Question
I have a white orchid, the kind that has purple center. It had flowers on it
since December, and now the flowers have all fallen off. I use Better Gro to
fertilize it, and I just started using it 1 month ago. I'm not sure how much
water to give my plant. I know it should be watered each week on the same
day and around the same time. But it is still wet from last week's watering,
which worries me. The pot it is in, is about 4 1/2" in diameter, and about that
deep in height as well. The leaves are doing really well, and it has a new baby
leaf growing up. I have it in my bedroom window, which is a sliding glass
door to the balcony. The plant receives good sun in the morning in this
location. I love orchids and want to do absolutely everything I can to keep it
healthy and blooming in its proper season. What can I do to take care the
excess water, am I using a good fertilizer, and what do I do wit the stems that
now have no flowers? Also, is there a good book you can recommend, that
isn't overwhelming, on how I can properly care for my plant? Thanks so
much!

Answer
Hello Jannah,

Although you didn't say what kind of orchid you have, I believe it may be a phalaenopsis orchid so I'll answer with that assumption.  

You are correct in realizing that it would not be a good idea to water it since it is still wet.  Phalaenopsis orchids love moisture around their roots but not constant wetness so wait until the potting media becomes almost dry before watering again.  This will mean that watering should not be done on a schedule as you have been doing.  Hopefully the roots are still okay, when constantly wet they will die and rot.  By the way, are there drainage holes in the bottom of the pot?  Hopefully there are to allow excess water to drain from the pot.  

You didn't say where you live but here are some things phalaenopsis prefer in their growing area.  Bright indirect sunlight with a few hours of direct morning sun, temperatures between 60F to 85F, humidity above 50%, and some light air movement.  I've already covered watering.  Better Gro is a good garden fertilizer and may be used on the orchid but mix it at 1/2 the amount suggested on the label.  A better fertilizer to use would be a balance type orchid fertilizer, so when you use up the Better Gro you might try looking for one at your local garden center.  

You can cut off the spent flower stem by cutting it off about an inch or two from the bottom.  

Look for the book Orchids by Ortho Books at your local garden center or book store, it costs around $15.00.  Although it is not a very big book, it has a lot of information about growing most of the commonly grown orchids.  

Hope this helped.  

Jim Kawasaki
San Jose, Ca.