Orchids are my favourite houseplants due to their intricate flowers, but I have never been able to keep one alive for longer than a week. I consider myself a pretty good houseplant owner, but no matter what I did, my orchids always seemed to wilt, and their flowers would start dropping off.
After accidentally killing three orchids over the years, I nearly gave up on owning one, but recently I discovered they should never be placed next to a fruit bowl. I have always kept my orchids in my kitchen as I know tropical plants love the humidity leftover from cooking, but it can be the worst place to keep them in your home if you buy bananas.
It might sound odd, but bananas produce an invisible substance called ethylene gas, which helps the fruit ripen so it becomes softer and more flavourful.
However, ethylene gas can shorten the lifespan of plants, and orchids in particular are extremely sensitive to it.
If you keep orchids next to a fruit bowl, it will quickly cause the orchids to grow smaller flowers, begin to wilt, and then it will eventually die off.
I had no idea until I was visiting a friend and saw she had removed her fruit bowl from the kitchen before watering her plants at the sink, as even a small amount of ethylene can damage orchids.
Bananas are the worst culprits as they produce a high amount of ethylene, but avocados, apples, peaches, pears and melons can also harm your orchids.
Only a few days after learning about this, I spotted an orchid on sale and decided to keep it somewhere else in my home to see if I could actually keep one alive.
Too much sunlight can harm orchids as they grow on rainforest floors, so they need to be placed near a window but not directly on a window sill.
It is also best to keep them near an east—or south-facing window in your home if you can, as this will receive a lot of gentle sunlight in the morning while providing more shelter from the harsher afternoon sun.
I decided to place my new orchid on a small table in my bedroom, and it has now been over eight weeks, which means it is now the longest-living orchid I have ever owned.
I cannot believe that something so simple was killing my orchids, but now I make sure not to keep any beloved houseplants in my kitchen to keep them safe and healthy.