Where Should You Put Your Orchid? 6 Tips for Finding the Right Spot
If you want to start off on the right foot with your new orchid or find the best location for those you already have, we can help. Join orchid enthusiast Melissa Strauss in finding the perfect place for your beautiful plant.
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Orchids can be a bit particular about their environment. If you don’t provide them with the right conditions, they have a habit of fading fast. You might notice flowers dropping quickly or leaves beginning to droop. These are signs that your plant is not thriving in its present location.
Understanding a plant’s native environment is key to finding the perfect location. Light, climate, and rainfall all factor into the type of care your orchid requires for optimal health.
Since most orchids, especially those commonly kept as houseplants, are tropical, we will focus on them. Let’s examine some factors influencing where to put your orchid so it can look its best.
Know Your Orchid
Orchids are a huge family of plants. With 28,000 species in 850 genera, the Orchidaceae family is second only to the Asteraceae family. With so much variation, it makes sense that different orchids will require different care.
Let’s focus on tropical epiphytic species, as they have similar needs. Epiphytes are plants that live on a host, such as a tree, but are not parasitic. They don’t harm the host. They also make up a majority of the orchids sold as houseplants.
Epiphytes have exposed roots and don’t need soil to meet their nutrient needs. In fact, if you plant them in regular potting soil, they’re likely to develop root rot. As such, potting them properly is important before you consider a location.
When potting your plant, choose a potting mix made mostly from bark with other amendments that allow water to drain quickly. Your container should also have ample drainage so that the roots get plenty of air circulation.
Sympodial vs. Monopodial
These plants have two basic growth habits: sympodial and monopodial. The growth habit does not necessarily influence care needs, but it’s helpful for identification purposes.
Monopodial orchids grow continuously taller on a vertical rhizome. Sympodial species have a rhizome that runs horizontally, sending up pseudobulbs. Each pseudobulb blooms once, after which it becomes a food source for the plant.
It’s also important to know what species you have to provide the right amount of light and humidity. Here are some of the more common types that you may have purchased for your home:
Phalaenopsis
Phalaenopsis are Monopodial. Also known as moth orchids, these are the most common and easiest to care for. They have stiff, broad leaves and flower stems that hold five to ten pendulous blooms.
Cattleya
Cattleya are Sympodial. Also known as corsage orchids. These plants produce one to two blooms per pseudobulb. The flowers are typically large and fragrant.
Dendrobium
Dendrobium are Sympodial. This is a large genus and can be quite varied. They form canes that stand upright and racemes of four to eight medium-sized blooms. These are common in floristry.
Oncidium
Oncidium are Sympodial. They are also called dancing lady orchids; these have more delicate leaves, and racemes hold many flowers, sometimes hundreds on a mature specimen.
Epidendrum
Epidendrum are Sympodial. Sometimes called reed orchids. They have small canes with many leaves and form a small cluster of flowers at the top of each.
Vanda
Vanda are Monopodial. With the right care, these can bloom nearly year-round, but they are not beginner orchids. They have large blooms, often in shades of blue or purple. They require significant humidity, so they don’t make good houseplants, but they are often sold as such.
Cymbidium
Cymbidium are Sympodial. They are also called boat orchids. These are similar to dendrobiums and are also commonly used in floristry. The flowers are medium-sized; typically, a raceme will hold up to a dozen flowers.
Miltonia and Miltoniopsis
Miltonia and Miltoniopsis are Sympodial. These are often lumped together, though they are different genres. Miltoniopsis are referred to as pansy orchids because their flowers look similar. Miltonia flowers have pointed petals and sepals and a similar rounded labellum. Many sources incorrectly identify miltoniopsis as miltonia.
With this knowledge, let’s discuss the ideal conditions for these plants.
Look For the Right Lighting
Light is an important factor in the health of your orchid. Consider its habitat and growth. As epiphytes, orchids attach to trees and grow under the canopy. Some prefer more light than others, but filtered or bright indirect light is ideal for most.
What does that look like in the home? Bright indirect light would place your orchid near a window but not in the direct sun. Filtered light would mean a sheer curtain or privacy glass that diffuses light and prevents burned leaves.
Not all orchids grow best in the same light, though. Phalaenopsis is a low-light genus. These prefer no direct exposure or extremely limited direct light early in the day. This makes them excellent houseplants because they can thrive in lower-light situations. Direct sun will burn their large, waxy leaves.
Cymbidium, dendrobium, cattleya, and vanda all prefer some direct sun. The ideal location for these will be in a brightly lit window that receives direct sun in the morning, but not so much in the afternoon if possible. An east-facing window is ideal for these.
Miltonia and miltoniopsis both prefer lower light. They will thrive in conditions similar to phalaenopsis. Lady slipper orchids also fall into this category but are less common as houseplants. A north-facing window or one with a sheer curtain or privacy glass is appropriate for these.
So, how will you know if your plant is getting the right amount of light? It’s actually quite simple. Orchid leaves should be medium to light green and stand up stiffly, away from the ground. If you have a lot of dark green growth and no flowers, your plant needs more light. If the leaves look pale or scorched, it’s getting too much sun.
Check the Temperature
The ideal temperature range for most orchids is between 50 and 80°F (10-27°C). Some prefer warmer temperatures, while others like cooler temperatures. Most need a period of cool nights to initiate blooming. You can achieve this by putting your plant outdoors for a few weeks in the fall when nighttime temperatures are consistently in the 50s and 60s (10-16°C).
Fortunately, room temperature is perfectly fine for most species. They should be fine unless you like to keep your home very warm. Temperature is more of an issue when it comes to cold weather.
I don’t know many people who allow their homes to get colder than 50°F (10°C), even in the dead of winter. So, why would cold be an issue?
Because plants close to windows can experience much colder temperatures when it is very cold outdoors. In winter, make sure to give your orchids some distance from windows and potential drafts. Vandas are an exception here, as they are warm-climate plants. The temperature indoors can be stressful for these, which is a factor in making them poor houseplants.
Adjust the Humidity
One of the most important elements in cultivating healthy orchids is humidity. The specific moisture level in the air for these epiphytes ranges from 40% to 80%. Those that fall closer to the low end of that range make better houseplants.
I live in a humid climate (North Florida), so my home’s humidity level is typically between 40% and 50%. This works for some, but not all, types of orchids. I prefer to keep my indoor plants in the bathroom, with a slightly higher humidity level. If you have a bathroom window, this is a great spot.
If you prefer to house your plants in other rooms, you’ll have to give them some extra moisture. I’d like to pause here and reinforce that the moisture needs to be in the form of humidity, not extra watering of the roots. Their roots are very sensitive to fungus, and it’s important to let air circulate around them and to not overwater them.
Providing the right amount of moisture in the air helps the plant take in what it needs via aerial roots and leaves. There are a few ways to supplement humidity. If you don’t have a spot in the bathroom, you can use one of these methods:
Humidifier
This is naturally the most efficient way to raise the humidity in your space. It works quickly, and you can rest assured that the plant is getting what it needs.
Pebble Tray
The pebble tray method is slightly less effective, but it will work with orchids that only need slightly elevated levels. Cover the surface of your tray or dish with small pebbles, and then fill with water until the water line is just below the height of the pebbles. Then, set the pot on the tray. As the water evaporates, it raises the humidity around the plant.
Misting
I don’t recommend this, as you would have to mist your plant several times daily to keep it happy. Also, water droplets can build up in the base of leaves and lead to crown rot.
This, paired with the temperature factor, is why vandas don’t perform well indoors. They require very high humidity in the neighborhood of 80%. They are more well suited to greenhouse conditions.
Keep the Air Circulating
The combination of cool indoor temperatures and high humidity creates an environment where fungus is an issue. Because these plants are vulnerable to several types of fungal rot, this can be a serious problem.
The solution to the issue is to maintain good air circulation in the space around your plants. A large space will have less of an issue, but in small spaces like bathrooms, it’s a problem.
Running a fan is the easiest way to keep the air circulating. An exhaust fan in the bathroom, a ceiling fan, or a standing fan are all good tools for this.
Consider Outdoors
I realize that the idea here was to find the right location for your plant indoors. However, these particular plants tend to do better outdoors. At least, in my experience, they do. I prefer to keep most of mine outside during the warm months, only bringing them indoors in the winter or when they are in bloom.
Depending on your climate, this may not work as well for you. Putting your orchid outdoors is a death sentence if you live in an arid environment. They will thrive outdoors in any climate where the summer is humid enough to support them.
Most of these plants require a shift in temperature, specifically cooling, to initiate flowering. If you leave them outdoors until the evenings naturally cool off, you’re far more likely to see a good bloom in the spring.
If you want to keep your orchids happy outside, hang them in dappled light. As we covered earlier, some can tolerate morning sun, and others should have only filtered light.
Keeping your plants outdoors during their growing season will usually increase their growth. These plants are prettiest when they bloom, and some are not much to look at otherwise. Just be sure to bring them in when those flower spikes form, and you’ll enjoy their best features.
Final Thoughts
The important factors to consider when finding a location for your plant are light, moisture, and air circulation. The temperature in most homes is ideal for orchids, so it’s typically not a concern except in wintertime. If all else fails, give your plants some time outdoors; this should help give them the boost they need to perform at their best.