First of all, don’t rush to the conclusion that your orchid is actually dying if it’s looking a bit poorly, or the leaves and flowers are dropping off, or there’s no new growth or blooms in sight. This guide helps you become a detective to identify the problems behind the orchid’s difficulties and perhaps put them right. Of course, sometimes you just have to throw the plant away and start over again for the most serious issues, but usually, you…
Your orchid not blooming may be the result of a number of issues. These could be environmental (such as temperature), your standard of care (watering for example) or because of the type of orchid itself (its individual life cycle, perhaps). I cover the major elements to look at when your orchid is not producing blooms. Bloomed once and is not blooming again If your orchid is not reblooming and you expect it to, first of all check the variety of…
Despite their delicate-looking blooms, it isn’t that difficult to grow and care for orchids in the home. The keys to being a successful orchid grower, as with any indoor plant, is to provide them with the right growing environment (temperature, light and humidity) and the correct care (watering and fertiliser). Plus, there’s knowing what to do when you encounter problems with your orchid, including pests and diseases. I explain what’s needed for healthy and strong orchids in this article. Two…
Orchids, just like any other plants, indoors or in the garden, are prone to pests and diseases. Orchid pests and diseases are nothing out of the ordinary and many can be controlled or treated. Here are the most common orchid pests and diseases, including scale insects and thrips, and sooty black disease. Before I talk about pests and diseases, sometimes people confuse pests and disease issues with environmental issues. If your orchid has yellow leaves, read this guide. If your…
To repot an orchid is a straightforward task if you choose the right pot, the correct growing medium and arrange it all properly. The trick is to know when to repot the plant for successful future growth. This article covers all of this and more, especially for the popular Phalaenopsis orchids, which are my personal favourite. Signs you need to repot your orchid Tangled roots Orchids have naturally tangled roots but tightly mixed up roots indicate a lack of air…
First of all, be sure that your orchid has actually stopped blooming. Some orchids, after blooming, may take a break and then bloom again. Some species have a few flowers at the end of a stem (spike) and then will sequentially bloom again. Once you’re sure the blooming period is over, you need to cut the flower stem/spike back to encourage reblooming for phalaenopsis orchids. It’s not necessary to throw the plant out as there can be up to 10…
Figuring out why your orchid leaves are turning yellow is going to take some detective work. Quite a few environmental reasons (e.g. watering, temperature) and some pests and diseases cause this problem with your orchid plant. I also have this guide on why orchid leaves sometimes turn brown. That said, here are the main reasons why this may be happening and what to do about them. Natural ageing process First of all, yellow leaves may be a part of the…
As with orchid leaves turning yellow, orchid leaves turning brown can be due to a variety of problems. The key to narrowing down the real issue, whether it’s environmental, a care issue, pests or disease, is to notice where the leaf has turned brown. And if it’s just the older leaves or the newer ones as well. This guide helps you become the detective you need to be to identify and solve these problems. I start with what I think…
I did a lot of research for this guide as traditionally, I have never watered my orchids with ice cubes, however, I have used ice packs on my outdoor pots in summer to great effect. The thing is, I still don’t know if you should water an orchid with ice cubes and if there is a real benefit. I’ve spent 20 years refining my watering techniques which I talked about here on how and when to water orchids. So this…
So the quick answer to ‘Do orchids need special soil is Yes, orchids need special soil to grow in. The orchids that you find in most garden centres are epiphytes, which means that they grow on tree trunks and other objects in the wild rainforest. Ordinary potting soil is much too dense and heavy for these relatively delicate plants, as most orchids actually grow in the air attached to other plants. These are called Epiphyte orchids which I discussed here….