How to Care For Orchids Indoors - Temperatures, Humidity and Placement

If you've chosen to grow orchids in your home It's a good idea to be as prepared as possible before you go out and buy your plant. In my opinion, orchids are one of the most worthwhile and rewarding plants you can grow in your home. While it's true that learning how to care for your orchids is a life long pursuit, don't despair because you can still successfully grow them with a good grasp of the basics. We've all got to start somewhere, right?

There are several species of orchids that make ideal indoor orchids and I would suggest that if you're a beginner that you start with one of these plants to give yourself the best chance for success. Growing your orchid indoors can be a little more tricky than in a greenhouse where you often have a little more control over the growing conditions, but is still easily achievable if you can match their requirements.

Humidity Control

Phalaenopsis orchid species make fantastic indoor plants, not only are they beautiful orchids with long lasting blooms they tolerate dryer conditions, such as those in a centrally heated home, better than most.

What to look for when buying your orchid

Check for signs of diseases, maturity and general health in your orchids before you buy.

Starting from the top down check the orchids flowers, if they are already wilting you can probably move on to the next plant because this orchid has reached the end of its blooming cycle.

Check for spots or discolouration on the flowers and leaves and make sure to check the underside too and around the crook of the leaves and the stem. Discolouration could be the sign of an unhealthy or diseased plant. The orchids leaves should be thick, green and firm, yellowing leaves could be a sign of over watering or too much light. Dark green leaves could mean too little light.

Check the roots if you can, they should be firm and whitish with darker coloured tips, Soft or spongy roots indicate an unhealthy plant.

Placement

Once you've got yourself the perfect orchid you'll need to find the perfect spot to keep it. Maximising the daylight hours whilst avoiding sunburn is key to caring for your orchids. Indoors you've got to find somewhere with long periods of shaded or diffused light. Eastern or western facing windows often provide the longest hours of sunlight whilst avoiding the strong midday light but to be sure you can use a blind, net curtain or frosted glass to diffuse the light.

Humidity

Species of phalaenopsis orchids will be pretty forgiving of dryer air in your home but many orchids prefer a much more humid environment especially tropical and sub-tropical species. A humidity of around 60% is not unreasonable. This is much easier to achieve in a greenhouse but you can increase the humidity around your orchid indoors by using a water tray or humidity tray. Basically the orchid is supported above a tray filled with water, the water evaporates and increases the humidity around your orchid. Pretty simple, but effective too.

Temperature

One of the biggest challenges of growing you orchid indoors is often to provide them with the correct temperature range. The conditions and temperature fluctuations that your orchid prefers may not be ideal living conditions for you. Phalaenopsis especially enjoy the warmth of an indoor home environment but each orchid species will have its own requirements. Try to get a night time temperature drop of around 10 - 14 degrees Fahrenheit. Some orchids will require a much lower temperature during periods of no growth, you may have to relocate your orchids or even move you indoor orchids outdoors to achieve this. Getting these temperature ranges correct will help ensure that your orchid keeps blooming time and time again.

How to Care For Orchids Indoors - Temperatures, Humidity and Placement

Why Temperature and Humidity Matter When Growing Plants Indoors

When you are purchasing houseplants, pick the right plant for your environment, instead of trying to change your home to accommodate the plant you have chosen. Keep in mind the temperature at which you keep your home; different plants will thrive at different temperatures. Some like cool temperatures, in the 50s and 60s, while others enjoy 70 or even 80 degrees.

If you turn your thermostat down at night, your plants will be able to cope. In the wild, after all, they are used to a 10 to 15 degree drop in temperature at night. Because your plants are probably going to be near a window, make sure that there are no drafts that will make your plants too cold. Be aware that the temperature near a window is often several degrees colder than the temperature on the other side of the room. Especially if you live in an old home or have casement windows, be aware of where you are placing your plants.

Humidity Control

Not only can your plants get too cold, but they can overheat, as well. While most plants can adapt to the heat levels inside the typical home, excess heat or too high temperature can lead to reduced humidity, which can damage your plants. Many houseplants are used to more humid environments than in the typical home. Plants need moisture not only through their roots, but also in the air, which they absorb through their leaves. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to increase the moisture available to your plants. Do not try to do this by soaking them with too much water every time you water them; the moisture must come through the air, not through the soil. There are a few things you can do to make the air around your plants more humid.

If the air in your home is not humid enough for your plants, you can purchase a humidifier to place near them. These keep the humidity around them at a constant level, which will help your plants thrive. A less expensive alternative is to fill pans of water near your radiators. This water will evaporate, adding moisture to the air. Most plants also enjoy being sprayed lightly with water from a spray bottle. When done once or twice a week, this spraying will keep the foliage hydrated. Misting your plants can help keep them from drying out in a low-humidity environment. It also cleans the leaves of the dust found in a typical home, and helps keeps insects from settling on them. However, be aware of the needs of your plant. Some, like African Violet or others with hairy leaves, an actually be damaged by misting. If you mist an African Violet, the leaves will grow white spots and begin to decay.

Be aware of your plants' requirements such as humidity and not too high temperature when bringing them into your home. While many can adapt to the conditions of the typical home, you should monitor the temperature and humidity so that your plants can thrive.

Why Temperature and Humidity Matter When Growing Plants Indoors