How to Grow Orchids - A Research Library

Summary: In this article, we have gathered a lot of expert advice on how to grow orchids properly. Enjoy.

Few plants cause as much frustration as the orchid. Many gardeners struggle to grow these beautiful flowers, only to have them wither and die. What’s the magic recipe for success? What does it take to make these plants thrive? Those are some of the questions we will answer in today’s lesson.

We have scoured the Internet (and quite a few plant books) to bring you the following collection of advice. You can refer to any of the sources mentioned below, if you want to learn more.

Please note the websites listed after all quoted sources. These sites are an excellent source of additional information. We encourage you to visit them during the course of your research.

The Many Types of Orchids

The first thing you need to do is choose the type of orchid you want to grow in your home or garden. You have many options to choose from, and the specific plant care may vary from one species to the next.

Here is some information relating to the various types:

• “There are more than 25,000 species … today’s hybrids, which outnumber the species, are easier to grow and better adapted to ordinary home conditions.” -www.argusorchids.net
• “In nature, orchids can be divided into four distinct types according to their growing substrata.” (On trees, on rocks, in the ground, or underground) -www.orchids.org
• Some of the most popular types of orchids grown by gardeners and hobbyist include the following genera: Anguloa, Cattleya, Cymbidium, Laelia, Vanda, Brassia, Bulbophyllum, Miltonia and Phaius.
• “Because their colorful flowers make them a favorite house plant, botanists and orchid enthusiasts commonly discuss types of orchids in terms of their light, water, temperature and nutrition needs as house plants.” -www.greennature.com
• Maxillaria houtteana (or Houtte’s Maxillaria) is fairly easy to grow indoors. It has flowers that are a light-brown / cinnamon color.
• Choosing the right type of orchid is the key to success. These flowers have a reputation for being very hard to grow, but this reputation is largely undeserved. Some species within the family are difficult to care for, but the mast majority will grow well if their basic needs are met.

The Potting Medium

In nature, many of the orchid species do not grow in the ground (though some do). They frequently grow on trees, on rocks, and sometimes even underground. This is one of the things distinguishes them from other home and garden plants. It also has a lot to do with their care requirements, and the type of substrate you use when growing them.

Here are some tips related to the potting media of orchid plants:

• “Many materials can anchor orchid roots while still permitting air to move around them. Ground tree bark and moss are two of the most common.” -www.aboutorchids.com
• “Few orchids live in ‘potting soil’ … Common media include tree fern fibers, blue rock, New Zealand sphagnum moss, coconut fiber, cinders, peat moss, redwood bark chips, fir bark chips and sifted perlite.” -Kent Kobayashi, University of Hawaii
• “Growing media commonly include fir bark, coconut husk, sphagnum moss, tree fern fibers and perlite, and frequently a mixture.” -www.beautifulorchids.com
• “Orchids require a coarse potting material which allows for air circulation and quick drainage. Their roots do not require a moist medium like fibrous rooted houseplants.”  -Dotty Woodson, horticulturist and renowned orchid expert
• “Paphiopedilum, Miltonia, Odontoglossums and Oncidium need to be potted in Fine Orchid Bark Mix. Phalaenopsis, Cattleya, Dendrobium and Vanda should be grown in Medium Orchid Bark Mix.” -www.orchids.com
• “Ready-mix mediums are convenient and easy to use and can be bought at just about any nursery or home center.” -www.dreamorchids.com

Watering Your Orchids

This aspect of orchid care generates a lot of discussion among hobbyists, and a bit of heated debate as well. In truth, there’s not much mystery to the watering needs of individual species. And that’s the key to success — researching the requirements of the specific orchid you are trying to grow.

Here are some tips from experienced growers:

• “Always water early in the day so that your orchids dry out by nighttime … water once a week in winter and twice a week when the weather turns warm and dry.” -www.beautifulorchids.com
• “Be careful with water that was softened [with a salt-based water softener]. Salt adds sodium to the water and, over the long term, this can be deadly to your plants.” -www.orchidsusa.com
• “Beginners will typically water their new orchid and, just hours later, the orchid potting media will look dry again. So they give it a little more water. The cycle continues and they end up over-watering.” -www.orchidlady.com
• “In general, orchids like to be drenched, and then not watered again until they have almost dried out.” -www.dreamorchids.com
• Weekly watering is a good rule of thumb for most orchid species. But the exact frequency will depend on the climate where you live (particularly the temperature and humidity), as well as the species you are trying to grow.
• “Orchid plants require less water when not actively growing (generally winter months) and more while growing (generally spring and summer months).” -www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/kobayashik/orchids.html
• “Orchids love humid substrate and can not stand steady water in the deep of the vase. So never use plates under the vase.” -www.orchidean.com
• “Once or twice a week, check the potting material with a wooden stick (long toothpick, skewer or chopstick). If the stick indicates the potting material is dry, it’s time to water.” -www.pvorchids.com
• Remember, most of these tips are general in nature, meaning that they apply to most orchid species. As you continue your research, you need to learn how to grow the types of orchids you keep.

Sunlight / Lighting

Nearly all plant need some form of light to grow successfully, and orchids are no exception to that. As with everything else, the key here is to find the right balance. Too much direct sunlight can kill your prized plants, and the same goes for inadequate lighting.

Here is some expert advice to help you shed light on the subject:

• “Very few orchids will tolerate direct sunlight, except maybe for an hour or too after sunrise and an hour or two before sunset.” -www.orchidsusa.com
• “[During the growing season] most orchids need at least as much light as is found under the shade of a large tree in direct sun, with absolutely no direct sun.” - www.rv-orchidworks.com
• “Orchids are variable in their light requirements depending on genera and variety … light shade is needed for varieties like VANDA, CYMBIDIUM, RENANTHERA … medium shade is required for varieties like CATTLEYA, DENDROBIUM, most EPIDENDRUM.” -www.orchidsbyhausermann.com
• “Dark green leaves indicate that a plant is getting insufficient light, and yellowish-green or red leaves indicate that a plant is getting too much light.” -www.beautifulorchids.com
• “In general, orchids do well in half-shadow: under trees, under wooden stripes or even in verandas or window of an apartment where direct sun does not happen.” -www.orchidean.com
• “Plants that have long, slender leaves have the greatest need for light and should be placed in an area of strong light … if the leaves are wider, the orchid will tolerate less light and may even like a shady spot.” -www.dreamorchids.com

Orchids are different from most plants homeowners are used to. They generally don’t grow in soil, as most other plants and flowers do. This is the biggest difference, but certainly not the only one. To figure out how to grow orchids successfully, you need to gather advice that’s specific to your particular species. Once you do this (keeping in mind the things that orchids unique), you’ll have a much easier time growing your plants. I hope this collection of tips has pointed you in the right direction. Good luck.