How to Grow Orchids Part Two: Caring for orchids in our dry climate
By Jodi Torpey
Orchids make lovely houseplants, and they’re just as easy to grow. Whether you want to keep one orchid on a windowsill to add color through winter or start a collection of orchid “pets” there’s sure to be many an orchid for you.
Just give these tropical houseplants what they need and they’ll return the favor with flowers that brighten your great indoors. In our dry climate that includes some humidity and the right soil moisture.
Humidity
To grow beautiful orchids in a dry indoor environment, the plants will need some humidity. There are two common methods for increasing the humidity in your home. One way is to plug in a cool vapor humidifier that adds moisture to the air.
Another way to add humidity is to place each orchid container on a plastic tray filled with pebbles and water. The water level should be kept below the top of the pebbles to keep the air moist, but the plant roots dry.
Grouping plants close together in their trays also helps increase humidity. Misting plants with a hand mister adds some humidity to the air, too. Mist plants in the morning to allow flowers and foliage to dry during the day.
Once orchids start growing indoors, you may see roots that grow up and out of the potting soil to find and absorb the moisture that’s in the air.
Water
Overwatering is the most common reason houseplants die, and that’s the case for orchids, too. Be sure the soil dries some between waterings, because the roots don’t like to sit in overly moist soil. But don’t let the potting mix dry out completely either.
Depending on the humidity in your house, and whether it’s a cool winter or hot summer, you’ll need to adapt your watering to the conditions, rather than watering on a set schedule. Many orchid growers take their plants to a sink to water them. They either let the water run all the way through each container to wet all the potting mix or they let the plants soak just long enough to get the mix wet. Be sure to keep the crown of the plant dry to prevent problems with rot.
There are a number of liquid soluble orchid fertilizers you can add when watering, about every other time. A well-balanced, all-purpose houseplant fertilizer can be used as well.
As orchid buds bloom and fall away, they may bloom again on the same stem or they might send out new stems. Prune back any brown stems to encourage blooming.
Some growers say orchids are the most rewarding of houseplants to grow. It’s especially enjoyable to watch the flower shoots appear, see the flowers start to unfold and then delight in their fancy, long-lasting blooms.
