Growing Orchids For Beginners

Growing Orchids For Beginners Guide

Orchids are known for the variety and definitely for their beauty. The meaning of an orchid varies. Some of those meanings are love, luxury and strength.

There are about 25,000 different varieties of orchids. More and more are being discovered every year. Growing orchids for beginners can be quite easy. There are particular steps that are necessary to get the best quality orchids.

The most popular orchid is the Phalaenopsis. They are an indoor plant and are the best growing orchid for beginners to grow. One of the main reasons for this is because they can handle the central heat.

They will bloom on and on months at a time if they are in a warm room and only need to be watered lightly. Be careful not to let too much water settle in the middle. Growing orchids for beginners can be easy because there is minimal maintenance.

Pruning Your Orchid

When you notice small nodes protruding through the main stem you need to cut it off at above the highest node. There will still be sap there although all of the flowers have died. If you wait to long to do this, the stem may die.

Then eventually you will notice the node beginning to produce a flower. When this happens, wait awhile for the stem to become strong and then you can pot in fine bark.

Keep them fairly warm at a temperature of about 65-85 degrees Fahrenheit. They don’t need direct light as there is a danger it will scorch the leaves. During the winter they will need as much light as possible.

The free draining bark needs to be moist all year long. The best thing to do is place in the sink or bath tub and allow the water to go through the pot.  Another tip is to wait for the bark to dry just a little before watering again. You can add fertilizer after every third watering. This shows that growing orchids for beginners is quite easy when done correctly.

Re-potting is simple as well. When the orchid gets too big for its pot remove the entire plant from the pot and shake off the old clumps. Then use a pair of sharp scissors and trim the roots. The roots should be about 10cm. If they are healthy, they will be white or green. Not to mention bulgy as well. Usually if they are over watered you will notice that they are brown. After you have done that prune the plant by removing old dried leaves.

Place the orchid in the centre of a clean pot and fill with fresh compost. It needs to have a lot of drain holes so it doesn’t get water logged. Fill it until it is just below the top, packing it down as you go. You only have to water once every one to two weeks. When you see a new leaf emerging, you will know that soon after that the flowers will blossom.