So, you want to get into owning orchids. Orchids have a notorious reputation for being a difficult houseplant for some, yet for others, the flower appears to thrive easily. Why is that? And how do you go from an orchid killer, to an orchid keeper? Lucky for us, I have done both! So let’s see if we can’t get you some tips to not only keep an orchid alive, but get it to thrive!

    A key piece of information to know about orchids is their roots speak their needs, you just have to know what to look for. Many times with plants, the leaves and flowers are what give the indications of what a plant needs, and this can still be true with orchids! If all the flowers suddenly drop dead, it's a pretty clear indicator that something is up. But very often, the problem can be clearly read by the roots.

    How exactly do you “read” the roots? Well when an orchid is doing well and has its needs met, the roots of the plant will have a rich, bright, green color. Conversely, if the plant is not doing well, the roots will take on a sickly, gray color. Simple as that! But you might be thinking, “cool, but what does that mean and how do I keep it healthy?” 

    First things first, it will help you tremendously to have your plant in a clear nursery pot. I talk about the importance of nursery pots, especially clear ones, in the Beginner Plant Parenting 101: Basic Baby Steps, on a Budget blog post here if you’d like to explore this topic more. For the sake of our orchids, those clear nursery pots make checking the roots easy; it also makes swapping decorative pots infinitely easier than repotting!

    Now that you can see your roots, there's two directions you might need to go, and both involve water. If your roots appear gray, check the moisture of your soil; gray roots and dry soil = plant needs water, gray roots and wet soil = plant has too much water and just needs to dry out before another drink. 

    If you’re noticing you can’t keep your plant completely happy despite watching your water, your next course of action will be to check on the soil. Orchids typically need extremely chunky, well draining soil. While orchids need their water, they also need that water to drain out easily. More often than not, when a plant is stuck soaking in water for long amounts of time, that's when you experience problems of overwatering. To fix this, you just need to make your soil less dirt or moss, and more bark chunks. I personally find the easiest soil option to be the straight up “orchid soil mixes” you can find at most stores like Walmart or Home Depot. Making your own soil mixes can be so fun and rewarding, but let’s be honest, if you’re just starting out, and especially if you’re sticking to a budget, dropping the money on multiple bags to mix together might not be an option. For my orchids I have successfully used plain ole Miracle Grow orchid mix; sometimes plant experts warn against Miracle Grow, but if you’re like me and just looking for a soil option that won’t kill your bank account, the Miracle Grow orchid mix does just fine!

    The last thing to worry about, as with all plants, is their sunlight. Most everything needs sunlight to grow, so how much does an orchid need to not kill over? The answer: just enough. Now I know that sounds wildly unhelpful, but let me explain. I currently have two orchids, both are in good condition, and both have flowered more than once; their light sources, however, are drastically different. My eldest orchid has lived entirely inside of a greenhouse cabinet with grow lights. The baby orchid sits in a kitchen window and only gets natural, indirect sunlight all day long. So my takeaway? As long as they get some light, and all their other needs are met, they will do just fine!

    So there you have it! Roots, water, soil, light; these are your key components to watch for and play with to find your perfect orchid care routine. These tips are all things I have learned from hands-on experience with my own orchids, and like all things the knowledge may grow and change, evolve, but so will you, and so will your plants. You’ve got this, and if you need anything more, check out our other blog posts or resource lists; you never know which little tip could be your big plant breakthrough.