Hello first time orchid owner here! my boyfriend just got me this beautiful orchid however I am a known plant killer!!! We haven't been dating very long so he doesn't know this about me yet. How do I keep this lovely lovely orchid alive? it comes from the just add ice Line of orchids? Any advice? Soil is BONE dry I really don't want to kill this beautiful flower!!!
by Mari221B
8 Comments
Good bot!!!
Don’t do the ice š orchids are tropical plants
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My favorite newbie orchid owner videos were from Miss Orchid Girl on YouTube. She shows how to raise orchids in a house with natural or artificial lighting. If your orchid is very dry go ahead and give it a drink of water. Not ice.
Pretend you didnāt see anything about ice cubes and use room temp to lukewarm water. If the media (Iām going to guess sphagnum moss) is fully dry, you can give the pot a good soak in a bowl for like 5-10 minutes or run it under the tap. Donāt water until itās fully dry again.
Try not to get any water into the crown (that dip in the top part between two leaves) or in the crevices of the base of the leaves, because unless you have good air movement around the plant, it might develop rot if the water doesnāt evaporate quickly. I just use a q-tip to soak up as much water that got into those parts as I can.
You can place it near a windowsill as long as it doesnāt get full direct sun, which can burn the leaves.
Once the flowers wilt or start dropping off, cut the spike close to the base of the plant and put some cinnamon powder onto the cut if you have it. Iāve added a photo of where to cut if thatās useful.
https://preview.redd.it/0ly5ahaz6gtg1.jpeg?width=1856&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f433c9b6358df9936022e53c9abc504718dda1dc
What a beautiful orchid!
It looks like your plant is lovely and healthy but it is still potted in its peat nursery plug (the compact spongy stuff itās planted in) This is absolutely fine in the short term but I would advise repotting into a different potting medium once flowering has ended because peat is *very* water retentive and it can be difficult to not overwater the plant – especially for an inexperienced grower. Medium-grade orchid bark or a bark & sphagnum moss mix would be a good choice
Water it (not with ice) if the peat is dry and the roots look silvery, and then wait until itās completely dried out before watering again – Phalaenopsis really donāt like their roots staying too wet
Be careful not to get water in the crevices between the leaves because that can lead to rot developing quite easily. If any water gets in the leaf joints or the crown (the central point where the top 2 leaves meet) you can just use the corner of some kitchen paper/loo roll to soak it up š
It’s ideal to see the roots. I believe if they’re dry and silver they need a soak.
My YT recommendations are PlantsWithKrystal and Paige Tailyn.
Okay so I just like took it out of its little pot that it had and actually felt the (dirt?) it’s in! It feels very slightly moist. I think someone’s comment further down I’m so sorry I can’t link names I mentioned that this is probably pete, I think your assessment is correct. I’m going to hold off on watering it for now until the roots get a little bit more silvery they’re starting to get there but they’re not quite there yet. Seriously thank you to all who posted links and care instructions you seriously saved my bacon!! I know these are tropical plans and I know typically vine plants (?) I hate that they’re sold like this I know for a fact I’m set up to fail by the sellers because they want people to just buy more plants. The just add ice did not feel right to me so I’m really glad I posted here, hopefully I’ll be able to come back in a few weeks with some good updates!!