Most of us are used to seeing orchids in standard plastic pots or maybe mounted on a piece of driftwood. But if you really want to level up your home decor, try arranging these exotic beauties in a transparent glass vase. It’s a total showstopper! Here’s my guide on how to get it right.
Different Ways to Style Your Glass Display
When it comes to growing orchids in glass, you’ve got a couple of great options. You can either go the traditional route with potting media or get creative with decorative accents.
Using Orchid Substrate
Since most orchid varieties are already happy in pots with specialized orchid bark, this is the easiest way to transition them into a glass vase. The big thing to remember? Glass vases don’t have drainage holes. To keep your roots from rotting, start with a layer of expanded clay pebbles (LECA) at the bottom for drainage.
After that, just fill the vase with your orchid substrate and tuck your plant in. It’s pretty much the same process as repotting into a standard pot. You can fill the substrate all the way to the rim or leave some space—it’s totally up to your personal style and how much support the plant needs.
Getting Creative with Decorative Elements
If you want to skip the bark, you can secure your orchid using decorative materials instead. Some of my favorite looks include:
- Mother-of-pearl discs
- Glass beads or marbles
- Sphagnum moss
For this method, leave a little bit of the original substrate around the root ball and wrap it in moss. Place the plant in the vase and gently slide your glass beads or shells into the gaps to hold it steady. You can even top it off with a little extra moss for a clean, finished look.
Caring for Your Glass-Grown Orchids
Even in a fancy vase, watering and fertilizing are still the keys to success. The trick is to pour a little lukewarm water into the glass, let the roots soak it up for a few minutes, and then carefully pour out every last drop. You don’t want standing water at the bottom! To keep the humidity high, give the aerial roots a quick mist with lukewarm, filtered water every now and then.
The Vanda: The Ultimate Glass Vase Orchid
If you’re looking for the perfect candidate for this look, look no further than the Vanda orchid. These guys are naturally “air plants” and don’t need any substrate at all. You can literally just set them inside a tall glass vase! Toss a few glass beads or gel water pearls at the bottom for a pop of color, and use a decorative support stake to keep the plant upright. It looks incredibly modern and chic.
