Have you decided to try your hand at growing and keeping orchid plants only to end up with nothing but orchids problems? Take heart in knowing that you're not alone.
Many beginners struggle to grow orchids at first.
You're goal in the beginning was probably just to be able to enjoy the beautiful blooms and sweet aromas that these fickle plants are so well-known for and found that they refused to grow once you got them home.
Or worse, after a couple of months they just gave up the ghost and died! It's not your fault.
If you're like most beginners, you're probably treating your orchid like a regular house plant, which is only natural but I need to let you know that..
..
this is a fatal mistake! All is not lost however, and you can quite often solve all of your orchid problems by applying a strategy I like to call..
Habitat Recreation: In essence all you usually need to do is make sure that you buy an orchid that originated in an environment similar to one that you intend to place it in.
Or if you've already purchased your plant, then you simply need to make adjustments to the new habitat so that it more closely mimics its natural home environment.
Two extremely effective examples of this are: 1.
Planting your orchid in tree bark instead of regular potting soil.
This ensures proper air circulation and better drainage for the roots and mimics how they grow in the wild 2.
Planting your orchid in a translucent pot so that the roots are exposed to diffuse sunlight.
This will eliminate the need for the roots to creep over the sides of the pot in search of light.
Warning: Don't ignore these simple tips.
The survival of your orchid plant is depending on it.