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Where to put this plant

shazza 3shazza 3 Posts: 197
in Plants
Good afternoon. I was given this houseplant recently by colleagues at work as a retirement gift. The instructions that came with it say to put it somewhere well lit but away from direct sunlight. At the moment it's sitting on my unit in the lounge. The light comes from both sides but it's not in direct light. During the summer months I'm hoping that it will be fine but I'm worried about lower light levels during the winter. I don't know if there's enough light where it is. All my windows are larger than average so all the rooms are really bright. I'll try to post a few pictures. Thanks
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  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,614
    It's a moth orchid,out of direct sunlight,not light
  • shazza 3shazza 3 Posts: 197
    Right. So will it be fine where it is now ??
  • sjb_csjb_c Posts: 41
    I keep my phalaenopsis orchid on an east facing windowsill all year round and it does fine - I only move it on the rare occasions it gets too hot in summer.  If I were you I'd move it to a brighter spot which is out of scorching sunlight.  Bright rooms are good, so coffee table, side table, windowsill (out of the brightest sun) will be fine
  • didywdidyw Posts: 3,210
    Happy retirement!
    Gardening in East Suffolk on dry sandy soil.
  • shazza 3shazza 3 Posts: 197
    I'm going to have to work out which way the kitchen window faces if the plant can't stay where it is now. The majority of my windows get full sun and only one doesn't which is in the kitchen but I'm not sure if that's also too bright. Thanks anyway for the reply
  • shazza 3shazza 3 Posts: 197
    Thank you ☺️
  • shazza 3shazza 3 Posts: 197
    i have another question about the plant. on the RHS website it tells you that the roots need light. the plant came in a clear plastic pot and you can see the roots and you can tell whether it is damp enough. if i repot it, does it still need to be in a clear pot ??? i'm confused now !!!  thanks
  • B3B3 Posts: 26,546
    To confuse you further, blue is not a natural colour for orchids. It has been dyed. So don't be too disappointed when any new flowers turn out to be a different colour.
    When the top 1-2 inches is dry, I give it some water. It will drain quite quickly. Empty the saucer straight away.
    My clear pot is in a container so the roots don't get any light-apart from the ones poking through the top. It does ok and flowers, but someone else will need to tell us if they'd do better with light.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • shazza 3shazza 3 Posts: 197
    oh dear !!! This is the most complicated plant that i've ever had !!!  I have let the water drain away as directed on the label that came with it. i'm still not sure where to put it permanently yet. think i need to get a compass app on my phone to work out which was the windows face. at the moment, it's raining so it's not as bright as it was so i can leave the plant where it is for now. thanks anyway
  • msqingxiaomsqingxiao Posts: 480
    I kept my orchids in home-made clear pots (cut halfway off a big coke bottle and drilled holes in the bottom), then put in a clear plastic box (the ones mushrooms come in with from supermarkets) to catch the drained water. Water once every week. It doesn't look the most aesthetic but the orchids have been pretty happy over the years and flower almost all the time. 

    Don't put them in direct sunlight. Somewhere right next to that door in your photo, or a similar location with light, would be good. 
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