Orchid care: the best tips!

In order to being able to give your orchid the the right care, it is important to know what type of orchid you have. There are two main type of orchids: epiphyte or terrestrial.

What are epiphyte orchids?

Epiphyte orchids grow on other plants without draining nutrition. They don’t have their roots in the ground, but instead their long roots grow over trunks and branches. Cattleya, vanda, phalaensopsis and dendrobium are epiphyte orchids.

What are zijn terrestrial orchids?

Terrestrial orchids are earthly and live on the ground in water. Originally it is a tropical flower, and that is also the reason why they always need water without being drenched. Earthly orchids are: cymbidium, miltonia en paphiopedilum.

The best way to water your orchid is to remove them from the outermost pot, and to entirely immerse the inner pot with water which is at room temperature. Let the plant leak for half an our before placing it back in the outer pot.

The amount of water depends not only on the type, but also on the kind of orchid. To enjoy your orchid as long as possible, we made a clear list below of the kinds of orchids and how much water they need.

Orchids that always need moisture to remain fit (this doesn’t mean drenched):

Paphiopedilum
Miltonia
Cymbidium
Dontoglossum

Orchids that need moisture when they fully bloom, but not a lot when not blooming:

Cattleya
Oncidium
Brassia
Dendrobium

Orchids that need a dry soil and very little water to stay healthy:

Phalaenopsis
Vanda
Ascocenda

Make sure the leaves of the orchid don’t get wet during the watering
Don’t leave any water in the pot to prevent rotting
Rather place the orchid behind a curtain or blinds instead of in direct sunlight
Never cut away grey roots, because these are essential for your orchid
At the moment the last flower falls down, you can cut off the stem diagonally. Cut it just above the bommost node of the stem to stimulate the growth of new flowers!