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Orchids Made Easy

You may have seen them in the flower shop and thought they were beyond your gardening ability. Georgia Raimondi, author of The Passionate Gardener, has some pointers for successfully growing orchids for people without a green thumb.


Because they are so different from other plants, some people are afraid to grow orchids, but many will bloom successfully in any home and the blossoms will last from 3 weeks to 2 months.

Containers and Potting Mediumscolor>
Orchids are most often grown in plastic pots. They are inexpensive, lightweight, and retain moisture and absorb no toxic salts.

It is especially important to use plastic pots for orchids if you have hard water. The salts in hard water can accumulate in the walls of pots made of organic material and burn the roots of the plant.

One of the most popular orchid-planting materials is fur bark. It is inexpensive, easy to handle and supplies the right combination of air and water to the roots. Although it can be used on its own, many orchid growers add perlite or peat moss to increase water retention.

Wateringcolor>
Over-watering is the most common cause of death in orchid plants. Some types of orchids require more water that others, but the plant medium should never be soggy. To test for dryness, insert a freshly sharpened pencil point into the medium and twist a few times. If the wood around the lead is damp you do not need to water.

As a general rule, adult plants growing in plastic pots with bark mix should be watered weekly with room temperature or lukewarm water. Extremely hot or cold water can shock the plant.

Water the potting mix and not the leaves. Water resting on the leaves can allow bacterial rot to grow and can kill the plant.

Orchids thrive in humid environments. To keep plants from drying out and to raise humidity, grow the plants on watertight trays or saucers filled with water and gravel. Keep the water level in the trays within an inch of the surface. This keeps the gravel moist, but keeps the water from saturating the bottom of the pots.

Plants are humidifiers, group your plants together to create an attractive display and at the same time create a humid microclimate.

If the air in the home is dry, mist the leaves and buds once a day, making sure not mist the open flowers.

Lightcolor>
Like most flowering plants, orchids often grow best in as much light as they can tolerate without scorching. Do not expose orchids to direct midday sunlight as the leaves will burn and flowers will wilt. Six hours of diffused sunlight is best.

Remove the plants from bright light once the flowers have opened. Direct light can make the flowers fade.

Temperaturecolor>
Orchids need a day-night temperature fluctuation of 10 to 15 degrees or the plants may refuse to flower. A temperaturrange between 65 to 80 degrees during the day and 55 to 65 degrees at night will keep the blooms fresh the longest.

Keep the orchids away from drafts and heating and cooling units that can cause the buds or flowers to dry out.

Fertilizercolor>
Water plants immediately before fertilizing to wet the roots and prevent root injury from the salts in the fertilizer. Use only half of the recommended strength indicated on the fertilizer box and fertilize three out of every four times you water.

If the tips of the leaves turn black and dry, you are over-fertilizing. Pour plenty of water through the potting medium to flush out the excess fertilizer.

Supportcolor>
Top heavy orchids need to be supported with a stake to keep them from toppling. Use curly willow or bamboo as a stake and tie the plant to it with raffia.

Popular Orchids for the Home color>

  • Phalaenopses: They are among the easiest to grow at home, preferring low light and warm environments where the temperature does not drop below 55 degrees.
  • Cattleyas: Widely know as the "corsage orchid," medium to bright light is essential for these orchids to flower.
  • Oncidiums:Also known as "dancing ladies" they grow three-inch spikes that have dozens of smaller flowers. They like dry periods between soakings of the roots.
  • Paphiopedilums: These orchids do not like intense light and prefer moist roots. Blooms will last from four to six weeks.
  • Vandas: They do best when planted in hardwood baskets where they can attach their thick roots. Vandas need to be misted everyday.

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