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I think I wrote before that I decided to try orchids as houseplants for two reasons: one, the light in our house is mostly indirect; the house is not dark, it has lots of light, but it's not bright or direct most of the time. Two, Opal chews on things, including plants, and orchids are cat-safe (Serena actually chewed on one of my orchids, too, so really I can't assume any plant is safe. Although she stopped as soon as I told her "no", so it's actually possible she won't do it again, she is a very fast learner and eager to please.)
Most people seem to be into orchids for the blooms, but honestly I like them as much or more for the sculptural quality of the foliage. My first orchid was a phalaenopsis, but I am really most in love with oncidiums. I love pseudobulbs! Also honestly they seem more hardy than phals are.
All of my orchids have come from Ikea or the grocery store. I am not able or willing to spend a lot of money on orchids; the most I have ever spent was $20 and that was for my Masai Red, aka #8, and it is enormous and included an English ivy and a cute pot. I don't want to spent more than that, tbh: it's still more expensive than the average houseplant.
Since I am buying my orchids at Ikea and grocery stores, I am getting orchids that are mature and flowering. It also means that they are probably not in great condition. I did get lucky with my latest two phals, both from Ikea. They were both astonishingly healthy. (although it took me only 3 weeks to kill all the roots on #7, I wanted to do an experiment with leca and I did. Now most of the roots are gone and while it looks very healthy, it remains to be seen if it will stay that way) But those orchids were exceptions to the rule, and if I had left them in the potting I bought them in, they wouldn't have been healthy for long.
There are a lot of factors behind this, but essentially, mass-market orchids in bloom are usually not healthy. Some people suggest that you leave yor orchid in the pot it came in until it stops blooming, then repot. I did this several times and the results were never good. Now what I do is, as soon as I get an orchid home, I pop it out of its pot and into a ventilated, clear plastic pot so I can see the roots and the roots can breathe. When it stops blooming, I repot for real: clean the roots and pot it in inorganic media. Or, if the roots are already in really bad shape, I repot ASAP.
Most people seem to be into orchids for the blooms, but honestly I like them as much or more for the sculptural quality of the foliage. My first orchid was a phalaenopsis, but I am really most in love with oncidiums. I love pseudobulbs! Also honestly they seem more hardy than phals are.
All of my orchids have come from Ikea or the grocery store. I am not able or willing to spend a lot of money on orchids; the most I have ever spent was $20 and that was for my Masai Red, aka #8, and it is enormous and included an English ivy and a cute pot. I don't want to spent more than that, tbh: it's still more expensive than the average houseplant.
Since I am buying my orchids at Ikea and grocery stores, I am getting orchids that are mature and flowering. It also means that they are probably not in great condition. I did get lucky with my latest two phals, both from Ikea. They were both astonishingly healthy. (although it took me only 3 weeks to kill all the roots on #7, I wanted to do an experiment with leca and I did. Now most of the roots are gone and while it looks very healthy, it remains to be seen if it will stay that way) But those orchids were exceptions to the rule, and if I had left them in the potting I bought them in, they wouldn't have been healthy for long.
There are a lot of factors behind this, but essentially, mass-market orchids in bloom are usually not healthy. Some people suggest that you leave yor orchid in the pot it came in until it stops blooming, then repot. I did this several times and the results were never good. Now what I do is, as soon as I get an orchid home, I pop it out of its pot and into a ventilated, clear plastic pot so I can see the roots and the roots can breathe. When it stops blooming, I repot for real: clean the roots and pot it in inorganic media. Or, if the roots are already in really bad shape, I repot ASAP.