How to care for an Orchid

Most houseplant orchids are Phalaenopsis — the moth orchid, with wide, flat petals and a long arching flower spike. They’re the ones in the supermarket, the garden centre, and probably on someone’s windowsill nearby right now.

Their reputation for difficulty is mostly undeserved. They have different requirements to most houseplants, and people struggle when they apply the same logic — regular watering, standard compost, full shade. Once you understand what they actually need, they’re not that hard.

Light

Bright, indirect light. An east or west-facing windowsill is ideal. South-facing works if the plant is slightly back from the glass or the window is screened.

Orchids need enough light to trigger reblooming, but direct midday or afternoon sun will burn the leaves — you’ll see pale, bleached patches or a reddish tinge. A slight reddish colour to the leaves is actually a sign of good light levels; fully dark green leaves usually mean not enough light.

Watering

This is where most people go wrong, in one of two ways: watering too often, or using the wrong method.

Orchids are typically sold in clear plastic pots with drainage holes, sitting inside a decorative outer pot. They’re potted in bark or a bark mix, not soil. Bark drains quickly and dries out faster than compost.

Water once a week in summer and every ten to fourteen days in winter. The best method is to take the inner pot to the sink, run water through the bark thoroughly until it drains freely from the holes, let it drain completely, and then return it to the outer pot. Never leave water sitting in the outer pot — the roots sitting in water will rot.

The roots are worth paying attention to. Through the clear pot, healthy roots are plump and green or silver-green. Rotten roots are brown and mushy. If you have a lot of dead roots, repotting with fresh bark is worthwhile.

Feeding

Use a specialist orchid fertiliser every two to four weeks during the growing season. Regular houseplant fertiliser is too high in nitrogen and will encourage leaf growth at the expense of flowers. Orchid fertilisers are formulated to support flowering and are worth using.

Don’t feed when the plant is not in active growth.

Humidity

Orchids appreciate humidity — around 50–70% is ideal. This is more than most UK homes provide, especially in winter.

A pebble tray with water under the pot, a humidifier nearby, or a spot in a well-lit bathroom all help. Avoid misting the flowers themselves — water on the petals can cause spotting and shorten the display.

Getting it to rebloom

This is the question everyone asks. After the flowers have died, the plant will enter a rest period. Cut the flower spike either at the base (which encourages a new spike from the base) or just below the last node on the spike (which may encourage a branch to develop). Both approaches work.

To trigger reblooming, the plant needs a temperature drop of around 5–10°C at night — typically ten to fifteen degrees Celsius — for four to six weeks. Moving it to a cooler room or a windowsill away from heating in autumn usually does it. Once a new spike appears, move it back to its usual spot.

It can take four to six months from the end of one flowering period to the start of the next. Patience is required.

Common problems

Yellow leaves: A single yellow leaf at the base is natural ageing. Multiple yellow leaves suggest overwatering, too much direct sun, or underfeeding.

Wrinkled or accordion-like leaves: Underwatering, or the roots have deteriorated to the point where the plant can’t take up water effectively. Check the roots and water more consistently.

No reblooming: Usually insufficient light or the plant hasn’t experienced a cool period. Try moving it to a cooler spot for a month and see if a new spike develops.

Root rot: Brown, mushy roots. Remove from the pot, cut away all dead roots, let the remaining roots air dry for a few hours, then repot in fresh bark. Reduce watering going forward.

Bud blast (buds dropping before opening): Usually a sudden change in environment — being moved, a cold draught, or fumes from nearby fruit (ethylene gas causes bud drop). Keep away from fruit bowls and cold draughts.

Repotting

Every one to two years, or when the bark has broken down and is staying wet rather than draining freely. Use specialist orchid bark mix. Spring is the best time, ideally after flowering.

Clear plastic pots are useful because they let you see the roots without disturbing the plant. There’s nothing wrong with keeping an orchid in a clear plastic pot permanently.