If you have an orchid, you want to enjoy it for as long as possible. With the care tips below, you can keep your orchid in perfect condition!

 

Use special orchid potting soil

When you buy an orchid, it will already be in the right type of soil. You can leave your orchid in that pot, or you can style it in your own pot, with multiple orchids or on its own. The type of soil you use when repotting orchids is very important. Never use normal potting soil, because it doesn’t have all the nutrition your orchid needs or the right structure for your plant. Garden centres sell special orchid soil that has the right composition.

 

Put your orchid in a bright spot

If you’re looking for a nice place for your orchid, there are several things to keep in mind:

• Orchids like plenty of light, but they don’t like direct sunlight. Fortunately, this doesn’t mean that you can never put your orchid on a window sill, just make sure to pick a sill that’s not in full sunlight all of the day.
• Orchids don’t like draughts. A little fresh air now and then won’t be a problem, but be wary of windows and doors that are often open.
• Another thing orchids don’t like is being near a heater. In summer, when your heater is off, it’s not a problem, but pay attention to this in winter.
• Orchids like a room temperature of at least 15 to at most 25 °c. Most rooms in modern houses comfortably meet these demands.
• The kitchen is a fine place for orchids, but be wary of fruit and vegetables. Fruit and vegetables emit ethylene, which may cause your orchid to drop all its buds at once.

 

Cut off dead flowers

When the flowers of your orchid die, they dry out and eventually fall off. If this doesn’t happen naturally, you can also cut off the dried flowers carefully yourself. Doing so allows the plant to focus all its energy on its blooming flowers and new buds. During the bloom period of your orchid you don’t need to trim it. When your orchid has completely finished blooming, you may choose to trim it to stimulate the creation of new buds. How? Read this article: How do I get my orchid to flower again?

 

Did you know…

…that you can make your orchid truly shine by giving it a little extra food? Give your orchid a little orchid food once per month in summer, or once per two months in winter. Make sure you do not use normal plant nutrition, this is too strong for the orchid. Only use special orchid food!

 

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