Keep Your Orchid Plants Happy And Healthy All Winter With These Simple Tips

Wintertime is an exciting season for those who grow orchids, since some types have flowers that grow beautifully indoors during winter. But to keep your houseplant happy during the cold months, there are some simple care tips you should follow. These include reducing water and temperature, and maintaining humidity and light levels. Mastering these four elements will keep your orchid houseplant healthy throughout the cold months. For the best care specific to your plant, check the plant label for the exact species or cultivar, as there will be some variance between certain species.

The orchid houseplants that most people have are moth orchids (Phalaenopsis spp.), which are commonly sold at grocery stores and other big box stores because they are so easy to grow indoors. However, not everyone is successful at getting orchids to rebloom, and that is due in part to these plants' seasonal care needs. In addition to providing care to keep the plant happy and healthy, following some simple tips will help ensure your houseplant blooms in late winter, displaying months of gorgeous flowers.

A good place to start with winter care is humidity. There's a reason many people grow orchids in greenhouses — these plants simply love humidity. Keep the humidity levels at 65% or more for moth orchids. If you don't have a greenhouse, since it's unreasonable to keep the entire house at such a high humidity, place a humidifier next to the plants or put them in a terrarium. 

You'll also need to reduce watering from fall to early spring. Don't let the potting mix dry out completely, but it shouldn't be wet, either. Getting watering wrong during the cold months is one of the common care mistakes that are sure to kill an orchid. Cold, damp potting mix can lead to rot during winter since a houseplant's growing medium doesn't dry out as fast when temperatures are cooler and light is less intense. On that note, do make sure your plant has plenty of bright indirect light to keep it happy. To provide these gorgeous houseplants with enough sunlight during the cold months, place them near east or west windows.

Finally, use the cold weather care tip that triggers more blooms from your container orchid — exposing plants to lower temperatures at night compared to during the day. Also, keep your orchids in cooler conditions in winter than in summer — 65 degrees Fahrenheit is a good daytime temperature to aim for, and 55 to 60 degrees is best for nights. While cooler conditions will keep your houseplant happy and healthy, do avoid cold drafts. If flower buds form on your orchid and then fall off, chilly drafts may be negatively affecting the plant.