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| At this time of
year, many people start hungering for the fresh colours and scents of
the great outdoors. If you’re tired of the usual narcissus that
you’ve had blooming since Christmas, it may be time to try your
hand at growing orchids indoors. |
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| Orchids have a
reputation for being difficult to cultivate, but with a little
knowledge, you’ll find you can keep one alive fairly easily, as
long as you give the plant what it wants and needs. And you don’t
need a privately-endowed trust fund for the plants either. Today
you can buy orchids at many discount home or gardening stores for
not much more than other flowering houseplants. |
| Not
only are these flowers beautiful, coming in a great variety of
colours, shapes and scents, but the plants themselves seem
otherworldly. Most people wonder, “How can I possibly grow this
plant in a pot, when in nature it grows hanging off a tree
branch?” |
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| The
reason you can is that most popular cultivated orchids are
epiphytes, or air plants, which most often grow on trees or the
surfaces of rocks. Their roots are usually exposed to air and get
nutrients chiefly when it rains. As a result, these varieties are
not grown in soil: they should be grown in pots full of tree bark,
crumbled charcoal, or even pebbles. (If you have a humid greenhouse,
you can grow them attached to wood or cork plaques, but don’t try
this in your windowsill just yet!) |
| There
are many popular types of orchid, including cattleyas,
dendrobiums, oncidiums and vandas. Phalaenopsis,
which is popularly known as the “moth orchid,” are commonly
recommended for most beginners. As testament to the great variety of
orchids, there are over 70 species in the genus, and there are
probably several thousand named hybrids. Currently this is the
easiest one to find at the florist shop, the greenhouse, or the
plant fair, and the one that most people immediately recognise as an
orchid. |
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First, when
choosing an individual plant, look for clean, shiny leaves,
and don’t worry if you see some roots out of the mix; the
roots like being exposed to the air, and should look healthy
and plump, not broken-up and spindly.
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| Next, it is always best
to buy a plant already in flower so you see what you are
getting — this way you’ll see the color and you’ll
verify that you have a healthy, mature plant capable of having
flowers.
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| Once you get the
plant home, you want to make sure your phalaenopsis is happy with
the amount of light it’s getting. Too much light, and the leaves
will turn yellow; too little, and the leaves will be dark green, and
the plant itself will start looking scrawny and won’t flower.
Phals prefer medium amounts of not-too-bright sunshine, as found in
most east- or west-facing windows. |
| When Europeans
first began cultivating orchids, they thought that because orchids
were native to hot, humid climates, they had to have round-the-clock
heat and humidity. In reality, like many other popular orchids,
phalaenopses are rather ideally suited to a bright window in a home
in a temperate climate; they like daytime temperatures of about 80
degrees F, and nighttime temperatures of about 60 degrees. It’s
the change in temperature that’s crucial for successfully growing
most orchids; if there isn’t enough of a temperature drop at
night, the orchids may not bloom. |
| While
phalaenopses don’t need lots of heat, they do need a level
of humidity that isn’t found in most homes outside of a
rainforest. To supplement the humidity in your home, you can
use a room humidifier, or a smaller humidifier that will just
keep the area around the plants moist. Also, many indoor
growers keep their orchids above a “humidity tray” instead
of using saucers under the pots. The runoff from watering your
plants goes into the tray and evaporates, providing extra
humidity.
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| Try to keep your
phalaenopsis watered. Don’t let the potting medium dry out
completely, but water the plant whenever the medium gets to the
point of being only slightly damp. That said, one of the most common
ways of killing an orchid is by overwatering. To prevent this, check
the weight of the pot every day. Right after you water, the pot
should be heavy; when dry, the pot will be light. Note how long it
takes for the pot to become dry and then water every few days as
necessary. Small pots will dry out faster than larger ones. Since
most home windowsills are not very humid, you should use plastic
pots, which help retain moisture. |
| Most commercial potting medium is made of tree bark mixed
with charcoal and perlite chunks. If it turns out you suffer from
the common inclination to overwater, you should use a coarser grade
of mix when you repot. Overwatering will eventually kill your plant,
since the roots will be robbed of the air they need. |
| Use houseplant food with a “balanced” ratio of 18
nitrogen, 18 phosphorous and 18 potassium, or any similar formula.
Only use about ½ to ¼ the amount per gallon that is recommended on
the package, since orchids don’t need as much of this food as
other plants who are fed with this 18-18-18 mix. |
| If just a lone orchid sitting in the window isn’t
decorative enough for you, put the pot in a pretty cachepot or
jardiniere to add visual interest. Always use a waterproof
container! And make sure to put at least an inch of pebbles in the
bottom so the plant won’t sit in water. (Better yet, take the
plant and pot out of the decorative container when you water, and
put it back after it has drained.) |
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Orchids grow
well with other houseplants. Also, grouping plants
attractively in the window has an unexpected benefit: extra
humidity for the orchids! |
| Since orchids
flower in a variety of colors, you’re sure to find a variety
you can grow with a bloom that can complement the other
accessories in your home. |
| Not only are
orchids a lovely way to add color to your home, but they also have a
fascinating history. Starting about 4,000 years ago, the Chinese
word for orchids--“lan”-- appeared in written texts about herbal
medicine. Confucius wrote about orchids, comparing the pleasure of
seeing good friends to entering a room full of fragrant orchids.
Meanwhile, in Europe native terrestrial orchids were used as
aphrodisiacs. |
| The 19th
century European frenzy of exploration, combined with the growing
Western interest in tropical orchids, drove orchid prices up and
drove many people to explore the tropics to collect more of the
exotic plants. Unfortunately, this collecting spree led to
considerable orchid habitat destruction, and many species were
probably lost forever as a result. Today, many orchidists, including
the American Orchid Society, advocate the purchase of artificially
propagated orchids, either meristem clones or seedlings, which will
help discourage the collecting of orchid species at home and abroad. |
| The family of orchids is the largest plant family, with a
great deal of variety as well, from miniatures such as Mystacidium
caffrum to the 20-foot-tall Renanthera storei. Some
orchids have tiny blooms smaller than a pinhead; others are bigger
than an Easter lily. Some orchids bloom continuously, others bloom
just once a year. Orchids are beautiful, interesting plants that are
sure to enrich your life and bring a little tropical warmth into
your winter home. |
| by Sarah Van Arsdale |
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| Lets
Go Gardening and Sheffield education wishes to thank Elena
Andrews Gaillard, former President of the Manhattan Orchid Society
for her help in preparing this
article. |
| Visit
the site by clicking here:
http://www.sheffield.edu |
| Copyright ©
Sheffield School of Interior Design |
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|
RHS
London Orchid Show |
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This spring the
RHS London Orchid Show heats up the capital once again as it
returns with a selection of the most beautiful, rare and exotic
orchids in the world at the RHS Lawrence Hall, Westminster. |
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On Saturday 15
and Sunday 16 March 2008
visitors can discover and buy orchids from the experts at one of
the world’s longest running orchid shows. Exhibitors from as
far afield as Taiwan, Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil are
unveiling new orchids, as well as returning with old favourites.
From the elegant to the exquisite there are thousands of orchids
to choose from, with a plant to suit every budget. |
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