The 3 Best Methods When Caring For Orchids

There's a myth that orchid caring was, at one point

, only available to rich people. If you were ever under the impression that this was true, let me give you a couple of facts that would convince you otherwise:

* There are 25,000+ orchid species

* There are 100,000+ orchid hybrids

What does this mean exactly? Well, surely with all of these different orchid types, there must be one that can be cared for that would fit within a limited budget. And lucky enough, there is! With so many different orchid selections, you should easily find one that falls within:

* Your budget

* Your lifestyle

* Your skill level

Now if you think caring for orchids can be intimidating, don't stress it. For the most part, orchids can be treated with the same amount of attention as all other common home-gardening style plants. However, like all plants, you must always consider its specified needs before making your purchase. If you're looking for a simple orchid to begin cultivating, the phaleanopsis orchid in particular requires minimal care. You've likely seen or been giving this type of orchid as a present or gesture. As for all orchids, if you tend to yours properly, it will bloom continuously throughout its lifecycle.

An orchid plant generally blooms for 3+ months if given proper attention. Here are three steps to ensure your orchid blooms correctly:

1. Place it on a windowsill or near a window orchids enjoy long periods of sunlight. Try to place it somewhere so it can soak up the morning and evening sunlight. However, during the midday, be careful not to leave your orchid out in strong sunlight, they generally do better when exposed to lower forms of light. If you aren't around during the day, place it on the eastern side of your office or home.

2. Make sure it's placed in a climate that's between 55 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit if exposed to hot conditions (90+ degrees), your orchid will loose its buds and/or not bloom. In order to ensure it stays healthy, give your orchid enough water to where it's moist but not enough to drench the roots. If you drench the roots, the blooms will die. Watering your orchid can be done in two ways: 1) feed it water every ten weeks or 2) place it above (not in) a tray of water and let it constantly sit (if the roots are directly exposed to the tray of water, the plant will eventually drown).

3. Properly fertilize the orchid prior to it blooming When the orchid blooms, you will no longer have to give it fertilizer. Also, if you'd like to see more flowers emerge from your orchid, you must cut back any dead leaves or branches so there is room for a second set of flowers to bloom.

If these tips are closely followed, there should be no reason why you wouldn't see beautiful flowers blooming consistently throughout your orchid's lifecycle.

The 3 Best Methods When Caring For Orchids

By: Terri Andrews

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