed for the other species named earlier, so you can not cultivate them indoor.

How to deal with them daily

Leaves of a healthy orchid are shiny. Place it in a bright location but avoid direct sunlight.(do not put behind a window, for example) : you may burn the leaves and make flowers wilt. Above all, do not water them too much : once every ten days is sufficient. Use a non-calcareous water like clear rain water or spring water. Finally, do not wet the leaves at the heart, otherwise they risk rotting.

How to care for an orchid

Once your flower has wilted, continue watering as before. You should not cut the stems since they might periodically blossom again .( You can cut them if they are dry.)
It would be enough to do a re-potting every two years. You don’t necessarily need to have a deep pot, use an “orchid special” compost, made of polystyrene and pine bark, that you can find in garden centers. Be careful with fertilizers. Too much of it and your orchid might suffocate. If you absolutely want to use some, you can use any universal fertilizer once every two weeks before and during flowering, but not after!

Finally, beware of pests that can colonize the plant: aphids, mites, mealybugs …. to get rid of them use insecticides for orchids that you can find in any garden center. Just remember a well cared phalaenopsis can live up to 20 years.

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