Question

I bought an orchid today because they remind me of my late great auntie, please advise what i need to do to keep it alive and what soil do i need if i need to repot? I know the pot will need to be clear, im thinking a glass vase with stones at the bottom for drainage?  

Answer 1

Ignore it, water once in a blue moon that's it x

Comments

@jason24 oooh perfect im good at that  ive only ever managed to keep one cactus and aloe  do they like direct sunlight or not so much? I have one window that is south facing and one that is north facing

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@frump781 I have mine in the bathroom I'm not sure of which way I'm facing but have sunlight on it afternoon and evening, when the sun is shining lol x

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Mines a few years old the only plant I've ever kept

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@bowlder i wanna get a vase like yours to put it in  

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@frump781 bm it was for a candle dont put to much soil in it put some stone the roots like the light

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@bowlder yh thats what i was gunna do thanks bali x x

Answer 2

I would not recommend reporting it into a case because you need to make sure the roots dry off after you water it and they are well ventilated, if the roots are left in water they will rot, also you need to use proper orchid bark. To water just hold it under the tap and let the water run through the pot and back out again, do this maybe once a week of less often, if you see it start to go limp just give it a good water and it will come back x

Comments

@orinasal26313 thak you for the reply, i was going to fill the bottom with small stones to allow for drainage and only spray to water, would that work? The one i got is fairly large and the pot is teeny, im just worried about it tipping over, i have a wonderfully active 3 year old so want it secure as possible x

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Also make sure you don’t get water onto the crown of the plant (where the leaves grow) because the can cause crown rot if not dried out x when the flowers have died cut it back to the 3rd notch on the stem to encourage more flowers x you can also spray the roots and leaves with water but don’t spray the flowers as they will rot x

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@frump781 if the roots aren’t sitting in the water for long periods it should be fine! The only problem I could see is not being able to water it sufficiently through just spraying, you may have to spray it more regularly with this method x

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@orinasal26313 lots to consider, thank you for the advice x

Answer 3

Ignore it and water from the top very occasionally! Good luck