A family member bought me orchids. How do I take care of them? I tried googling it and looking at previous posts, but I’m still confused. Also, are you supposed to use iced cubes or not? This seems to be a controversial topic
Check out MissOrchidGirl on YouTube. She has a video on every aspect of orchid care. Welcome to your new obsession! Mine also started with one orchid gifted to me. I have more than a few now… 😅
DankSinatra5060
Check out the roots. If they are coming out of the pot it will need to be repotted but I would wait a bit for the plant to acclimate to the new environment.
Repot into super chunky soil, orchids grow on trees naturally so you want to recreate that the best you can. Most nurseries will sell an orchid medium which is helpful. I recommend repotting into a clear plastic container so you can keep an eye on moisture levels.
Water by fully saturating the pot and letting the water run through the bottom. In my experience they like a lot of sunlight.
Do not use ice cubes ever, or fertilizer for the first little while. The blooms will die and you can trim them back, they will grow back as long as the leaves are green and healthy.
skipow
first would be to remove the cellophane….and no ice please.
waschbaerpisse
don’t use ice cubes the roots hate to be cold, they naturally grow on/climb trees in tropical climate and it’s never icy cold there. it’s it bloom so unless you can see root rot you should wait to repot it until the blooms have died. orchids need a substrate in which the roots get a lot of air, most people do bark but I prefer lecca, there’s a blog by an awesome orchid nerd who developed a way to grow them semi hydroponic, I forgot what it’s called but it has been posted on this subreddit many times
CrazyMildred
If anyone tells you to put an ice cube in the soil, don’t! I’m not sure why people think that’s what to do, but it’s definitely bad.
Global_Fail_1943
I soak the roots in water 30 minutes once a month or so. Drain well and return to the pot an east window keeps them blooming or a little grow light helps.
Mine bloom year round. My windows have a big deck overhang so I have a little grow light strip above the window where the light goes. Set the plastic pot into something pretty though. The idea of the ice cube is to give you an idea of how much water to give it. The soaking is the answer though.
soggy_raccoon84
Take off the cellophane and definitely no icecubes. They like indirect light so no windowsils but definitely a table or desk where sunlight will reach them. Mine like a north facing window and have managed on a windowsill in that case but watch out for radiators. The roots like sunlight so a clear pot is usually a good idea. Try to find out what species you have and google its specific needs. They don’t need a lot of water. I tend to water mine when the roots get very wrinkled and silver and when the soil is bone dry. Chunky soil (with bits of bark) is good but you can easily find a premade orchid soil to buy. You will need to trim them back after they’re finished flowering so they bloom again next year. Lots of advice online. I have found mine fairly easy they bloom every year and one had a pup recently.
7 Comments
Check out MissOrchidGirl on YouTube. She has a video on every aspect of orchid care. Welcome to your new obsession! Mine also started with one orchid gifted to me. I have more than a few now… 😅
Check out the roots. If they are coming out of the pot it will need to be repotted but I would wait a bit for the plant to acclimate to the new environment.
Repot into super chunky soil, orchids grow on trees naturally so you want to recreate that the best you can. Most nurseries will sell an orchid medium which is helpful. I recommend repotting into a clear plastic container so you can keep an eye on moisture levels.
Water by fully saturating the pot and letting the water run through the bottom. In my experience they like a lot of sunlight.
Do not use ice cubes ever, or fertilizer for the first little while. The blooms will die and you can trim them back, they will grow back as long as the leaves are green and healthy.
first would be to remove the cellophane….and no ice please.
don’t use ice cubes the roots hate to be cold, they naturally grow on/climb trees in tropical climate and it’s never icy cold there. it’s it bloom so unless you can see root rot you should wait to repot it until the blooms have died. orchids need a substrate in which the roots get a lot of air, most people do bark but I prefer lecca, there’s a blog by an awesome orchid nerd who developed a way to grow them semi hydroponic, I forgot what it’s called but it has been posted on this subreddit many times
If anyone tells you to put an ice cube in the soil, don’t! I’m not sure why people think that’s what to do, but it’s definitely bad.
I soak the roots in water 30 minutes once a month or so. Drain well and return to the pot an east window keeps them blooming or a little grow light helps.
https://preview.redd.it/s2kmttl6r95g1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aa3b7069ba669f6b1e3235eba3875d62f6b1f0a1
Mine bloom year round. My windows have a big deck overhang so I have a little grow light strip above the window where the light goes. Set the plastic pot into something pretty though. The idea of the ice cube is to give you an idea of how much water to give it. The soaking is the answer though.
Take off the cellophane and definitely no icecubes. They like indirect light so no windowsils but definitely a table or desk where sunlight will reach them. Mine like a north facing window and have managed on a windowsill in that case but watch out for radiators. The roots like sunlight so a clear pot is usually a good idea. Try to find out what species you have and google its specific needs. They don’t need a lot of water. I tend to water mine when the roots get very wrinkled and silver and when the soil is bone dry. Chunky soil (with bits of bark) is good but you can easily find a premade orchid soil to buy. You will need to trim them back after they’re finished flowering so they bloom again next year. Lots of advice online. I have found mine fairly easy they bloom every year and one had a pup recently.