** drum roll ** š„ Starting today, weāre launching a brand-new section on the Orchidfriends blogādedicated to one of my other longtime plant loves: Schlumbergera šµ aka the Christmas Cactus and friends! Iāve been growing these plants since my teensānot just for their gorgeous blooms, but also for their green presence year-round. What do the [ā¦]
Are Orchids Poisonous to Cats?
Being both a cat lover AND a plant lover can be one of those tricky combos that either works beautifully or brings its fair share of challenges at home. With curious cats and gorgeous orchids under one roof (and neither are going anywhere, as it should be!), youāve arrived to a valid question: Could my [ā¦]
How to Repot an Orchid: Step-by-Step Guide
Repotting an orchid is slightly different from repotting a ānormalā houseplant. This is because most orchids are epiphytes, āair plantsā, growing up high, holding on to trees, etc. āNormalā houseplants are terrestrial plants, which means they grow from the ground. A plant that grows from the ground or in the air requires a different type [ā¦]
How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies in Orchids
As an orchid enthusiast and blogger, I often hear this question ā how do I get rid of fruit flies in orchids? Itās really not unheard of to suddenly see small fruit flies flying around the plants. Seems like they come out of nowhere! This might come as a surprise to you, but these āfruit [ā¦]
9 Great Homemade Orchid Fertilizers
Like all plants, Phalaenopsis orchids need nutrients to live, bloom, and grow. In nature they would absorb essential nutrients and trace elements from their surrounding; the growing surface, decaying plant material, bird and monkey droppings, etc. As indoor plants, they donāt have this natural source of nutrients, even though they do get some nutrients from [ā¦]
When should I repot my orchid plant?
Repotting is a big part of keeping orchids. And the more orchids you have, the more repotting youāll be doing. Therefore itās good to learn everything there is to learn about repotting. On a positive note, repotting can be a lot of fun! For me, itās one of my favorite parts in keeping orchids. In [ā¦]
What should I feed my orchids?
As I first discovered orchids, I never thought about fertilizing my plants. And whenever I started to investigate it, I was put off by the sheer complexity of it. Letās just put it like this; chemistry wasnāt my āthingā at school ā all the chemical formulas would only make my head spin! šµ But as [ā¦]
How to cut back the orchid flower spike
Letās be honest, itās the flowers in Phalaenopsis orchids that make us love these plants so much. Or at least thatās how we get into them in the first place! Of course with time we learn thereās more to these orchids than just the flowers; the leaves and roots have a life of their own, [ā¦]
Why has my orchid lost all its leaves?
It brings a lot of joy to keep orchids ā this is something I discovered early on with my very first Phalaenopsis orchid. Itās rewarding to see them grow new leaves and roots, and to blossom into beautiful flowers. Thereās something āzenā about them. They quickly become something you love to do, and something that [ā¦]
How to Save a Dehydrated Orchid
One of the most common problems people face with the Phalaenopsis orchid is dehydration. Being a tropical plant its need for moisture must be met correctly. Sometimes orchids can be dehydrated already at purchase ā you might experience this if youāre a bargain hunter like me, or have a need to ārescueā orchids from the [ā¦]
Why do my orchids keep dying?
If I got an orchid for every time someone asked me why do their orchids keep dying, Iād have a full-blown orchid garden by now! Even though Phalaenopsis orchids are actually pretty low maintenance, most people new to orchids fail to keep them alive. Of course, this is understandable, taking into consideration these plants donāt [ā¦]