By Anne Davis

Most people know that plants are great air filters and they bring a softness to your home’s décor in a very pleasing and welcoming way.  When you choose colourful, flowering plants as houseplants, they deliver an extra punch with their beautiful blooms to brighten up your space.

One of the easiest flowering plants to grow is the orchid. Not only are the flowers stunning but they last for months and months. Had trouble growing them in the past? Here’s how you keep this lovely plant happy, healthy and get it to bloom over and over again.

The right lighting and proper watering technique are the keys to a healthy, thriving plant.  Orchids like high humidity, good ventilation and strong light – but not direct afternoon sun. The ideal temperature range is 10-30 degrees. An south-east facing window that receives light for 8 – 10 hours should be perfect for this plant. To create the proper humidity, place the pot in a water-filled tray with gravel or pebbles to keep the base of the pot out of the water.  Orchids do not like their roots sitting in water! It is very important that the orchid dry out completely between drenching waterings.

Be sure to keep it out of drafty spots and don’t let it sit in standing water. If you want to leave the orchid on a window sill overnight, be sure to cover it to keep  the icy night air from harming the plant. A cone made out of newspaper is ideal for this purpose.

For an extra special look, choose a windowbox to use as a tray. Buy several orchids in complementing colours and your windowbox will be filled with pretty blooms to keep you feeling bright when the snow is thick on the ground.

The trick to having your orchids bloom a second time is to repot your store-bought plants as soon as the blooms die off.  Commercial growers plant orchids in moss which is the worst possible scenario for a plant that needs to dry out completely between waterings; however, do not repot the plants until the flowers have finished their bloom!

Buy an orchid potting mix and a proper orchid growing pot – the pot should have slits in the sides to allow for proper air flow around the roots. Cut off the dead flower spike and carefully remove any moss from the roots. Cut away any dead or diseased roots (shrivelled or blackened). Place your plant in the pot and pack the soil around it.  Soak the newly potted plant and place it in your east-facing window.  It will reward you with an annual bloom that lasts for six to 12 weeks.

Once you have completed the repotting, if your plant is not thriving it means the light conditions are not right. Move the plant from place to place until you see it perk up.  If you get only dark green leaf growth, the lighting is too low. If the leaves are a reddish green, the lighting is too strong.  The leaves should be bright green. If you have sheers on a south facing window, try placing the plant there. If you don’t have sheers, place it in a spot just out of the reach of the sun’s rays.

If you’re still not convinced that an orchid will bloom for you, try African Violets or Christmas Cactus – both are easy to grow and will reward you with bright, colourful flowers to keep you cheery until the fresh breezes of spring signal the start of the next growing season.

Anne Davis is a writer, blogger, artist and photography buff.  Born in Quebec, she now lives in Kimberley, where she is editor of and contributor to the City of Kimberley’s Active Community Guide and webmaster for the City’s websites.

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