Orchid help

[scarediecat]

I was gifted this one but not sure what to do with it? Repot it? Any advice gratefully received!

Go on TikTok and search orchid care. There are loads of very knowledgeable people with lots of advice videos.
I’m just learning as I’ve just acquired one but I’ve been busily watching videos to help.

It's a phalaenopsis. Looks in good nick to me. The roots are healthy. The roots need light, hence the glass containers. It looks like orchid compost. You water them by misting the leaves, rather than really soaking them as you might with other plants, and less is more when it comes to watering them. You can get a spray which apparently has orchid fertiliser, but I'm not sure it makes much difference.

It shouldn't be in direct sunlight - otherwise, they mostly thrive on neglect. If they do get too dry, the leaves start going paler and look/feel more dehydrated- less glossy and plump and lose colour.

There are videos online about how to repot them when you get to that point. You can buy orchid compost (it's mostly bits of bark, really.) If you're lucky it will flower, but mine can go years without flowering...

I am great with orchids. Mine flower several times a year and some have double flowering stems now!

Neglect is the key. I roughly water once a week in summer if I remember. Just a splash. Once a fortnight or less in winter. But it's when I remember. Less is more.

We plunge our orchid pots in cooled boiled water once a week with orchid fertiliser rather than spraying them or watering from the top and they've been doing really well for almost a year now with lots of new flowerings.

We use this baby bio fertiliser