Depending on the conditions, and the species, it can take from as little as 6 months to over 7 years to flower.

Dendrobiums and Phalaenopsis will usually flower earliest at 1 ½ to 2 years and Cattleya 3-5 years. Taking a bit longer are Paphiopedliums (5-7 years) and Vandas at 7 years.

These are only for guidance as there are many variables. Regardless, it will be exciting when it happens!

A mericlone produces exact copies (clones) of the parent plant. Although you can expect all the plants to look like the flower of the parent, sometimes mutations happen in the cloning process. The conditions you grow the plant in will also affect the colour and size of the flowers.

With a cross, no two plants will be the same and they will flower in a range of possibilities coming from the two parents.

Generally, your orchid babies won’t need repotting until the roots have out-grown the pot size (i.e. they are pushing the plant out of the pot or growing out the bottom of the pot) or the mix has started to break down.

Most seedlings will have been repotted recently (you can check the date of the most recent repot on the label).

If you want to repot them into a different mix that better suits how you grow your orchids or you think they need repotting - wait until they have adjusted to your conditions, and are growing new roots before repotting.

Which fertiliser to use, and how often to fertilise depends on the condition of your plant - if it’s growing actively, has good roots and is in ideal conditions (light, temperature, etc) then you can fertilise regularly with a balanced fertiliser, swapping to “flowering” fertiliser when you want to initiate and develop good flowers.

Please note that seedlings should only get ½ strength of mature plants!

Orchid Obsession will provide you with the basic requirements to get your orchid baby off to a good start.

For more detailed information on how to grow your seedling, we suggest you check out the great resources on the Internet, books or join a local orchid club.