Orchid Care

To ensure the life of your arrangement here are a few tips to follow.

Caring for your orchid and plant arrangements

Our arrangement care instructions at Austin Orchid Exchange are unique in that all of our arrangements come in planters without holes in the bottom for drainage. This means if the arrangement is over watered, water can accumulate inside the pot, and cause a messy, soggy situation for your arrangement. By following the care instructions carefully, you will avoid waterlogging your arrangement, and make sure it has the longest lasting blooms possible. Here are some general care guidelines we provide for most of our arrangements and plants, and also some care for phalaenopsis orchid in general.

General care for Phalaenopsis orchids:

To ensure the longest lasting blooms possible:

Be sure they are not placed in the draft of an AC or heater vent.
They should never be placed where sunlight directly hits the flowers or plants as this will lead to wilting and bloom loss very quickly.
Never water with ice cubes. They are tropical plants and do not like cold water. Room temperature water is best.
Never water the leaves, or leave excess water directly in the crown (where the leaves come together). This can cause crown rot, where the plant rots where the leaves come together. If water gets trapped there, just dab dry with a paper towel.
Never spray your orchid leaves or flowers with water. This can cause mold or rot.
Always best to water as early in the day as possible. Do not water at night. This gives your plant a chance to dry a bit during the day and again not allow for rot or mold to happen.

General care for most AOE arrangements:

Arrangements arrive just watered, so follow the watering guides provided with that in mind.
Place in any bright location, never in direct sunlight.
Water the arrangements every 7-10 days with 3 tablespoons of water directly into the orchid pot. Always feel the top of the plants under the moss to be sure it does not feel damp or soggy before you water. If so hold off a few more days before watering.
If you have a hard time getting to the orchid pot, you can move or remove the decorative moss on top to see where to water more easily. You may also water right on top of the moss.
Plants in the arrangement can generally use the same watering guidelines as the orchid.
Succulents in arrangements like to be dry, so water them monthly with 3 tablespoons of water.
Be careful not to over water arrangements, as we mentioned before most arrangement pots do not have a drain hole, therefore water can accumulate in the pot. If this does happen, tilt the pot on its side carefully to drain excess water.

Learn More

Printable Culture Sheets

The best information on orchid care can be obtained from the American Orchid Society at www.aos.org Please see links below for printable culture sheets on a variety of orchid types.

• Catasetum
• Catasetum (Spanish)
• Cattleya
• Cattleya (Spanish)• Cattleya Novice
• Cymbidium
• Cymbidium (Spanish)
• Cymbidium Novice
• Dendrobium
• Dendrobium, Sections
• Dendrobium (Spanish)
• Dendrobium Novice
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Growing Orchids in Your Home
• Lycaste
• Lycaste (Spanish)
• Masdevallia
• Masdevallis (Spanish)