How to care for an orchid?

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Choosing your Orchid

Orchids intrigue many people, and it is pretty hard to chose one since there are over 20 000 species of them.
We can name three different species that are easy to cultivate and the most spectacular, as they have very large flowers that are in full bloom for a long time, from one to three months : the phalaenopsis, the cattleyas and Cymbidium.
The phalaenopsis has an additional advantage. You can cultivate it indoor. The other two species in fact need to have important temperature variations during the day, so you can not grow them in an apartment.

How to keep them

Leaves of a healthy orchid are glossy. You need to find a luminous place for your orchids while avoiding direct sunlight.(do not put behind a window, for example) : you may burn the leaves and make flowers wilt. Above all, do not water them too much : It would be sufficient to do it once every ten days Use a non-calcareous water like clear rain water or spring water. Finally, do not wet the leaves at the heart, otherwise t may rot.

How to take care of an orchid

Once your flower has wilted, continue watering as before. You should not cut the stems since they might periodically blossom again .( You can cut them if they are dry.)
Generally, a re-potting every two years is enough. It is not necessary to have a very deep pot, use an “orchid special” compost, made of polystyrene and pine bark, that you can find in garden centers. Be careful with fertilizers. Too much of it and your plant might asphyxiate. If you absolutely want to use some, you can use any universal fertilizer once every two weeks before and during flowering, but not after!

Finally, beware of pests that can colonize the plant: aphids, mites, mealybugs …. to get rid of them use insecticides for orchids that you can find in any garden center. Just remember a well cared phalaenopsis can live up to 20 years.