Gardening pro Graham Smith (MCIHort – a member of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture) revealed exclusively to Express.co.uk the “best place” for an orchid to grow. Based at LBS Horticulture, Graham said: “When growing an orchid, it is usually best to place them in a clear, plastic pot.”
He explained: “In their natural environment, orchid roots are exposed to light, so a clear plastic pot can mimic these conditions.” A clear pot is also helpful for detecting when an orchid needs watering, as it’ll be easy to see if the potting medium is moist. Mr Smith made clear that people should use an “orchid-specific mix” that typically includes “sphagnum moss, bark chips, and perlite”—regular soil will simply not do.
There are five key elements to stimulate the growth of an orchid, in addition to planting them in a clear, plastic pot.
Five key elements
- Light
- Watering
- Temperature
- Fertiliser
- Repotting
Graham described each key element in detail: “In their natural habitat, orchids grow in bright, indirect sunlight, so replicating these conditions is a good way to get your orchid growing.
“You can tell if your orchid is getting too much light, as the leaves will turn yellow.”
“A lack of light can cause the foliage to turn dark green and become limp, so you will need to keep checking the plant’s reaction until you find the right spot.”
As for watering an orchid, you should “only water around once a week when the soil feels dry”.
One temperature trick shared by Graham to encourage a flowering orchid is to “lower the temperature at night”.
He elaborated: “It only needs to decrease by a few degrees; this can be easily achieved by moving the orchid to a cooler room.”
When feeding an orchid a balanced fertiliser, make sure the potting medium is “moist before fertilising”; otherwise, dry fertiliser “can burn the roots of your plant.”
Orchids must also be repotted every two to three years to “encourage the plant to grow faster”.
This is because repotting enables the orchid’s root system to expand and prevents the soil from becoming impacted.
Graham added: “You can buy a large orchid, but with the right care you can make any orchid grow bigger, although this may take a few years.”
