Can I Use Regular Potting Soil For Orchids?
A lot of people who grow orchids would tell you that they can use any potting soil that you can find. Others prefer to buy their orchids from reputable garden centers and have had their orchids grown in them. And still, other people simply ignore the question of what potting soil to use for orchids, hoping that their orchids will take root and bloom just fine regardless of what they use. If you’re one of these people, maybe you should think about reconsidering your answers to this question. Here are reasons why you should pay attention to the type of potting soil that you use for your orchids.
First of all, regular potting soil is perfect for growing orchids if you know what you’re doing. Orchids are exotic plants, which means that there are specific things that need to be done in order to ensure a successful orchid garden. You see, orchids are not plants that are easy to grow or transplant from one location to another; orchids are instead very delicate plants, which means that if you don’t have the proper care for your orchids when they’re growing, they could end up dying. And if that happens, you’ll have to start all over again, which is definitely not an ideal situation.
So, in the first place, you need to know how orchids work. Orchids actually come from the orchid family (or the same family as lilies and daffodils) and are actually quite similar to those plants in that they grow on top of the soil. The way that orchids grow, though, is completely different than the way that other plants grow. For one thing, orchids must have access to a lot of light in order to produce the flowers that are so popular; and light can only be provided by the use of a potted plant, since plant roots cannot extend themselves very far underground in the deep roots system.
So, what can I use regular potting soil for orchids? Well, that depends. Some orchids will actually do better if you allow them to grow in your flowerbed, which is what you would probably want to do if you bought orchid plants at your local nursery. However, if you decide to let your orchid grow in pots, you might find that yours have much more personality than you originally thought. Potted orchids will usually be more resilient to the elements and much easier to take care of; in fact, some orchids actually prefer being inside of a pot to being outside in the wild. You should definitely give orchids some space to “grow up” before you plant them in your flowerbed, as they will need that time before they start “charging up” their root systems and taking up all the extra nutrients that they crave.
If you’re trying to get an idea of what you can use potting soil for orchids, here’s a quick recap: You can use it to replace the soil in your plant beds after you transplant or replant your orchids. It can also be used to make the new plant feel more secure and well-hydrated. Since orchids don’t actually have “hard” roots in the traditional sense of the word, you can easily spread the roots of your new plant out far enough so that they won’t take up all the extra space that a heavy plant root system would take up. This way, the roots can then feed the orchid as its needs arise without creating additional work for the plant.
What can I use potting soil for orchids for if I want to grow them indoors? If you’re growing orchids indoors, you should be able to use the same kinds of fertilizers that you would use outdoors. You should also be able to follow the same care instructions for your indoor plants (once you’ve determined what those are.) However, orchids tend to require a bit more attention from the person caring for them, especially in regards to light and water. The kind of light they need most often is indirect, so you may have to spend a bit more on the light bulb and mist the plants more often – at least when it’s bright outside.