How to care for an orchid (and why your last one died)

The Phalaenopsis orchid —the most common one given as a gift— has a reputation for being difficult, and it isn't. What happens is that almost everyone treats it like an ordinary potted plant, which it is not: in nature it lives clinging to tree bark, with its roots in the open air.

Mistake number one: overwatering

Orchids die from drowning, not from thirst. Water it once a week in summer and every ten to fifteen days in winter. The right method: take the pot to the sink, let lukewarm water run through the potting mix for a minute, and wait for all of it to drain. Never leave it sitting in water in the saucer.

How to tell if it needs water: look at the roots through the clear pot. Green = hydrated. Gray or silvery = time to water.

Light

Plenty of indirect light. An east-facing window is ideal. Direct midday sun burns the leaves. If the leaves are very dark green, it needs more light; if they are yellowish or spotted, it is getting too much.

When the flowers drop

It is not dead. That is its normal cycle: it blooms for about two or three months and then rests. You have two options:

• Cut the whole flower spike at the base, if it has turned brown and dry.
• If the spike is still green, cut it just above the third "node" counting from the bottom. With luck it will sprout again from there in a few weeks.

After blooming it needs a few months of rest before it flowers again. It is normal for it to go half a year without flowers.