How to Make an Orchid Hanging Basket

Orchids look beautiful in hanging baskets. Many varieties of colorful and unusual orchids are easy to grow. Their showy flowers are long-lasting and grow well inside the house or on a covered porch. Dendrobium and Vanda are two orchid types frequently used in hanging baskets. Finished baskets should be placed in an area with good light but not direct sun, and free from drafts. Water when the planting mix is dry to the touch. Growing orchids in hanging baskets can become a wonderful hobby.

Make An Orchid Bloom

The flowers of orchids (Orchidaceae) last several weeks or several months, depending on the orchid species. An orchid needs treatment different than other types of houseplants, but encouraging an orchid's natural blooming tendencies is not difficult once it is on a basic care routine. The hole on the pot's bottom can be enlarged to ensure adequate drainage. The roots absorb nutrients from the air and bark rather than from soil. Use a commercially prepared orchid potting medium that contains chopped tree fern fiber, volcanic rock,charcoal, peat moss, fir bark or a combination of these to ensure healthy growth and blooming(ref.1). The American Orchid Society identifies lack of sufficient light** as the most frequent cause of an orchid's failure to bloom. Orchid leaves are light, grassy green with yellow undertones when they receive sufficient light. Cymbidium (Cymbidium spp.) Move the orchid closer to or farther from the window to manipulate the amount of light the plant receives. When watering, soak the potting medium thoroughly so water runs out the bottom of the pot. Thorough soaking flushes out salts that accumulated.