Orchid Care for Beginners 

I'm watching all of your videos compulsively because I bought an orchid at the grocery store

Yo, opening your window every day is life-changing. Really, such a game-chamber. I’m an american who moved to Austria, and it’s regular practice here to open the windows every day, even if it’s just for a few minutes in the dead of winter. I always used to hate the smell of my mother’s house, and now I know it’s all the stagnant air plus pets.

No matter how many times I listen to your teachings, there is something I have missed. Thank you.

Brilliant 🤩 Michael! So pleased I have found you!

So grateful to you for yr no nonsense approach. You get straight to the point without all the trivial faffing talk. Yr my "go to" for information. I'm a newbie and appreciate the time and effort you put into this. T.Y from the U.K

I stumbled on your videos quite by chance and now I am hooked! You know your stuff, your explanations are clear, and you waste no time giving them. Best of all you want us to succeed. Thank you.

You’re well spoken, confident, and very well educated. I can tell from just listening to you talk. I think I’ve found my new orchid channel, YAY!

Awesome, Michael. Thank you and love on behalf of my orchids.

Just a thought about rain water. When collecting rain water, it's a good idea to allow it to rain a little bit first before collecting. Rain cleans the air of contamination. So, especially in a city environment allow it to rain a little then put out a pot to collect the precious rain water. And many rain barrels have a lid or other mechanism so you can reroute the first rain before collecting.

Thank you, Michael! So glad to have found you! I have accumulated 3 orchids, through gifting, that are surviving, but not thriving. With learning from your extensive knowledge I am certain they will actually bloom.

Thanks Michael. There’s still hope for me growing orchids ❤️

Very well done Michael.........I agree with all that you said. Thankyou. Ed.

Thank you so much for this quick tutorial! I got an orchid as a gift and was overwhelmed when searching for care tips, this makes me feel like I can keep it alive until I learn what I'm doing.

Fascinating as usual.. Loved it! 👍💛💚🖤

Thank you Michael! Very informative. I look forward to your videos!

I’m just realizing you have a Bird Of Paradise and a Monstera Deliciosa!! You sir, are my hero!

Thankyou for breaking it into sections. This was more information than i had hoped for and delivered in a way that made total sense and sunk in. 🌸

Hiya Michael from the UK. I'm new to growing orchids. I've fallen in love with them. Started with 4 Phalenopsis. 2 large and two mini. Had them about a week. Your advice is second to none. Thanks so much. Ashley.

The channel I didn’t know I needed!

Great information for a beginner...exactly what I was looking for. Thanks Michael

Nice overview. I needed to hear that, just what to concentrate on first. Thank you.

Michael, thank you for sharing your passion and respect for these glorious creatures. I adore your succinct comments and powerful content. Thrilled you are thriving on You Tube!!!!

Awesome video, i am moving my orchids tomorrow and will turn on the humidifier! Thanks for the great tips.

Love your channel Michael. I’m plant obsessed - your orchid information is awesome!!!!

Omg, I LOVE your videos! I thought I was kicking ass with my orchid, but I was actually killing. Thank you for all of your info!!!!!!

Thanks for the very practical advice... I feel confident that I'll be able to look after the 2 orchids I recently received as presents.

You're the best Michael! You get right to the point and make it simple!

Thank you, although I have been researching information on a Vanda,I was gifted, your explanation was great. I love your channel.

Thank you so much for this foundations of care video. ❤️

Straight to the point! Good job :)

Love that I found your channel!!! I can share that I have also brought my orchids outside and watched them come back from near death to bloom. I find a chip or chunky soil works best allowing drainage. I am loving your tips to helping maintain these beauties , while I have been amazed at their hardiness in spite of my neglect or even over-watering!

Getting my first orchid! Your videos are GREAT!

saw all the 5 videos , excellent would be understatement . Thanks for sharing your knowledge

I just found your videos and I am so happy I did. You share a wealth of information delivered clearly, not dumbed down. You are very well spoken and your delivery is to the point. I can tell you know your stuff! Keep up the good work.

Thank you so much for the information will apply to my orchid, I'm a newbie on orchid 👍💜

Excellent video Michael!!!

Thanks for the great info as usual. Have been watching your channel since the beginning and it just gets batter. BTW have wanted to tell you that your skin looks fab u lous. Not an orchid comment but still needs to be said.

You are so well spoken!

Wonderful video thank you for sharing your knowledge. So well spoken.

Thank you for this video I needed it! 😊

Thanks so much for this wonderful information.

I just repotted my orchid and saw all the sphagnum moss and dead roots and all the mess he was talking about. Wow! My orchid would have dropped dead and I wouldn't have known why. THANK YOU, MAN! :)

Thanks for this comprehensive video💜🌞

Thank you SO much for your videos. I am working on rehabbing some of my orchids, and I am very curious about the semi-hydroponics. Will keep watching.

😍I love you, Michael! Thank you for such an informative video! I appreciate the beauty of orchids but I had given up on successfully caring for one until I came across your video😊. You give so much info that I now feel confident enough to take care of the one I received from my neighbor! Now I won’t have to tell her it died😆. Thank you again 💫.

Wow, thanks so much for sharing your knowledge. You present the information really well and it’s nice to hear your obvious love of orchids. :-)

AMAZING channel, keep on posting😍😍😍💕💕

I absolutely love your videos🌺

I don't even have an Orchid, but I love your channel. Maybe someday I'll be brave enough to get an Orchid of my own. In the meantime, I'll keep watching and learning.

I subscribed . I have 1 orchid and its my first one. I am going to do everything I can to preserve him! :)

I love your videos, informative for us beginners and you don't talk do to your audience.

Great job, very informative.

Thank you for this!! Especially the visual of indirect light! Can I ask what direction your window faces? With summer coming I’m thinking I’m gonna be moving a lot of plants back from the window :)

Michael, thank you for another great video. Apparently I've done everything wrong when I was given an Orchid to save and yet somehow it not only survived, it thrived. I've since repotted in a proper medium (not soil like I did in the beginning) and it's doing well. I'm hoping that it might one day give me a flower or two as a small reward for my efforts. I hope you keep making more if your informative vids 🌱🌸💖

Thank you, that was so useful.

That was super useful, thanks 💚

Thanks for the video. I first found your videos because I’m interested in transplanting orchids semi hydroponic. My grandmother and mother used egg shells as fertilizer for their orchids. They both had a lot of orchids throughout my childhood. I recently started doing the same and now I see buds on my orchid. I was hoping to transplant to semi hydroponic but will wait a bit.

Thank U so much I enjoy learning from you 😍

Thank you! Great content. Could you make a video RE; grow lights? Thoughts, setup, usage, products? Thanks 🙏🏼💗

Michael, you are wonderful! Thank you for such informative and fun to watch videos. I love orchids and have been able to keep them alive and re-blooming, but have so much to learn! Do you ever do speaking engagements? My Pittsburgh garden club would love you!

Very good!! Thanks!

Ohw! Ohw! Im really into the lecture! I NOTICED that you can see transpiration from the plant if it is hydrated!

Thank you so much Michael

Thank you! 🍃

Bravo 👏🏽

Omg so cute!!!

Thank you for all the great videos you are making for us. Always great information . I just started to convert my orchids to hydroponic. Where did you buy that bottle with that "tube " head ? It's perfect for watering. Thank you 😊

I'm really enjoying your videos. I've had many types of orchids and have gotten most if them to bloom, but never a phalaenopsis. They always just sit there and grow leaves but no flowers after the ones it came with from the store. Hoping I can change that soon. BTW, I don't know if this is a newer or older video, but I liked the beard better than just the mustache. 😁

Thank you.

Fabulous and so clearly explained. With thanks from over the pond in Manchester UK. Can I ask about misting?? I have orchids in the bathroom and they do fine but wondered about centrally heated rooms.maybe misting every couple of days??

Great video thank you, I love orchids and when i listen to you, you uplift my hope about caring my orchids. But i am struggling with my grandfather's orchid. We had hyroton, you call them leca, i put them in a vase with the orchid after i disinfected it. But i could not drill a hole in the vase, my question is if the hole is really mandatory? Also I wonder when did you fall in love with orchids?

Hi I love your videos is there anything I could do for fruit flies in plants media. I’m seeing fruit flies can I control that. Thank you.

I have really severe asthma so my home already had 2 humidifiers and a HEPA air filter. I'm also allergic to choramine in tap water so I have to use a water filter. It turns out I am the human equivalent of an orchid so they are really happy living with me lol.

Hi Michael -I discovered your channel looking for someone who could teach me how to rehydrate my dying phalaenopsis orchid. I used your RU-vid video and the patient is recovering nicely. I have what you’ll probably think is a ridiculous idea, but maybe it can work. I have had orchids for many years. The older ones have such long root cores that no longer have roots coming from them. I have one that has almost a foot of root core in the planting medium. It requires such a large pot to accommodate it. Is it possible to crop off a portion of that to accommodate a smaller pot. I love your videos. It’s like having a friend sit down and explain everything. You do it so well! Thanks in advance for your help. Mike

Hey Michael, great informative video! I do have a question though... I live in Colorado about to move to Florissant where we will have well water; would you still recommend distilled water or would the well water be great for my orchids? Thank you!

Hello Michael, I’m wondering how important is the TDS in watering orchids, I understand about chemical substances, but what about normally occurring substances in a basin used for plants ? Thanks for those extraordinary videos from which I learn so much.

What a brilliant and informative video! I love your presenting style. Thank you so much 😊

Could you make a video on the Holc. subulifolium, there isn’t many video about this orchid. 🙂

Hi Community, I need help. Someone threw away three beautiful Orchids, thinking that it was dead since the flowers fell off. It is a phalaenopsis, and I live in NYC if that makes a difference in care. I am using the tea bag method with distilled water. Soaking overnight, and drying the next. Already cleaned and trimmed the roots to a healthier state. Should I add magnesium and calcium to the water? What can I do to really nurse these girls back to health? The leaves are green but are less turgid/leathery. I'd love some of your brilliant advice. Novice here.

thanks for this gppd video

That is a serious humidifier! What brand and model? It looks artistic enough to fit in to my house.

Good morning, new to your site. Do I transfer the orchids to glass container's and or plastic, or clay pots?

💚

Michael, where did you get that beautiful US humidifier? 💞

You should do a video on philanopsis orchid care or at least some good tricks

Great video! My orchids are years and years old and still produce huge amounts of flowers mostly twice a year. What I do; Orchids love calcium! So I dry egg shells in my oven at 200 C and after they are dry I grind them into powder. All my orchids get a tiny bit at the top of the pot and when watering it seeps down between the roots. I do that once or twice a year. My flowers since then are growing larger then ever and some won't stop producing new flowers. Just a tip you should try on a few of your plants and see the difference.. Kind regards from the Netherlands.

Hi there, my orchid has a slight brown leaf..just started this last week. Do u have any tips or why this could have happened and what I should do? We are in Scotland UK and just came across your channel.

What do you think about colder atmosphere at night? Is that something you recommend?

I don’t have a clue I kill so many plants but I love then ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I heard you could use cork as a medium. Does that work?

Hey Michael. My orchid has brown orange leaves slightly red. Think it has root rot. What should I do please. Luke

Hello Michael, I just recently bought two different orchid. Today I just discovered that there are some kind of small silver bugs at the bottom of my plant. Both of them. But one is worse than the other it also is starting to have sort of like spongy leaves and on the bottom it looks like it has been eaten up... To prevent the bug from spreading to my other (not orchid) plants I currently have gladrap around them, but I am not sure that’s a good idea. Might you have an idea to what those bugs are?

Hi Michael! I believe my question, for my Phalaenopsis Orchid, is fairly basic. Will a Bloom Branch bloom more than twice? Mine has bloomed twice and it appears that the branch is drying/dead, plus I do not see any evidence of another sprout. Hoping you can direct me 😍

Hey, Michael. I'm an orchid grower in Los Angeles also. So far I haven't had any problems, but is our water truly too hard for orchids generally in your experience/to your knowledge?

I am getting everything into Leca but I have heard oncidiums and some denobriums don’t like it.

Hi I am a beginner with alot of orchids:) Where do you get your glass pots?

I travel for three months of the year and I placed a water bulb in each orchids pots. However ten of the twelve orchids dried up or died. How can I keep them alive while travelling? Michael please advice thank you kindly.

Hi Michael. I'm so glad I found you online because I love learning from your expertise. I live in Sweden and phalaenopsis orchids are SUPER popular and sold EVERYWHERE. I have 3 which are now about a year old. One has flowered twice for me, which when it happens makes me jump with joy. the other 2 were gifts and have never rebloomed. I've decided to convert all 3 to your semi-hydroponic system, BUT the flowering one has 3 burnt leaves (Yes, I initially made a huge mistake putting it on the windowsill assuming the swedish sun wasn't strong enough to burn it. WRONG!) . So my question is.... what do I do with those burnt leaves? leave them? Also, it just rebloomed AND grew a tiny leave in the oddest place; halfway up one of the two stems just under where it is dried out. Should I wait to convert this . one until after the blooms have fallen? I hope you or the community here can help advise me. Thank you!

What’s that material they’re potted in? I need info please.

But what soil medium do you plant in?