Orchids are known to be fairy simple houseplants that will flower without much effort as long as you remember to water them. However, orchids tend to dry out quickly in summer and just watering them will not be enough to keep them healthy if they are next to a window.
Everyone knows that plants need plenty of sunlight, but the experts at Just Add Ice Orchids have shared that orchids are quite sensitive plants that can easily become damaged on a windowsill. They said: “Keep your plant in a place that gets some indirect lighting, so you aren’t scorching your plant. Never place your orchid in a direct stream of sunlight.”
Orchids tend to grow on rainforest floors in their natural environment, and so need softer and filtered light in order to thrive.
If you keep an orchid close to a window, the intense heat from the sun in the afternoon can overheat the plant and burn the leaves, which can cause it to not grow properly.
However, orchids do love the sun as they are from a warm climate, but you need to keep it somewhere with plenty of gentle light but not too intense that it will burn the leaves.
Rooms with north—or east-facing windows tend to receive a lot of sunlight in the morning, which is much gentler compared to the harsher heat in the afternoon when the sun is at its highest.
The expert said: “One of the best places to keep your orchid is near a north or east-facing window. If your living room has west-facing windows, it’s best to place it farther away from the window on a table or shelf.”
Living rooms, offices, bedrooms or anywhere you spend a lot of time tend to be great places to keep orchids as they tend to be well-lit with the curtains open throughout the day.
Just to make sure to keep an orchid off the windowsill and on a table or counter nearby to keep the orchid as healthy as possible.
However, orchids also love moisture and tend to survive in the wild by absorbing water from the humid rainforest air, which is why they also love kitchens and bathrooms.
The steam from kitchens and bathrooms can keep an orchid hydrated for much longer, and can also keep mould out of these rooms since the plant will absorb all the moisture.
Taking a few seconds to move your orchid to a warm or humid spot out of direct sunlight can help keep the plant healthy and flowering for the rest of summer.