So before you ask, no, I do not think that orchids are difficult.
The majority of them will be just fine in a sunny window with a watering once or twice a week, and a bit of fertilizer on a regular basis. If you have multiple plants, sure, some fluorescent lights can't hurt, but at the same time, it's possible to be successful growing orchids in a standard home environment.
Once the weather gets above 50' at night, they can go outside in a shady area, and stay there all summer, just be sure to keep them watered as the weather warms.
The American Orchid Society publishes the following guides that describe the care of orchids in more detail. Feel free to check 'em out.
Top orchid questions:
There are some questions that come up so frequently that I've decided to devote a bit of space to them online, where the world can see. Here goes:
Are orchids difficult to grow?
Well, it's not rocket science, if that's what you're asking. I see lots of people that seem to get worked up over the fact that it's an orchid, and forget that in the end, it's a plant, and it's basic requirements come back to just a few simple things: sunlight, air, and food. We've all killed plants before - kinda like that runt of the litter, there are some that just don't thrive and eventually peter out. At the same time, there are a few bits of advice I can pass along that might be able to help:
- Put 'em outside: chances are that if your orchid is inside, it's not getting enough light or humidity, leading to sub-par performance and no new flowers. Stuff that puppy out back in a shady spot under a tree, water it once or twice a week, and see what happens.
- Be sure to fertilize: orchids are generally planted in a potting medium that lacks nutrients such as fir bark, coconut chips, or sphagnum moss. You're going to have to provide the special sauce that keeps it living. And honestly, the orchid-specific fertilizers are great and all, but just use what you have at the house. Miracle-gro is better than nothing.
- Don't plant your orchid in dirt: although peat-based orchid mixes exist, plain old dirt will kill your new child. Quickly. And completely. Use an orchid-specific potting mix.
- Watch the water: orchids can be sensitive to both over- and under-watering. Don't ever let you plants sit in water, and at the same time, be sure to give them a nice healthy drink once a week or so. I use a highly technical and complex method of determining when my orchids need water: I stick my finger down in the bark, and if it's dry, I water, and if it's damp, I don't. Very complicated. As an added bonus, many of the plants you buy from me will be potted in clear pots, so you can see exactly how wet the roots are.
- Quit messing with it: No one will ever claim that I'm the most technical or knowledgeable of orchid growers, but I fundamentally appreciate and enjoy the darn things. The best thing you can do is to step back a bit and enjoy the plant when it's blooming, and then try not to get too worked up when it's not. You'll only be disappointed if you obsessively mist and prune and repot it - you'll be too close to notice the changes. Orchids are slow-growing plants, and change doesn't occur overnight.
Why won't my orchid bloom again?
There are numerous answers to this one, so I'll give you the concise version, with the most likely answer being that it's not getting enough light. There are two main (and infinite other) factors that play a role:
- Varying lengths of daylight vs. night ("photoperiod"): some orchids bloom in spring when the days start to lengthen, or in fall when they shorten - giving your orchid some outdoor time can provide them with this change, sometimes triggering blooming.
- Temperature differentials: Phals in particular can be sensitive to this. A 10-20' drop in daylight vs. nighttime temperatures can help initiate spiking - again, the great outdoors can provide this.
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