
Orchid Care: Watering, Lighting, Repotting, and More
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I have a new phalenopsis and the inner clear plastic pot fits very tightly inside the decorative outer pot. Should there be more room between the 2 pots to let air circulate around the roots or will more room cause the plant to dry out?
Is the inner plastic pot solid plastic or does it have holes for air flow? If it’s the latter, then it would be good to allow for the roots to “breath” by giving them a bit more space. Phalaenopsis orchids are epiphytes, which means that they grow on tree branches, cliff faces, logs, or other structures—anywhere that isn’t directly in the dirt. This means that they prefer to have a bit of air flow around their roots. They are “aerial roots,” after all! It does mean that the roots will dry out more quickly, but this is actually preferable!
Thank you! The inner pot has slots and holes. I'll get a lager outer pot.
Hi I have a orchid and i noticed i have little black flying bugs what do i do to get rid of them Thank you
It sounds like you may be dealing with fungus gnats. They are mainly just an annoyance, as long as they aren’t present in large numbers. Read our Fungus Gnats Pest Guide for tips for dealing with them.
I have one orchid that the leaves look wrinkled, they are not smooth. What would cause this wrinkling? They are in a south/west window which gets plenty of indirect light. The other orchids are doing good. I water once a week by soaking the pots then draining off the excess. Could it be that it is not getting enough light? Thanks
Wrinkled leaves or bulbs usually indicate that the plant is thirsty. This orchid may just need more water than its neighbors!
I have grown orchids successfully for several years. They bloom often on double stems immediately after one stem is done.They love ice cubes, or crushed ice but never more than two ice cubes per week. They love blended banana skins..the potassium. I have my plant in a west window, behind my sink where there is higher humidity, but very cool in winter..we have minus 40 weather here, but the light is bright and not direct. In summer I move the plant along the sill so it does not get the sizzling hot sun. My plant is just about to bloom with its fourth stem. It is 2 years old, and the flowers last for a couple of months.
Your author said..don’t give them ice..they love ice, just not too much.
Do you go to the freezer for ice when you need a drink of water?
Having come from the tropics where orchids grow on trees I would never use ice. They are tropical plants and trees don’t grow ice.
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