Let me just start by saying that even though I love plants, including orchids, I am by no stretch of the imagination, any sort of a plant expert. I just know what has worked for me.
Here’s a bit of simple cleverness I read somewhere years ago that has helped my orchids be happy…create a humidity tray.
This variety of orchid is the easy one to grow, I can’t remember what the name is, but I have a few of them and they really are easy to grow as long as they have the right light, and humidity, and you don’t overwater them. I bought these two at Home Depot 3 or 4 years ago and they haven’t stopped blooming.
In the sunroom where I have the orchids at “Our House” there are both North and East facing windows, and this room is a bit cooler in the winter than the rest of the house, so I’m sure that helps.
To create a personal humid ‘micro-climate’ for this pair of orchids was a simple design. I used this low, flat pottery bowl, but you could use any type of water tight tray you had around the house. I lined the bottom with some white marble chip landscape rocks. I then set the orchids on top of the layer of rocks and added a few more rocks around the planters to help hold them in place.
So now when I water the orchids, the water flows over the planting material and through the holes in the bottom of the planters and sits in the bottom layer of rocks. (I make sure that the water doesn’t come up so far as to touch the bottom of the planters, or the planting material will wick up the water, get soggy and rot the orchid roots.)
That’s it, a simple humidity tray that personally humidifies these two happy orchids.
As always, please feel free to share this blog with your friends, as well as on Facebook and Pinterest the more the merrier!
I appreciate you stopping by.
Honey says
Thank you for sharing this special tip at Potpourri Friday at 2805!
Caroline says
What a neat idea! Thanks for sharing this!
Michele says
Oh great idea!
I have an orchid that is alive but won’t bloom – I think it is too chilly, and there are no drain holes in the pot – going to change it soon, thanks to your brilliant tips!
Thanks!
have a wonderful weekend!
Diane says
I just purchased an orchid last week that has the most wonderful smell of grapefruit. I want to make sure it stays alive and well so your tip will come in handy. Thanks!
Shari says
Very helpful…very impressed that yours bloom all year round….haven’t been able to do this with mine! I have occasionally gotten them to rebloom. Hope to try your approach! Thanks, Shari
Q @ JAQS says
This is a great idea. Useful and very pretty. Need to try this with my orchids … my DRY orchids…
Love for you to share it at my “Made by ME” Linky Party Wednesdays 🙂
http://www.jaqsstudio.com/2012/02/made-by-me-20-linky-party.html
Rosemary says
Thanks for the tip. I’m horrible with house plants.
ChiWei says
Great tip! I can’t ever keep orchids alive, so I just stick to aloe plants and cactus. I’ll let my mom know though – she keeps orchids but always wonder why they don’t bloom!
http://www.onedogwoof.blogspot.com
Christine says
What a great idea!!! I LOVE orchids!!! However, I’ve never owned one.
Following you via Linky Followers! Have a GREAT day 🙂 xoxo
Cloches & Lavender says
Clever. I can grow plants outside but everytime I try them inside they die so I gave up and just do my planting in the spring.