How to Grow Orchids Indoors

Growing orchids successfully indoors can be quite a challenge, requiring quite a bit of time and patience. However, the exotic beauty of the blooms can certainly make the cultivation of orchids well worth the effort. Besides, growing orchids is not as difficult as it used to be, with hardier hybrids available these days, as well as specialized potting mediums, tools, and advice to help guide the beginner through the steps to creating a beautiful indoor orchid garden.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Choosing orchids is the first step. Once the domain of specialized nurseries and exclusive catalogs, orchids can be purchased most anywhere today, with some even available among the offerings of the local grocery store or discount chain. However, shopping at a good nursery is generally the best route for those who are unfamiliar with orchids, as nursery personnel can usually answer basic questions about the plants they stock. When choosing your orchid plants or seedlings, avoid any that have brown or black patches of damage on the leaves, as these can indicate disease. Yellowed leaves can also indicate poor health in a young orchid plant. Select orchid plants with bright green, healthy looking foliage to give your first orchid growing experiment the best chance of success.

2. Providing a good growing environment for your orchids is next, best done by emulating the natural habitat of the plant as much as is practical. Most orchids that are grown indoors are epiphytes, commonly called air plants. This type of orchid is often found in tropical climates, growing high up in the crevice of a tree, the debris and fungus matter collected in these spaces providing the nutrients that the plant needs to flourish. Shaded by the tree canopy, the orchid is protected from the full force of the hot midday sun.

3. To create the most beneficial lighting conditions for your orchid at home, it should be placed in bright filtered light, with an east facing window ideal. If a window with direct sunlight is the only option, a sheer curtain can provide the protection your orchid needs against the intensity of the sun.

4. Providing humidity for your orchid will help to make it feel at home in your indoor environment, a task that can be accomplished with a humidifier or by placing a dish of moist gravel under its pot. Just be sure that the plant is not left in standing water, as soggy conditions can promote fungus, disease, or root rot.

5. Potting should be done with superior drainage in mind. Orchids typically grow most vigorously when roots are kept reasonably dry, so a light, porous potting medium is best, such as a mixture containing fir bark or sphagnum moss. A good clay pot, customized with larger than average drainage holes, can help to provide optimal drainage conditions for your orchid.

6. Watering should be done only when the soil in the pot is dry. Among the most common mistakes made by the novice orchid grower is over watering. Test the moisture level in the potting medium by poking a freshly sharpened pencil into the soil near the center. If the wood is moist when removed from the soil, watering should be put off another day or two.

7. Feeding your orchid regularly is necessary to ensure that your plant has the proper nutrients it to grow and flower at its finest. A half or quarter strength fertilizer solution can be applied monthly during the orchids active growing season.

8. Learning how to provide the ideal environment for your plant is the key to growing orchids indoors successfully. While orchids may require more time and attention than the average houseplant, the satisfaction that comes of coaxing these plants into sharing the beauty of their delicate and exotic flowers is quite a reward in itself.

[jujudy]

on 5/23/2009 Wonderful tips on growing orchids. I love orchids. 5*s