So you’ve just gotten some awesome new orchids, and you’re wondering (or worried about) what to do next. Here are some common newbie errors that you should avoid, and things you should definitely do.
DON’T’s:
0) Many new orchid growers are already skilled gardeners, with plenty of experience growing houseplants or vegetables. The “master gardener” mentality, while useful in its own right, does not always apply to orchids, and can lead to frustration, disaster, and tragedy, as the underlying assumptions about how garden/houseplants grow are not the same. So if you’re already a skilled grower of other plants, keep in mind that what is standard procedure elsewhere may not apply to orchids.
1) DON’T REPOT YOUR ORCHID IN DIRT/potting soil (see exception below). Most orchids are epiphytic, meaning they grow attached to trees, where their roots cling to the bark and also get plenty of access to run-off rainwater AND air. Orchid roots generally need BOTH aeration and moisture, which is why New Zealand Sphagnum Moss or fir bark for orchids are so widely used amongst professional growers and serious hobbyists. Both of these media types retain water and provide space for air. Dirt does not, as it compacts and will likely smother your precious orchid roots. So don’t use dirt!
EXCEPTION: there are some terrestrial orchids that may do better in a mixture with dirt/potting soil, but even then, you’ll need perlite or similar to provide easy drainage.
2) DON’T REPOT YOUR ORCHID INTO A NEW POT RIGHT AWAY. Most of the orchids you get from us don’t need re-potting for six to 12 months. Orchid roots are adapted to the medium they grew in originally.
3) DON’T FREAK OUT OVER MINOR BLEMISHES on leaves, pseudobulbs, or older roots in the pot. New growers fall into this freak-out pit all the time. The spot/scratch/dead root you see on a new orchid you’ve acquired is almost never the result of a dangerous infection, virus, fungus, etc. Our minds tend to jump to the worst interpretations when we don’t know what we’re dealing with, and newbie orchid growers often believe the worst, with no evidence or experience, simply something they “heard” or “read on the internet”. (*) Many orchids are simply genetically imperfect, and are prone to getting spots, or crinkled leaves, or what have you. But the plants are still fine plants and will grow well if cared for properly. It’s exactly the same situation with human beings — most of us have some blemishes here or there, but are still quite lovable.
(*) Yes, I know you’re reading this on the internet right now, but you’re here because you’re looking for reliable, accurate, trustworthy information, and that’s what we’re offering.
4) DON’T OVERWATER YOUR ORCHIDS. As any tomato, basil, or cannabis grower knows, if you forget to water your plants (if potted) for a few days, you’re in trouble. Orchids are NOT like this at all. Many orchids can handle a week or three of no water just fine, as they have a remarkable ability to control water loss. As exotic and delicate as orchids may seem, they are generally far tougher than the typical house or garden plant when it comes to stress and the ability to recover from bad circumstances (e.g., your cat or someone who was supposed to take care of your plants when you were away).
5) DON’T EXPECT OVERNIGHT RESULTS. Compared to many garden and house plants, where you can watch stuff happening almost by the hour, orchids are very slow. Rooting of a new cutting of basil might a couple of days; with orchids, you can expect to wait a month or three. This “gotta-see-results-right-now” mentality imported from the garden plant world will lead to frustration culminating in crippling despair if you bring those wrong expectations to orchids. Orchids operate on an orchid timescale, not a tomato/basil/legumes timescale.
6) DON’T SWITCH TO SEMI-HYDRO or WATER CULTURE or whatever other growing fad you saw on YouTube. Orchid growing fads and unconventional methods have probably existed before the web. Some of these methods may work fine — in the right circumstances. But for new growers, all the pretty pictures and promises of effortless growing, weight loss, riches, and a life of luxury can be so alluring, that they switch their whole orchid collection to some newfangled growing method (or fancy fertilizer), only to find that their orchids hate it and have died in spite. So, DON’T GET SUCKED IN. When you’re a new grower, you’re looking to develop a baseline of success (and, indeed, failure) so that you know what works for you. If you don’t have a baseline to refer back to, you’ll never know whether you’re doing it right or doing wrong. Keep it simple, until you’ve got at least 50 orchids of different varieties and two years of growing under your belt.
DO’s:
1) Read our Simple Orchid Growing Instructions, and any variety-specific pointers as well.
2) Water your orchids after you get them. Just let the water run through the pot. Soaking is not harmful, and probably more work than it’s worth, but some folks feel a need to “baby” their plants, so if that’s you, feel free.
3) Give your plants high humidity. For some locations, that simply means putting them outside (but avoid colder temps, which varies depending on the type of orchid). You can create a humidity shelf simply by wrapping plastic sheeting around an inexpensive shelving unit from Home Depot. Or for just one plant, try using a grow dome, which can be as simple as a clear 2-liter soda bottle or water jug with the bottom removed. Higher humidity for the first few weeks will help your plant acclimate to its new home.
4) Learn more about orchids. Orchids are the second-largest family of flowering plants in the world (possibly the largest), with ~30,000 known species in the wild, in nearly every climate condition. People have been growing orchids for thousands of years, and breeding them since the 1800s, and a vast literature has grown around these fascinating plants.
There are certainly plenty of resources on the internet, but unfortunately, plenty of variation in quality and accuracy, too.
5) DO OBSERVE YOUR PLANTS over time. Reading/watching books, websites and videos is helpful, but by far the best teachers of orchid growing are the orchids themselves. They will tell you what’s working and what’s not for your individual conditions. Of course, observing plants works better when you’ve got a bunch to observe; one or two is a start, but 20 – 30 of different types will teach you much more.
6) DO EXPECT CHALLENGES, AND LOSSES. The greatest orchid grower I’ve ever known told me “The bigger the compost heap, the better the grower.” Every orchid grower, no matter how skillful and experienced, has killed lots of orchids. It’s part of the learning curve with this endeavor, as with anything else. Some orchids suffer because of mistakes we make, but some simply won’t make it for no obvious reason. Every serious grower has lost some treasured plants that were robust for years, and then went into sudden decline. So if (or when) it happens to you, don’t blame yourself. Console yourself by buying a new orchid. From us. We’ll definitely have something for you that will ease the pain.