Ludisia discolor orchid ( 2 shoots )

Top Tips & Info

• Care Difficulty – Very Easy
• Situate in a bright, indirect location that’s away from the sun or operating heat sources. As Jewel Orchids grow terrestrially along the floor in the wild, they can be accepted as a shade-tolerant plant.
• Avoid persistent droughts and the use of cold water, especially while it’s in bloom.
• Keep the soil evenly moist, allowing the top third to dry out in between waters.
• Supplement with a houseplant-labelled fertiliser every two or four weeks depending on the season.
• ‘Dormancy Care & Annual Bloom’ will talk about acing its dormancy period for achieving flowers each winter.
• Repot every three years in spring, using a houseplant compost and the next sized pot.
• Keep an eye out for mealybugs that’ll infest the cubbyholes of the stem and leaves with white cottony webs.

Location & Light 

Anywhere that has an absence of direct sunlight is perfect for this species. Darker settings are tolerable as naturally, they’ll grow along the dense jungle floor in South-East Asia. If you’re worried about its location being too dark, if a newspaper can be read while having your back towards the light source, you’re good to go.

In terms of the ideal room around the house, as long as the desired location is above 15ºC (59ºF) and is at least four metres away from an operating heat source, it should be fine. Never place it in more than an hour of direct sunlight as irreversible damage may occur, in the likes of yellow, mottled leaves.

Water 

Jewel Orchids love moist conditions. Once the top third of the soil has dried out, give it another soak of water, allowing the excess moisture to drain from the pot freely. Whilst in bloom, it’s important not to use cold water as this could shock the roots, causing multiple issues down the line. Under-watering symptoms include rapid flower loss and dry, sunken leaves; these issues are usually due to either forgetfulness, too much sunlight or too much heat. Over-watering symptoms include rotting lower leaves, yellowing leaves, a loss of buds or flowers, and root rot. Allow the majority of the soil to dry out in between waters, preventing a pool of standing water from accumulating beneath the pot.

Humidity 

Average room humidity is more than enough to occupy a Jewel Orchid, as too high humidity and poor air circulation will result in powdery mildew. Do not mist the flowers as it’ll cause botrytis petal blight that can spread quickly. If you’re feeling extra, introduce a pebble tray to maintain a reliable level of surrounding moisture; however, this isn’t a necessity.

Fertilisation – 

Use a fertiliser high in potassium to prolong its blooms during the flowering period – an excellent example would be a Tomato Feed. Regular houseplant fertilisers, for instance, BabyBio or Miracle-Gro, will still do the job but will favour foliar growth as well. Reduce this to monthly intervals during the dormancy period, except for when it’s in bloom in the winter.