On this orchid care site you will find detailed information about how to successfully care for five of the most popular orchid types: Cattleya, Cymbidium, Dendrobium, Phalaenopsis and Vanda orchids. Learn more about the ideal night and day temperature for these orchids, the best potting media, the recommended habits when it comes to watering and fertilizing, how to provide your orchids with sufficient amounts of light without scorching them, and finally when and how to repot various types of orchid plants. In additions to these factors, humidity is an often overlooked aspect that should be given a little consideration if you really want to carry out great orchid care. You can read more about humidity and its role in proper orchid care on this page. Hopefully, our suggestions will help you to keep your orchids happy and healthy.
Orchid care and humidity
Orchids are typically found in humid habitats and providing your house plants with a humid environment is therefore recommended if you want to carry out supreme orchid care. The recommended daytime humidity for orchids is 50-70 percent. Simply increasing the humidity without taking other important factors into account is however a bad idea. Light, temperature and humidity must always be balanced.
Orchid care - When to water?
Professional orchid growers sometimes add extra moist to their plants during the afternoon, evening or even night-time, but if you are a beginner orchid keeper you should ideally limit watering, spraying and damping down to the morning or midday when there is plenty of sunlight and the temperature is high. As the temperature drops during the afternoon and evening, condensation will occur and if you add a lot of extra moist during this period your orchid will become soaked in too much condensing water. The film of water droplets produces by excessive condensation will increase the risk of rotting and mould growth.
Orchid care - How to make a pebble dish
If the air in your home is too hot and dry fro your orchids to thrive, you can increase the humidity by using a “pebble dish”. Fill a shallow dish or tray with pebbles and add water. Keep the waterline right below the top of the pebbles. Place the orchid pot on top of the pebbles where it can enjoy the slowly evaporating water. It is very important not to overfill the pebble dish with water, since the bottom of the orchid pot should never be in touch with water. If the orchid roots are allowed to actually reach the water, they will deteriorate.
Orchid care – how to maintain a pebble dish
If you decide to use a pebble dish, proper orchid care will involve cleaning the pebbles carefully every 2-3 month. Remove the pebbles and clean them using a mild bleach solution. This will prevent algae growth. It is not recommended to add algaecide to the water that you fill up the dish with; regularly cleaning the pebbles is much better.
More information about orchids