• Perhaps the last time you had fun you took one from your local grocery store to decorate your kitchen countertop or makeup table, or maybe a friend brought you a potted orchid as a gift. A little down the road, things look a bit terrible …

HOW DO YOU TAKE CARE AN ORCHID?

• A phalaenopsis orchid is quite easy to look at after doing a few things right. With a little care, your orchid will be happy and grow for several seasons.

1. GIVE THEM A GOOD POSITION

• The best place to keep an orchid in your home is a bright, filtered natural light-receiving location. Direct sunlight is too harsh for delicate flowers, and the roots tend to dry out very quickly.

2. CORRECT TEMPERATURE

• Consider Goldilocks – “not too hot, not too cold” – the right temperature for an orchid is about 23 degrees Celsius to provide a warm climate for your orchid to develop and bloom.

3. AIR FLOW

• Orchids need a nice and soft airflow, but not a lot of breeze, definitely direct heating (especially dry heat from a heater or air conditioner), but clean hot air to keep the flowers intact.

4. HEDGE THE FLOWERS SPENT

• Like any flowering plant, an orchid must be re-collected and recharged after flowering, therefore, the spent flowers should be removed, cutting the stem just below where the last flower grew. Because this ‘node’ will provide new growth, be careful to hold the small ledge below.