10 Quick Tips to Keep Your Orchids Looking Gorgeous

Caring for your orchids can be a very fulfilling experience if you know what you’re doing. The problem is that many do not know the secrets to producing and maintaining beautiful blooming orchids.

Contrary to popular belief, getting great results with orchids does not require the intelligence of a rocket scientist. Here are 10 tips on improving your orchids that you can implement straight away:

Tip #1
Watering Your Orchids: Don’t give your orchids too much water. If there is any point at which your pot is waterlogged, you orchids will not be happy. Some species like the Vanda and the Phalaenopsis orchids should actually be left to dry before you water them again. In general, wait for anywhere from 5 days to 2 weeks before watering your orchids again. Let the time of year help you decide, for example: In the summer your watering should be a little more frequent than in the months with less light.

Tip #2
Keep an eye on your window orchids: If you have your orchids sitting on your windowsill it is probably because you know that they need sufficient light. That is true, but be careful when the sun is out that you do not leave your orchids in the window for too long otherwise dark spots will develop on the leaves. If the green leaves are fading, move your plant from the window before it is too late.

Tip #3
Cymbidiums: Such a popular species because they stay in bloom for long periods which is very satisfying. You should move your cymbidium orchid outdoors during the summer months but be sure to keep them from getting direct sunlight and keep track of the amount of water they are getting…that is, if you are watering them, make sure that they are not getting an extra watering from rainfalls. That being said, Cymbidiums love water, especially when they are blooming so this a species to keep moist at all times…but still not waterlogged (see tip #1).

Tip #4
Choose Your Orchids Carefully: If you know that your home has low lighting, then here are some species you should be growing indoors: Paphiopedilum (Slipper Orchids), Phalaenopsis (moth orchids) and Ludisia and otherjewel orchids.

Tip #5
Paphiopedilum “Slipper” Orchids: Arguably one of the most exotic species readily available. Again, keep these moist, watering them at the break of day with warm tap water. Make sure that the soil never becomes dry. For best results, keep these plants in a shaded area of a bright room away from
the direct sunlight.

Tip #6
If Your Orchids Are Not Blooming: If your plant appears to be healthy but there is not a flower in sight, the most common reason for this is that they are not getting enough light. Now please do not take them from a dark basement to a direct sunlit window all of a sudden. Moving your orchid where it will receive more light should be done gradually to ensure that they handle the change properly.

Tip #7
Don’t tamper with your orchids too soon: When orchid lovers begin to see their orchids blooming, one of the common mistakes made is to try to get another plant out of it…that is, in their glee they try to divide to orchid. Please do not do this too early in the orchid’s life. Allow it to grow to full size before you divide it.

Tip #8
How Do I Speed Up the Blooming Process? If you can control the temperature where your indoor orchids are, you will be able to stimulate their growth. Make sure to drop the temperature by 10° at night and take it back up during the day.

Tip #9
Keep your Orchid Away from Tobacco Smoke: Sometimes this may be the only reason why your orchid is not happy…and by the way, this is not just a ploy to get you to stop smoking; there is an RNA virus called the Tobacco Mosaic Virus that will affect your orchids if you smoke around them.

Tip #10
Getting Rid of Pests: Prevention is better than cure. If you are taking good care of your orchid, paying close attention to it’s specific needs for watering, lighting, temperature etc then you are halfway there. Also remember that debris like dead leaves also help to harbor pests so make sure that you keep the pot clean and free of dead leaves. If you already have a serious pest issue with your orchids you may have to use an insect spray but be careful to test it first on a tiny bit of the plant to make sure that it is not too strong/poisonous for your orchid.

Source: ezinearticles.com