How the Colder Weather Impacts Phalaenopsis Orchid Care

As the seasons change, you may need to make a few tweaks to your Phalaenopsis orchid care routine to ensure your plant stays healthy and thriving. Even though your indoor environment is likely fairly regulated year round, outdoor changes can affect your orchid’s needs, especially as the weather gets colder outside. Luckily, with just a few small changes and precautions, your plant will be able to “weather” (pun intended!) all four seasons with ease.

Here are three key care tips to help your orchid transition from the warm, humid days of summer, to the colder, drier days of fall and winter:

1. Watch out for drafts

Since consistent warmer temperatures are key for the health of your Phalaenopsis orchid, it’s important to pay attention to the draft patterns of your home — especially how they change with the seasons. While placing your orchid in an entryway may have been perfectly safe during the warmer months, exposing your plant to bursts of cold air when the door opens in the winter could become problematic. The same goes for drafty windows, unsealed chimneys or any other area of your home where unwanted cold air tends to seep in.

These sudden changes in temperature can result in bud blast, causing your orchid to prematurely lose its buds before they even have the chance to open into beautiful flowers.To prevent draft patterns from negatively affecting your plant, make sure you locate it in an area that stays within the healthy 65-80 degree F temperature range, without any risk of cold air bursts.

2. Double-check humidity

Winter air tends to be naturally drier than summer air — and having the heat on in your home is likely to reduce humidity even more. Since orchids thrive in high humidity levels between 55 and 75 percent, you may need to take steps to increase the humidity in your orchid’s environment during the colder months. You could use a humidifier in the room with your orchid for a few hours each day, mist the leaves every day or create a humidifier tray. Some people move their orchid to the bathroom during colder months and let the humidity from the shower do the trick — just make sure your bathroom receives enough natural light that this won’t cause problems.

3. Be mindful of light

And speaking of natural light, since colder months tend to be less sunny in general, take special care to ensure your orchid is receiving enough indirect natural light. If you notice an area of your home gets better light than where you have your plant positioned, it might be worth considering relocating.

Just remember: colder weather doesn’t have to spell disaster for the health of your orchid. With a few precautions, you can keep your plant healthy all year long.

For more Phalaenopsis orchid care tips, check out this essential winter orchid care guide.