I bought the most beautiful orchid I have ever seen and I was wondering how to best take care of it?

When I got one the instructions were to put it in one place and not move it or turn it. To water, you should put 4 or 5 ice cubes in it every few days.

I’ve known people who successfully use the ice cube method. I think it’s just a short cut to keep droplets from getting into the creases of the leaves and causing crown rot, but it’s not an ideal one. Orchids like their water to be room temp. I just get a decent trickle of water going from my kitchen tap and allow it to drain through the container while I hold the pot under the stream for a few minutes, once every two weeks. If you do get droplets on the leaves, it’s very important to dab them off with a paper towel. After watering, make sure the container drains as thoroughly as possible, to avoid root rot. I press a paper towel to the hole in the bottom.

Mine has never minded being moved, and I turn it every few days to get even light. Don’t give orchids direct light; it freaks them out. They love strong indirect light, though. East-facing windows are best, but north or south are ok too if you’re careful about positioning.

I’m not advanced enough to teach you about feeding or transplanting – eagerly awaiting further answers for these tips. I think I need to transplant mine soon, and I haven’t fed it since I got it last year. I have also read that they like being misted, but I’ve always been too afraid of potential crown rot from accumulation in the leaf creases to try – does anyone know about how best to mist?

@Adirondackwannabe: Given all the snow I have been staring at, I would love to see a photo of the most beautiful orchid you have ever seen.

Give it a comfortable home with a lot of indirect sunlight. Water it once a week. Feed it with fertilizer every other week or so. Don’t worry if the blooms fall off. If the plant stays healthy, eventually it will bloom again.

Is it a phalaenopsis orchid? If so, this site has some good info.

Check this out if its a cymbidium orchid.

Previous job of mine had a massive greenhouse and I photographed both of them a lot.
Here’s a shot of a phalaenopsis.

Good luck with it.

@gailcalled Here is an example from cookieman’s site. The plant I have has 10 blooms and 15 buds coming.

https://www.orchidweb.com/products/orchid-gift-bundle-candy-stripe-yellow-orange-phalaenopsis~2873.html

@Adirondackwannabe: Thank you. Same coloration? My sister has one in pink that is also beautiful and I have seen them in yellow. Normally I am not an impulse buyer, but in this case I am tempted.

My sister’s has been in blooming health for several years in very bright indirect light and coolish temps. I’ll ask her what she does for maintenance. It does sit on a kitchen counter next to the stove, where my sis sautés vegetables daily in oil. The orchid doesn’t seem to mind.

Yes, the same coloration. The yellow is a little more pronounced than the picture, but everything else is the same. This one is sitting on a south facing window with a light curtain on it. It seems to like it there. It’s still blooming.

@Adirondackwannabe: “Candy Stripe Yellow & Orange” – Great name too.

@cookieman I wasn’t a big fan of orchids, but someone mentioned it was their favorite flower, so I looked into it. They are beautiful.