What is the best way to water my Bird's-nest orchid?
The manner in which you water the Bird's-nest orchid will depend somewhat on whether or not your plant is in an active growth phase. If so, you should apply water to your plant’s soil and, if the weather is warm, perform occasional overhead watering to allow the plant to absorb moisture through its leaves. By contrast, in winter, and when the weather is cool or wet generally, you should stick to watering the soil directly rather than including overhead watering as well. You’ll know your Bird's-nest orchid needs more water if its roots and leaves become thin and dry or show discoloration. Bird's-nest orchid receives too much water will look mushy and limp. You should grow your Bird's-nest orchid in a pot and ensure that the potting mix you use has fantastic drainage. During the growing season, you’ll need to water this plant multiple times per week. However, each watering should drain quickly through the growing medium to prevent any standing water. The amount of water you give will change based on the size of the pot you use. Generally, pots that are a bit larger will need water less frequently, while smaller pots will have a slightly more frequent watering schedule. Rainwater and distilled water are the best kinds of water to use for this plant, and it is best if the water you use matches the temperature of the air as closely as possible.
What should I do if I water my Bird's-nest orchid too much or too little?
Allowing your Bird's-nest orchid to sit in soil that remains too moist for too long is one of the most common ways to kill this plant. While these plants need water frequently during active growth, they also need to live in a growing medium that drains water rapidly. When this plant experiences overwatering, it will become mushy and develop root rot. If that occurs, you should be prepared to use a pair of sterile pruning shears to cut out any roots that show signs of rot. After doing that, you should then repot your Bird's-nest orchid, ensuring that the container allows for drainage and that you fill the container with a fast-draining potting mix. However, Bird's-nest orchid doesn’t typically respond that well to excessive repotting, so it is crucial to get your watering rate right. Underwatered Bird's-nest orchid will begin to shrivel and feel dry to the touch. If this occurs, it is likely because the soil is drying out faster than you expected, which means you should increase your watering frequency.
How often should I water my Bird's-nest orchid?
During the active growth stage, which spans the spring and summer months, you should plan to water your Bird's-nest orchid about once or twice per week while increasing that rate to three times per week or more in the case of long periods of hot and dry weather. In the winter, you will also need to water your Bird's-nest orchid, but not nearly as much. A watering frequency of two to three times per month should be enough to keep your Bird's-nest orchid alive during the coldest months. However, if you keep your Bird's-nest orchid indoors during winter, you should account for the fact that indoor growing locations can cause the soil to dry quicker than usual, which may mean you need to increase the number of monthly waterings. You can use the fall as a time to gradually reduce your watering frequency from the summer rate of multiple times per week down to your reduced winter watering schedule.
What should I consider when watering my Bird's-nest orchid in different seasons and growth periods?
There are two important growth phases that you should consider when planning the watering schedule for your Bird's-nest orchid. The first of those periods is the active growth period, which happens in spring and summer, and which calls for watering this plant multiple times per week. The second important growth period is the rest period that the Bird's-nest orchid should experience for about two to three months each year during winter. During that time, your plant will need far less water and fertilization than normal. Water about once or twice per month during this time. During the fall, you should begin to gradually reduce your watering frequency from multiple times per week all the way down to the once or twice per month rate that is appropriate for winter.
How should I water my Bird's-nest orchid differently if I grow it indoors?
The Bird's-nest orchid requires a growing environment that is relatively humid. Unfortunately, most indoor growing locations will lack the level of air moisture that this plant prefers. This causes the plant and its soil to dry out more quickly than it would when growing outdoors. To combat this effect, you may want to include a humidifier in the room where you grow your Bird's-nest orchid. You may also need to water it a bit more frequently as well. However, while Bird's-nest orchids do prefer humidity, they also require adequate air circulation as well, to prevent excessive moisture build-ups and the diseases that can result. Consider including a fan in the room where you grow this plant as well to ensure proper air circulation remains present.
How much sunlight does Bird's-nest orchid need every day?
Although this plant doesn’t particularly like a lot of light, it does need some throughout the day to photosynthesize and therefore grow properly. Full shade plants like Bird's-nest orchid don’t need a full eight hours of sunlight per day, but they do need access to at least six hours of indirect sunlight every day in order to grow at a healthy rate.
What kind of sunlight does Bird's-nest orchid need to thrive?
Bird's-nest orchid is a shade-loving plant that requires lots of shade. During the hottest parts of the day, this plant needs to be protected from direct sunlight; however, it can tolerate partial sun during other parts of the day. Morning sun is ideal for Bird's-nest orchid, but it can tolerate small amounts of afternoon sun if it’s not too hot in one spot for the entire afternoon and evening.
How can I protect Bird's-nest orchid from sun damage and overexposure?
There are a few tricks to planting Bird's-nest orchid that can prevent you from having to take extra measures to protect it from direct sun. You can try strategic shade planting using buildings or trees to plan where to plant, or even layer using taller plants that can tolerate bright, direct light all day. Otherwise, you can try using shade cloth to build a sunshade over your Bird's-nest orchid facing toward the sun during the hottest parts of the day.
What happens if Bird's-nest orchid gets inadequate sunlight?
Unfortunately, too little sunlight is still possible, even though this plant loves the shade. You might notice leaves straining to grow towards better-lit areas, leaves that grow progressively smaller, and even generally-stunted growth. In these cases, you can try moving Bird's-nest orchid if it’s in a pot, or move other foliage out of the way so that some of the sunlight can reach into your Bird's-nest orchid.
What happens if Bird's-nest orchid gets too much sunlight?
Bird's-nest orchid can be damaged fairly easily from sunlight overexposure. When its leaves are exposed to bright, direct sunlight for multiple hours per day in the same spots, you may begin to notice some yellowing and/or brown discoloration at the leaf tips. The leaves in heavily burned spots may also start to curl under or in. These are signs that your Bird's-nest orchid is being cooked in the sun, and needs a little bit more shade to be happy.
Does Bird's-nest orchid need different sunlight care for different growth stages?
In some climates, sunlight for plants coming out of dormancy may be a bit much. When your Bird's-nest orchid is in its early stages for the year, it shouldn’t be exposed to much sunlight. The new, tender leaves are far more susceptible to sunburn than mature ones, so be sure to shade your plants properly if they aren’t already protected from direct rays of sunlight. It’s important to keep the first foliage intact, as this will be the primary source of energy the plant as it puts on new growth for the year!
Get tips and tricks for your plants.
Keep your plants happy and healthy with our guide to watering, lighting, feeding and more.
Download the App for Free