Orchid Care, But Make It Easy: Your 101 Guide To The Blooming Beauties

Orchids captivate us with their delicate smells, vibrant colors, and unique shapes. But among houseplant enthusiasts, they've gained a reputation for being a bit of a pain. (Anything that beautiful must be finicky, right?).

While it's true that some types of the flowering plant require special care, others are pretty easy to tend to at home—no portable greenhouse or expensive LED grow lights required. Here, orchid lovers with a combined hundreds of plants between them share their top tips for nursing these beauties into bloom again and again.

There are more than different 25,000 types of orchids growing in the wild, and even more plant hybrids out there. This sheer variety is part of their appeal. "There are so many different types of orchids that you could grow them for your entire life and still never get around to everything," orchid hobbyist Rafael Furtado tells mbg. (Furtado should know; he's been growing orchids for the past 20 years, and currently has about 100 in his New York City apartment.)

But even though there are lots of orchids out there doesn't need a beginner should try their hand at growing all of them. "Just because it has a beautiful flower doesn't mean that it's right for you," says Furtado.

If you're new to orchids, the best type for you will likely be the Phalaenopsis, or moth orchid. These orchids—named for their petal shape that resembles moths wings—can flower in most household conditions, says Kelly McCracken of High Desert Orchids.

You can find Phalaenopsis in most plant shops and online retailers, and they tend to be the most affordable orchids around. Their colorful and long-lasting blooms are also pet-friendly.

Cultures through time have imparted special meanings onto orchids. Ancient Greeks saw them as symbols of fertility, while they have long been considered lucky in Asian culture and feng shui philosophy. Today, giving an orchid as a gift is still considered a token of love and luck, and different color blooms are thought to carry their own unique message on top of that. (In the language of flowers, yellow orchids represent friendship, for example.)

In an at-home collection, Furtado notes that orchids can remind us to slow down and be more mindful, patient, and caring: "I always say that you don't grow orchids; they grow you."

First things first: Orchids won't grow in the same all-purpose potting soil you give your other plants. In fact, they won't grow in soil at all.

Most orchids are epiphytes, meaning they tend to grow on the surface of trees or rocks and get their nutrients from the air and rainwater. We need to recreate these conditions at home using breathable potting mediums like bark, lava rocks, or sphagnum moss.

When deciding which one is best for you, orchid collector Terry Richardson of The Black Thumb recommends considering your habits as a plant parent. People who travel often might want to go with sphagnum moss because it holds onto water for longer, while those who are prone to overwatering would do best with a faster-drying option like lava rock.

Once you choose your medium, Furtado recommends planting your orchid in a terracotta clay pot, since it's nice and porous and will deliver plenty of air to your orchid's roots.

"A lot of beginners overwater orchids," notes Furtado, "and orchids really hate to be overwatered." Be sure to only give your orchid a drink once its potting medium feels dry to the touch or its roots look white and shriveled. This means the plant is thirsty! Once it gets water, those roots will perk right back up and turn green.

The frequency of watering depends on your climate, but you likely won't need to water more than once a week during spring and summer, and even less in the winter and fall.

There are two watering methods you can use: Water from below by placing a tray of water underneath your orchid and allowing the plant to soak up what it wants. Or, give it a good soak in the sink and allow excess water to drain out the bottom. It's important to let water flush through your plant to rinse out any excess salts in the pot, which orchids are very sensitive to.

Whichever method you choose, use tepid, room temperature water. That wives' tale about placing an ice cube in your orchids? It's a total myth and the cold will only shock the tropical plants.

If it's well cared for, a typical moth orchid will bloom every 12 months or so. Richardson notes that exposing your plants to significantly colder temperatures at night than during the day (while still keeping it within that 50 to 85 range) can help expedite the blooming process a bit. Otherwise, you just have to be patient and let the orchid do its thing.

When it does reward you with a bright, beautiful bloom, do your best not to stress your plant out. "While the orchid is in bloom, you really want to try to maintain the conditions that it's in for as long as you can to maximize the bloom cycle," he says. If you do, the plant can stay blooming for up to six months. After that, its flowers will dry and fall, leaving only a thin stem exposed.

It may not be much to look at, but a plant in this state is still well worth keeping. "Those blooms will come back in due time if you put your plant in the right conditions," Richardson says. (He's actually had a lot of success rescuing abandoned orchids from dumpsters and nursing them back into bloom!)

Most orchids will appreciate being planted in a slightly larger new pot (with a new medium) every 12-18 months. Look out for these signs that yours could use a larger home, and be sure to wait until after your orchid has bloomed to transfer it.

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