Phalaenopsis Orchid, IKEA, $9.99
Back in August I bought my first plant, an orchid. Prior to this purchase, I knew nothing about plants or how to keep them alive.
The goal in buying the orchid was to get a plant that would last a while, require minimal care and add some life and greenery to our new apartment. While in IKEA looking at furniture, I found a pretty purple and white orchid that seemed to meet all of those qualifications, so I purchased it and put it on the windowsill in my bedroom. The immediate challenge was to figure out the basics of caring for it (how often to water it, how much sunlight it requires, etc), but other challenges have arisen as well...
A few weeks ago the orchid started to lose its flowers. One-by-one the flowers shriveled up and fell to the floor. Once all of the flowers were gone, the stem started to turn brown, first at the tip and then moving down toward the base. I assumed that the plant was dying, and I actually stopped watering it for about a week after determining that it was a lost cause. At the urging of my husband, before throwing the orchid away, I did a quick google search to see if there was any way to save the plant. Lo and behold, the flowers dying and the stem turning brown are a completely normal phase in the life of an orchid. All I had to do was cut the stem at the base, above the first or second node, and it will eventually grow a new stem and re-flower.
Since I had no idea how to take care of this plant before my multiple google searches, I thought I would share my new found knowledge with you. These plants are very beautiful and modern looking, and can last a long time if cared for properly.
Here are some helpful tips that I got from beautifulorchids.com.
1. Water your orchid every 5-12 days (this varies slightly with different types of orchids, so it is best to confirm for your specific type of orchid).
2. Keep the orchid in strong but indirect sunlight. Lack of sunlight is one of the most common reasons that orchids don't bloom.
3. If your orchid loses its flowers and the stem starts to turn brown, cut the stem below the brown area, right above one of the nodes on the stem. It will eventually grow a new flowering branch.
