Orchids

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I’m planning on getting an orchid, however, I’ve heard they can be hard to take care of. How can I pick a healthy orchid once I get to the store? And how can I make sure that I give this plant a long life? Is there anything I can do to give it a good start once I get it home?
 
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There are many species of Orchids (~28,000), and innumerably more hybrids and cultivars.
However, if one were to randomly buy an orchid in an American supermarket, chances are it would be a Moth Orchid (Phalaenopsis hybrids). There are several reasons for this. They are attractive, long-blooming, of easy care, and grow well in moderate light, even the light in a north-facing window is often sufficient.

What follows is care for most Phalaenopsis, if you do get another type of orchid the care may or may not be different.

Phalaenopsis do best with either filtered sun or bright indirect light. They are grown in loose, fast-draining media, often coarse, bark, sometimes sphagnum moss, scoria, or expanded shale. The media should be allowed to partly dry before the next irrigation.
Fertilize monthly with a complete, liquid fertilizer.

As you can see, the day-to-day care of a Moth Orchid is not very different from that of an average house plant.
The biggest difference comes when it is time to re-pot, as special media is required instead of potting soil..
 
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I purchased two small phalaenopsis orchids. Should I water them? They don’t feel wet. I know they will need a repotting after they are finished blooming.
 

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Get into a cyclica rhythm where you irrigate the plants, let the media partly dry down, and then irrigate again.
Also, be sure to let the clear plastic container fully drain before putting it back into the ceramic cache pot.
 

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