Orchids! The other day my sweet boyfriend brought me home an orchid. I love orchids, and this one was my favorite shade of purple.
You might have had a similar plant before, and thought that you couldn’t keep it alive. Orchids can be a little finicky, but like any plant they will stay alive if you know how to care for them properly.
First, don’t repot the orchid in soil. The natural habitat for orchids is actually the rainforest. They grow on the side of trees, not in the ground. If you absolutely have to repot the flower, plant it in loamy cactus soil, rather than regular potting soil.
Orchids don’t do well in direct sunlight. Keep them indoors, in indirect lighting. I like to keep my orchids near windows in the north or east side of the living space. This way they will receive mellow light from the morning sun, or indirect light from the afternoon sun. Harsh, direct sunlight from south facing windows will fry the plant.
Water the orchid lightly. I usually drop a little bit of water in once a week. The most common cause for orchid death is by overwatering (root rot) or underwatering (not watering it at all).
Orchids have their own blooming cycle that does not follow the seasons. The buds will drop eventually, but the plant is not dead. If you care for the plant properly and continue to water it, the plant will do well and a new stalk will come out to bloom in a few months. Make sure to feed the orchid, and it will bloom more quickly. I add some orchid food to a water bottle and keep that handy for watering the plant.
