Oh my orchids!

Let's talk about how much I love orchids:  I love them lots.  

Right now, I have two.  Here they are in instagram'd glory:

My double orchid in vintage-y toolbox planter

My kitchen sill orchid with pink and white flowers

Wanting them to live forever and ever because I love them so much, I will be taking very good care of them.  "How do you do that?" you ask.  WELL, let me tell you...  (The following information was gleaned primarily from here and here).

Water:  

-Once heavily per 5-12 days and never on the leaves.  

-More in summer if super dry, less in winter.  Spritzing your plant once in the morning during summer months is okay too.

-Note that different orchids prefer different moisture levels, but the Phalaenopsis genus, which is what I have, are on the drier end of the spectrum.

Fertilizer:  Once every 2-4wks, and use special orchid food

Blooming:  

-Once the flowers have pooped out... 

^if the leaves look healthy, cut one node below where the flowers are, and hopefully they'll bloom again soon

^if not, cut at the bottom of the stem so you can nurse your plant back to life.  

Light:

-A common reason for not getting enough blooms is that the plants are not getting enough light.

-Bright indirect light is best.

Repotting:  

-Use special orchid mix, not soil.

-Orchids need repotting every 6 months to 2 years.

-This is better to do when your orchids are no longer blooming, so more on this later...

For all you LA folk, I bought my orchids wholesale from Lee's Orchids in the flower district downtown.  The flowers are cheap and healthy, they sell pots, and for $10 they'll even pot them for you with moss and pebbles.

For those of you not in LA, here's another gratuitous photo of my extended family's greenhouses, this time... Orchids!