6 Things You’re Probably Doing Wrong with Your Orchid, Plus How to Fix Them Fast

Orchids have a reputation for being fussy plants that are tough to grow. The truth is that caring for orchids, especially popular moth orchids (Phalaenopsis), is not difficult; they’re just different from other houseplants.

Most people kill orchids by treating them like a typical potted plant instead of the tree-dwelling air plants (epiphytes) they are. If you’ve struggled to get an orchid to thrive or rebloom, you may be making one or more of these mistakes. Find out what our expert says about avoiding or fixing them.

1. Overwatering

This is the most common orchid-growing mistake and one of the fastest ways to kill an orchid, says Justin Kondrat, lead horticulturist at the Smithsonian Gardens Orchid Collection. “People think that orchids are tropical and need water all the time, but that’s not the case,” Kondrat says.

In the wild, many types of orchids are air plants that grow on trees, so their roots have evolved to absorb rain and then dry out quickly. As potted plants, their roots will drown fast if they sit in sodden potting medium and cannot breathe. Too much water will make roots turn brown and mushy, a condition known as root rot. Damaged or dying roots no longer absorb water or nutrients, leaving the orchid to slowly die.

The fix: Water your orchid about once a week, only when the potting medium has dried out. A clear plastic pot comes in handy because it allows you to check the roots. When they’re bright green, they are wet. When they turn silvery green or white, they’re dry and ready for water.

If the orchid looks dry, pick up the pot. If it’s light, your orchid may need water. Another way to check the plant is to stick your finger into the potting medium. If it’s dry, your orchid needs water. “Get on a schedule,” Kondrat recommends. “Make checking your orchid part of your routine.”

2. Wrong Pot

Using a container without drainage holes means certain doom for orchids. “When you water it, the orchid is sitting in a swampy mess,” Kondrat says. “The plant drowns itself.”

The fix: “It’s really important that orchids are in containers with drain holes,” Kondrat emphasizes. Many orchids come in plastic pots with slots in the side that allow water to drain quickly and air to come in and reach the roots. For display, place the plastic pot into a pretty cachepot, but take the plastic pot out of the cachepot when you water the orchid.

3. Improper Light

Most people put their orchid somewhere in the center of their home, far from a window, because they want to admire it when it's in bloom. However, in that spot the orchid isn’t getting the six hours of bright, indirect light it needs daily to thrive.

The fix: “When the orchid is in bloom, enjoy it for a week and then give it a week by a bright window,” Kondrat says. “When it’s not in bloom, park it in front of a window and just allow it to recharge.” If you don’t have a lot of natural light in your home, Kondrat suggests getting a grow light. “A lot of the newer LED lights are pretty great for orchids.”

4. Wrong Potting Mix

Regular potting soil will hold too much water so the orchid roots can't breathe. Remember, many of these plants grow on trees in the wild, not in the ground. “Orchids need air circulation around their roots,” Kondrat explains. “They don’t want to be sitting in water-logged soil.” Kondrat also cautions against putting orchids in pure sphagnum moss because it holds too much water.

The fix: Use a chunky, bark-based potting medium that allows water to quickly drain off the orchid’s roots. There are special orchid mixes for sale.

5. Fertilizing Incorrectly

Orchids need fertilizer to bloom and thrive. But too much of it backfires as orchids have sensitive roots that are easily burned by overfertilizing.

The fix: Use a balanced houseplant fertilizer at 10% the recommended rate, Kondrat says. Feed the orchid once a week in the spring and summer, its peak growing season. “Go with weakly, weekly,” Kondrat says. This weak fertilizer solution mimics the slow, natural absorption of nutrients orchids get in the wild. Stop fertilizing after October when the plant’s growth stops, Kondrat says, and begin fertilizing again in early spring.

Flush the orchid with plain water once a week before you add more fertilizer to rinse out salts left behind from old fertilizer. That salt buildup is bad for the orchid and can cause wilting, stunted growth, and brown leaf tips. The best way to flush an orchid: take it to a sink, turn on the faucet, and let water run through the plant for 10 to 15 seconds, Kondrat advises.

6. Insufficient Humidity

Many orchids are native to tropical forests, so they thrive in humid air. If they get too dry, the blooms drop off early, and the leaves wrinkle or turn yellow. Orchids need 50 to 80% humidity to thrive, which can be tough to attain indoors, especially in the winter.

The fix: Kondrat advises against misting your plants. Instead, he says, set the pot on a pebble tray—a shallow dish filled with pebbles and enough water to just cover the pebbles. “As the water evaporates, it causes a nice little microclimate around the plant,” he says.