How to Care for an Orchid So It Does Not Die

Orchids have a reputation for being difficult and they are not. What kills most of them is care, not neglect. This is how we handle phalaenopsis at our Miami studio, where we build orchid arrangements every day, and the humidity here changes a few of the rules you will read elsewhere.

How often should I water an orchid?

Once a week, and in Miami sometimes every ten days. A phalaenopsis does not live in soil, it lives in bark, and that bark is meant to soak and then dry out completely. Watering a little bit every day is the most common mistake and it is the one that rots the root.

How do I know when my orchid needs water?

Look at the root, not the leaf. Bright green roots mean hydrated and silver or gray roots mean dry. It is the only reliable signal the plant gives you, and it works far better than any fixed calendar.

What if the orchid came inside an arrangement with a decorative base?

That one is handled differently, and it is the case most people get wrong. The piece leaves our studio already watered, so it needs nothing for the first weeks. The decorative base is lined to protect your furniture, which means it does not drain the way a nursery pot with holes does, so the amount matters more than the schedule. A small amount of water once a week is plenty. What you want is roots that stay moist and never wet, so if you see water collecting at the bottom, tip the piece carefully and pour it out. Every orchid arrangement we send leaves the studio with its care card.

Do orchids need sun or shade?

Bright light, never direct. The practical rule is that if the leaf takes midday sun, it burns. In Miami that means an east facing window, or a west facing one with a sheer curtain. Very dark green leaves mean too little light and yellow green leaves mean too much.

Where is the best place to keep an orchid at home?

Near a window with filtered light and away from the air conditioning vent. That cold dry stream dehydrates an orchid faster than the heat outside ever will. A bathroom does not work either, humid as it is, because there is rarely enough light.

What do I do when the flowers fall off?

Do not throw it out, it is not dead. If the spike is still green, cut above the second or third node counting from the bottom and it can push new growth in a few months. If the spike has gone brown and dry, cut it back at the base and let the plant rest and build strength.

How long does a potted orchid last?

The bloom holds for two to three months and the plant lives for years, flowering once or twice a year. That is the real difference against a bouquet. A $99 orchid that reblooms every year costs less than replacing cut flowers every month.

How often should orchids be watered in Miami?

Less often than the internet tells you. Most guides are written for dry climates. With the humidity here an indoor phalaenopsis goes seven to ten days between waterings, and longer in the rainy season. Always go back and look at the root.

What makes an orchid bloom again?

Orchid fertilizer diluted to half strength, once a month while it is actively growing, and nothing while it rests. Coffee grounds, cinnamon and sugar do nothing for it. What actually triggers a new spike is a drop in night temperature.

Is caring for a potted orchid the same as a cut orchid arrangement?

No, and this is where people get confused. A potted orchid is a living plant and everything above applies. A cut orchid arrangement, whether Swan, mokara or phalaenopsis in a vase, is cut flower. It goes in water, the water gets changed every two or three days, and it holds two to three weeks.

Our orchid arrangements and what they cost

The full collection is at orchid arrangements in Miami.