Cultivate your orchids properly!
Enjoy your flowers longer
Orchids are beautiful, available in many colors, and make the perfect windowsill decorations. Let LECHUZA help you bring your orchids to life! Here are the recommended care instructions, as well as how to easily plant these flowering beauties in suitable orchid pots.
Designed especially for these precious tropical species, ORCHIDEA is the newest planter from LECHUZA that’s perfect for meeting the high demands of Phalaenopsis, Dendrobium, etc.
The all-in-one pot for orchids
ORCHIDEA
Orchids are beautiful, available in many colors, and make the perfect windowsill decorations. Let LECHUZA help you bring your orchids to life! Here are the recommended care instructions, as well as how to easily plant these flowering beauties in suitable orchid pots.
Fit for the challenge
and tailored to your orchid
Your orchids are going to love it! ORCHIDEA’s semi-transparent insert lets plenty of light reach the roots, promoting healthy growth for this demanding plant.
The original LECHUZA orchid substrate mix comprises coconut fibers and humin, and it is exactly what orchids need for perfect growth.
And the best part is that the orchid planter set already includes enough of this special substrate mix for potting!
Orchids: the basics
The majority of orchids that you can buy in stores fall into the category of ‘epiphytes’, meaning that they grow on top of, or on the branch of, another plant. Their original growing habitat is on rainforest trees. Phalaenopsis, Cattleya, Oncidium, Dendrobium and Miltonia all belong to this category.
This unusual origin says a lot about orchids’ preferences for where they grow. They don’t like soil, being waterlogged, or having too much fertilizer. After all, there are limited nutrients available when growing on top of a tree.
Caring for orchids: Professional Advice
Tips from LECHUZA’s experts
Correct watering
Things to watch out for
Orchids are particularly prone to root rot. Originating in rainforests, most orchids enjoy high humidity in the air, but do not tolerate being soggy and waterlogged! The LECHUZA irrigation system supplies your plants with the optimum amount of water.
Important: Orchids prefer water that doesn’t contain calcium carbonate (lime), e.g. rainwater. From time to time, you can also spray the whole plant with water too, creating a pleasant steam around the plant to imitate their natural habitat in the tropics.
Orchid watering instructions
Follow these steps:
- If you don’t have a water supply shaft, only pour water moderately over the substrate from above, do not pour water over the plant’s flowers or leaves. Fill the water reservoir halfway, or use a little less water depending on the size and individual needs of your orchid.
- Once all the water is gone, allow the plant to be dry for a period of 7–14 days. Using your finger, check how moist the substrate mix is, taking into account how much water your orchid variety needs. Watch for wilted leaves on your plant, this could be a sign that your orchid has had too much or too little water.
Correct fertilizing and feeding
Like any plant, orchids need nutrients to grow. However, since they don’t need a lot, you can quickly run the risk of over-fertilizing them. LECHUZA’s slow-release fertilizer can be used both with the special orchid substrate mix and LECHUZA’s PON substrate for a period of 4–6 months. After that, use an orchid fertilizer every 4–6 weeks.
Perfect positioning
Orchids need a lot of light, but should still be protected from strong, direct sunlight. Otherwise, they may experience burns from the sun. It is best to leave your orchid in a half-shaded position at first before moving it to a sunnier op
Withering and pruning
What to do in case of flower loss or damage
In principle, it is quite normal for orchids to lose their flowers from time to time. It doesn’t always mean that you haven’t looked after them properly. You should cut an orchid back if it loses all its flowers on one stem, if no new flowers regrow from it and if the stem is already yellow/brown. There are two options:
- The fastest way: Cut the stem about half an inch above the second or third dormant bud.
- The gardener’s way: By cutting the stem about half an inch above the first dormant bud, you will give the plant more time to recover. This will make the single dormant bud turn into a new flowering shoot. This method may take longer for the next flowers to appear (up to six months), but the orchid will reward you with stronger flowers and richer displays of color.
Repotting orchids
Step-by-step guide
LECHUZA tabletop planters are the perfect size for young orchids. The substrate mix can be found in a bag in the planter insert. Fill up the insert, leaving enough room for the root ball to be placed inside.
Gently remove wood and/or bark from the orchid’s roots. Take this opportunity to cut off old, rotting roots as well.
Position your plant with the root ball on top of the substrate layer. Fill up the insert, right to the brim, using the remaining orchid substrate mix. If possible, put larger aerial roots into the planter.
By gently tapping on the planter repeatedly, the substrate will shift around and achieve greater contact between the orchid roots and the substrate. Lightly press down with your fingers so that your orchid is firmly in place inside the planter. And then you’re all done!