Some of the most common indoor houseplants are orchids. They are ideal to accent your home decor and require little care once their basic needs are met such as light, temperature, and humidity.

Moist, well-draining conditions are ideal for most orchids. They can be planted using redwood or fir bark, sphagnum peat moss, rocks, cork, charcoal, sand, or potting soil. Orchids require shallow planting and you’ll want to place them in an east to south-facing window or room. They prefer bright, indirect light. Insufficient light will result in poor flowering but too much light could lead to leaf scorch.

Do NOT use ice cubes to water your orchids! How you water your orchid depends on what it’s planted in. If it’s in sphagnum moss, give it a good drink of water to get the moss good and wet and don’t water it again until the moss is dry. If it’s in bark or charcoal you’ll want to water more. Give it a good soak, 10-15 minutes maybe twice a week, or once a week depending on the temperature of your house. 

Temperature is vital for indoor orchid care. Orchids can tolerate cooler or warmer temperatures throughout their normal growing season, but they need to be about 15 degrees cooler at night than during the day in order to bloom sufficiently. 

Adequate humidity is essential for indoor orchids as well, approximately 50-70 percent. There are several ways to increase the humidity in your home. Mist your orchids daily, use a humidifier, or place a water-filled saucer or tray of pebbles beneath the plants. You can fertilize them weekly or bi-weekly while they are producing new growth and then decrease to monthly or bi-monthly intervals once they mature. Discontinue fertilizing altogether once your orchid goes dormant. It is also recommended that you repot your orchid every other year, especially if they suddenly stop blooming but have suitable light, temperature, and humidity.