Book review: How to Keep This Alive Orchids

Julianne Robertson has written a practical and engaging guide to keeping alive one of the most commonly gifted houseplants. The Phalaenopsis, or moth orchid, often arrives in a ceramic pot from M&S and is a familiar present for a loved one.

Once home, however, orchids can prove fussy and fleeting. Overwatering is usually the culprit. Robertson’s tone is flippant and funny — she warns, for example, that scuba diving with your plant is ill-advised. Her key tip is simple: if the roots are brown rather than white, they are too wet. Misting, ideally with rainwater, can help recreate the humid conditions orchids enjoy.

Bright sunlight is a mistake. Think instead of the plant’s natural habitat: growing on trees, beneath dappled shade. Feeding is also important, as the open bark orchids are planted in contains few nutrients, so orchid fertiliser or general houseplant food is recommended.

Mealybugs are a common pest. They can be picked off by hand, sprayed with water, dabbed with alcohol on a cotton bud, or tackled with predatory insects. To encourage reblooming, shorten the spent flower spike back to a nodule, and repot every two years.

The “how not to kill” genre has flourished since the gardening boom of 2020, and this is a confident and welcome addition.