HOW TO TAKE CARE OF POTTED ORCHIDS

Orchids. You should be a very glum person if you don’t love the potted orchids you can buy in stores.

potted orchid2_ — This is how orchids grow in real life. Almost straight out of a tree trunk. The picture was taken in Dempsey, Singapore.

I think they are a much better alternative than cut flowers because the orchids bloom for weeks. Or months if you give them a minimum of attention. It is an amazing plant family found in so many variations that you find one that is suitable for all, and who tolerates pretty harsh conditions.

There are more than 30,000 different species and over 200,000 orchid hybrids.

I bought one when I moved to Houston in November, and in January the last flower fell off. When the flowers have withered you can choose to throw it away. OR you can buy some clear glass jars, a small sack of orchid soil and then plant them in the new container. After approx. 6 month, they will reward you with flowers again if you do some small preparations.

potted orchid1_ — This is how my orchids live when they are not blooming. In a north facing window with some tiny amounts of water each week.

Find a (preferably) north-facing window, give them some water each week, and the rest of the time you forget them. Orchids are not fond of direct sunlight and they love high humidity. That’s why I put the plants in the bottom of tall glass jars, which protects them a little from the dry indoor air. If you have an Epiphyte orchid (like the most common orchids you can buy, Phalaenopsis), they have airborne roots that love to get some light.

And even though I treat them fairly bad, there is always some new branches with flowers ongoing again.