Orchids As Houseplants

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Blooming, Care and Culture, Growing Indoors

The articles on this blog titled “Easy” and “Fairly Easy” orchids are usually at home indoors, while the smaller types, such as miltoniopsis and odontoglossums, will grow on a windowsill.

In the Northern Hemisphere, during summer, a north-facing aspect is ideal. This gives adequate light but not direct sunlight, which can burn the foliage. You can use other aspects provided the window has a shade or net curtains to create shade. In winter, place the orchids in a more southern-like aspect, where the lower position of the sun will not harm them.

Stand the orchid pots in a humidity tray on a layer of expanded clay pellets covered with water so that the orchids are not standing directly in the wet, but just above it. Grow other small, slow-growing houseplants alongside. This not only looks attractive but provides extra humidity.

In the summer, place larger orchids, like cymbidiums, in a cool, shady position outdoors on a bench or upturned pot to protect them from slugs, snails, wood lice, and worms. This will provide them with better light, which is often hard to achieve indoors for orchids taht are too large for a windowsill.