How to Grow Orchid at Home: Rebloom Phalaenopsis and Dendrobium
That gift orchid on the side table will flower again, but only if you stop treating it like a normal pot plant. To grow an orchid at home, give it chunky bark instead of soil, an east or north window, a thorough soak and full drain when the bark is nearly dry, and a cool spell in winter. The rest of this page is how to do each of those in a Lahore flat or a Karachi balcony.
The short version
- Best types for beginners: Phalaenopsis (moth orchid) for low light; Dendrobium for a brighter spot.
- Growing medium: orchid bark mix, never garden soil.
- Pot: 4 to 5 inch (about 0.5 to 1 litre) clear plastic or clay pot with extra holes.
- Light: east window for Phalaenopsis; a curtained south or west window for Dendrobium.
- Water: soak about 10 minutes, drain fully, repeat when the bark is nearly dry.
- Repot: after flowering, roughly every two years, ideally February to March on the plains.
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Which orchid do you actually have?
Most shop orchids in Pakistan and North India are one of two kinds. Phalaenopsis has two to five wide, flat, leathery leaves sitting low and a long arching spike of flat “moth” flowers. Dendrobium has tall cane like stems with narrow leaves along them and flower sprays near the top.
Phalaenopsis has no swollen storage stems, so it hates drying out completely. Dendrobium canes store water and want roughly twice as much light. Treat a Dendrobium like a Phalaenopsis and it sulks without flowers; treat a Phalaenopsis like a Dendrobium and the leaves scorch.
Where should an orchid sit in a Pakistani flat?
Light is the reason most gift orchids never bloom again. Clemson extension notes that failure to flower usually points to too little light or too little feed.
| Window | Phalaenopsis | Dendrobium |
|---|---|---|
| East | Best: soft morning sun | Fine, a little dim |
| North | Good, steady light | Too dark to flower |
| South | Behind a sheer curtain only | Good behind a sheer curtain |
| West | Too hot in May and June | Winter only, shade in summer |
A quick test: hold your hand a foot above the leaves at noon. A soft, blurred shadow suits Phalaenopsis. A clearer shadow suits Dendrobium. A sharp black shadow is direct sun, and it will burn both.
Climate by region
Karachi and coastal Sindh: the easiest place in the region. Humidity is high and winters are mild, so orchids can live on a shaded balcony most of the year.
Multan, Sukkur, Bahawalpur: the hardest. At 45°C and dry air, keep them indoors, away from the AC blast, from May to September.
Lahore, Faisalabad, Delhi: indoors in summer, a bright verandah in spring and autumn, and indoors again before December nights drop near freezing. Clemson suggests keeping Phalaenopsis nights at about 18°C or above and Dendrobium at about 11°C or above.
Islamabad, Peshawar and the hills: summer is gentle, but winter nights are too cold. Bring them in by November.
How do you water an orchid without rotting it?
- Lift the pot. A light pot and silver grey roots mean it is time. Green roots mean wait.
- Stand the pot in a bowl of room temperature water up to the rim for about 10 minutes.
- Lift it out and let it drain completely for 15 minutes. Never return it to a cover pot with water sitting at the bottom.
- Keep water out of the crown, the cup where the leaves meet. If some lands there, tip the plant and dab it with tissue.
In practice this is about once a week in Lahore summers, every 10 to 14 days in winter, and twice a week for Dendrobium in clay pots during a dry heatwave. Indoor plants do not feel frost, but a pot left beside a cold window glass in January can, so pull it back at night. For the general rules on seasonal watering, see how often to water potted plants.
The ice cube trick, honestly
Shops sometimes say “three ice cubes a week”. It keeps people from overwatering, but it never wets the whole root mass and leaves roots cold. The 10 minute soak and full drain wets every piece of bark, then lets air back in. If your tap water is very hard, use collected AC condensate or RO water for the soak.
What should an orchid be planted in?
Orchid roots grow on tree bark in the wild and need air around them. Soil smothers them within weeks.
- Simple mix: 3 parts medium pine or fir bark, 1 part charcoal chunks, 1 part perlite or broken brick pieces.
- Humid Karachi: add more bark and charcoal so it dries faster.
- Dry Multan or Delhi: add a handful of coir chips or sphagnum moss to hold a bit more water.
Clear plastic pots let you see the roots; clay pots breathe better. If you use clay, add a few holes in the lower sides. Our potting mix guide explains why ordinary mixes are too dense for orchids.
Feeding an orchid for flowers
Use a soluble orchid feed at half the label strength every second watering from March to October, then once a month in winter. A balanced formula works for most homes. Clemson suggests a higher nitrogen feed for bark grown plants and a high phosphorus “bloom” feed for Dendrobium in autumn. Once a month, water with plain water only to wash out salts.
How to make it flower again
Phalaenopsis: when the last flower drops, cut the spike just above the first node below the old flowers if the spike is still green. It may branch and flower again. If the spike turns brown, cut it at the base. NC State extension notes that many larger hybrids need about a week of nights near 13°C in autumn to start a new spike, which on the plains happens naturally in November or December if the plant sits near a window.
Dendrobium: do not cut old canes after flowering; many types flower again from the same canes. Give it bright light and, from November, less water and no feed for about six weeks. That rest helps trigger buds.
Pruning timing matters. Cut too late, after a new spike has already formed, and you may remove next season’s flowers.
How to propagate an orchid
Orchids do not grow from leaf cuttings, and orchid seed needs a sterile lab. What works at home:
- Keiki (baby plant): sometimes a small plant grows on a Phalaenopsis spike or a Dendrobium cane. Wait until it has three or more roots about 5 cm long.
- Cut it off with a clean blade, keeping a little of the stem.
- Pot it in a small 2 to 3 inch pot of fine bark and moss. Water lightly for the first month.
- Dendrobium cane cutting: lay an old leafless cane, cut into pieces of 2 to 3 nodes, on damp moss in a closed clear box in bright shade. Small plants may form at the nodes in a few months. Success is patchy.
- Division: a large Dendrobium can be split at repotting, keeping at least three or four canes per piece.
Yellow leaves, limp roots and pests
| Sign | Likely cause | First response |
|---|---|---|
| One bottom leaf yellows slowly | Normal ageing | Let it drop |
| Several leaves yellow and soft | Rotting roots | Unpot, cut brown mushy roots, fresh bark |
| Wrinkled, limp leaves | Too dry or dead roots | Check roots, then soak |
| White fluff in leaf joints | Mealybugs | Cotton bud with rubbing alcohol |
| Buds fall before opening | Heat, draught, being moved | Steady spot, away from AC |
Mealybugs and scale are the common pests. Wipe them off by hand and repeat weekly. Neem oil spray mixed per its label is a second step. More on this in our guide to mealybugs and other pot pests.
Should you grow orchids at all?
| Your situation | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Karachi, shaded balcony | Plant | Humidity does half the work |
| Lahore or Delhi flat with an east window | Plant | Phalaenopsis reblooms well here |
| Islamabad, cold flat | Maybe | Fine if kept warm in winter |
| Multan rooftop, no indoor light | Skip | Heat and dry air are too much |
Orchids are pot plants only here; do not plant them in the ground. You can browse more flowering plants in Phool aur Paudhe.
NC State lists Phalaenopsis as non-toxic to cats and dogs, but children and pets should still not chew any potting bark or leaves. Feeds and neem products must be kept in their labelled bottles, out of reach. If you use a chemical spray, read the label, wear gloves and a mask, and spray outdoors. A child who swallows plant feed or spray needs a doctor or poison advice straight away.
Orchid care questions people ask
Why is my orchid not flowering?
Usually too little light. Move a Phalaenopsis to an east window and a Dendrobium to a curtained south window, feed through summer, and let it feel cooler nights in autumn.
Can you grow an orchid from a cutting?
Not from a leaf. You can grow new plants from keikis, from Dendrobium cane pieces laid on damp moss, or by dividing a large clump.
Why are my orchid leaves turning yellow?
One old leaf yellowing is normal. Several soft yellow leaves at once usually means rotting roots from water sitting in the pot.
What is the best fertilizer for orchids?
A soluble orchid feed at half strength every second watering in the growing season. Flush with plain water monthly so salts do not build up.
How do I look after an orchid in winter?
Keep it off cold glass at night, water less often, and stop feeding a Dendrobium for its rest. In Lahore and Islamabad keep it indoors from November.
Should I cut the orchid stem after the flowers fall?
On a Phalaenopsis, cut a green spike above the first node below the old flowers, or a brown spike at the base. Leave Dendrobium canes alone.
Can orchids grow in soil?
No. Soil holds too much water and no air, and the roots rot. Use bark with charcoal and perlite.
When should I repot an orchid?
After flowering, when the bark has broken down into crumbs or roots spill out, roughly every two years. February to March suits the plains.