How to Care for Orchids Indoors: A Florist’s Guide to Longer-Lasting Blooms

For an indoor moth orchid (Phalaenopsis), give it bright, filtered light, water when the growing mix is approaching dry, and let excess water drain away. Check the mix about once a week; do not water just because the calendar says so.

This guide focuses on Phalaenopsis, also known as moth orchids—the orchids with broad, fleshy leaves and arching stems of white, pink or patterned flowers. Other orchids, including cymbidiums, have different needs. With suitable conditions, moth orchid blooms can last for several months, and the plant can flower again in future.^[1]

First, check what you have: a rooted orchid plant needs potting-mix and root care. A cut orchid bouquet needs vase care instead. You will find a short guide to the difference below.

1. How much light does an orchid need?

Moth orchids prefer bright, filtered light. Keep them close to a bright window without leaving the leaves in strong direct sun, which can scorch them.^[1] A sheer curtain is useful when sunlight reaches the plant.

In a Sydney home, an east-facing window is often a practical starting point. Check the actual light rather than relying on the direction alone: a shaded window and an exposed windowsill can behave very differently. North- and west-facing windows may need extra filtering, particularly in summer.

A dark hallway may look like the perfect display spot, but it is not a good long-term home. Give the plant a bright position between occasions rather than expecting it to thrive in a dim corner.

2. How often should you water an orchid?

Water when the mix below the surface is approaching dry; check about once a week, not on a fixed schedule. Moth orchid roots should not stay soggy or dry out completely.^[1] Bark, moss, pot size and room temperature all affect how quickly a plant uses water.

Before watering, look below the surface where possible. A clear nursery pot makes this easier. Damp mix and condensation suggest there is still moisture inside; a lighter pot and mix that is approaching dry suggest it is time to check more closely. Do not water just because the decorative moss on top looks dry.

A simple watering routine

1. If there is a removable inner pot, gently lift it out of the decorative container.
2. Water the potting mix with tepid water, keeping water out of the centre of the leaves, known as the crown.
3. Allow excess water to drain completely before returning the plant to its display pot.
4. Empty any water left in the saucer or outer container.^[1]

There is no useful one-size-fits-all quantity for every orchid arrangement. A small nursery pot and a multi-plant display can hold very different amounts of moisture.

3. Should orchids sit in water?

No. Moth orchid roots need air as well as moisture. Standing water and persistently wet potting mix can cause root rot.^[1] A glass jar or ceramic vase may be a decorative outer container rather than a draining growing pot.

Check the arrangement before watering. If the plant is fixed into a container without drainage, do not pour water through it as though it were a nursery pot. Ask the florist how the arrangement is constructed and how to remove excess water without disturbing the roots. Do not assume a layer of stones provides drainage.

For a Vhouse orchid arrangement, contact info@vhousemeet.com.au if you are unsure about the container. A photograph of the pot and its base will help explain what you have.

4. What temperature and humidity do orchids prefer?

Moth orchids enjoy a consistently warm room. The Royal Horticultural Society recommends approximately 19–30°C during the day and 16–19°C at night, away from heaters and draughts.^[1] Avoid a cold windowsill at night and direct blasts from an air conditioner.

In dry indoor air, a wide tray of damp gravel can help create a more humid spot around the plant.^[1] Keep the base of the orchid pot above the water. Humidity is not a reason to leave the roots wet, and a humid bathroom is only suitable if it also has enough light.

5. What should you do when the flowers fall off?

When the last bloom drops, keep the plant. The flowering display has finished, but healthy leaves and roots can support another one. Continue providing suitable light and moisture rather than putting the orchid away in a dark room.

• If the flower stem is still green: after all flowers have faded, you can trim it just above a healthy node—the small joint on the stem—to encourage a side shoot. A new shoot is possible, not guaranteed.
• If the stem has turned brown and dry: remove the spent flower stem near its base, taking care not to cut the leaves or roots.^[1]

Use clean, sharp scissors or secateurs. Do not cut off firm aerial roots simply because they grow outside the pot: these are normal for moth orchids.^[1]

6. How to encourage an orchid to flower again

Think of reblooming as a result of good ongoing care, not a quick trick. Start with enough filtered light, healthy roots and appropriate watering.

• Feed lightly during active growth. Use a fertiliser formulated for orchids and follow its label. The RHS recommends watering without fertiliser every fourth watering to flush accumulated salts, and feeding sparingly, if at all, in winter.^[1]
• Consider a slightly cooler position for a mature, healthy plant. A drop of about 5°C for roughly a month may encourage a new flower stem. Keep the plant above 16°C and do not expose it to cold outdoor nights.^[1]
• Refresh old bark mix. Repot when the mix has broken down or the plant has outgrown its container. The RHS advises replacing bark compost after about two years; use a purpose-made orchid mix, not ordinary potting soil.^[1]

Give the plant time. New leaves and roots are useful growth even when there is no flower spike, and no care routine can promise blooms by a particular date.

7. Common orchid-care mistakes

• Watering on a fixed schedule: check the mix first, especially when the season changes.
• Leaving water inside a decorative pot: inspect it after every watering.
• Putting the plant in strong afternoon sun: choose filtered light instead.
• Adding ordinary potting soil: moth orchids need a much airier growing medium.
• Cutting off healthy aerial roots: roots outside the pot are not automatically a problem.
• Discarding the plant after flowering: look at the condition of the leaves and roots, not just the empty stem.

If leaves become limp or yellow, do not automatically add more water. Both dry roots and damaged, waterlogged roots can leave a plant struggling. Check the mix and drainage first; ask for advice if the cause is unclear.

8. Choosing an orchid as a long-lasting gift

A potted orchid suits someone who wants to keep a living plant after the flowers fade. Choose a smaller display for a compact space or a larger arrangement for a more prominent spot. If the recipient would rather have cut stems for a vase, choose a bouquet instead.

Which Vhouse orchid product is right for you?

For a rooted plant display, consider Orchid Garden, Orchid Elegance or Deluxe Orchid Garden. Orchid Delight is a cut-flower bouquet, so the potting, root-care and reblooming advice in this guide does not apply to it.

Potted orchid displays

Orchid Garden

A planted display with two-plant and four-plant options. The current listing pairs the two-plant size with a glass jar and the four-plant size with a ceramic vase; white and hot pink options are listed.^[2]

Orchid Elegance

A four-stem potted orchid display in a clear glass vase, with white and pink options listed.^[5]

Deluxe Orchid Garden

A larger planted display with six- and eight-plant options, white or hot pink colours, and ceramic or metallic gold pots listed.^[3]

A cut orchid bouquet

Orchid Delight

A three-stem seasonal orchid bouquet for a vase. Follow the bouquet’s care instructions; it is cut flowers, not a rooted plant.^[4]

Product options and colours can change. Check the linked product page before ordering, and follow any container-specific care instructions supplied with the arrangement.

A little attention goes a long way

Choose a bright position, check moisture before watering, and never leave the roots sitting in water. Once the blooms fade, keep caring for the plant rather than starting over. Those small habits give your orchid a better chance of staying healthy—and flowering again.