While I was at the Pacific Orchid Expo, I took full advantage of the experts everywhere. I spoke with them about all the details of successfully growing orchids. Here are some things I learned:

Flood your orchid with water, and then let it quickly drain. When the orchid is completely dry, water it again. Feed your orchids every other time you water. We recommend FloraNova Grow and Bloom. Use 1/2 teaspoon per gallon.

Orchids like a pH between 5 and 6. To test the pH, squeeze some water out of the bark or coco onto a test strip. If the pH is less than 5, the media is likely breaking down, and unable to help the plant properly uptake nutrients and minerals like calcium. 

If your pH needs adjusting, but your orchid is preparing to bloom, or blooming, use gentle water pressure from a hose to flood out the top half of the old media. Replenish it with new. This way the roots are undisturbed, but there will be a significant amount of fresh media.

Coco is the best media for most orchids. But use General Hydroponics Coco Tek to avoid excessive salts. Use the chip for the best drainage.

There are 60,000 species and over 150,000 hybrids, and each variety needs specific care. Some like to be planted in media with their roots covered, some like to be mounted to dead or living wood. Some prefer cool, some prefer warm. Some orchids photosynthesize through their roots! To best understand your orchid’s needs, first be sure you have properly identified it. 

Check out these roots! I took these shots at the orchid show, and they are great examples of healthy established root systems. The image is large to show the details.