Why We Love Orchids
Whether you’ve donned an orchid lei upon arrival in Hawaii, pinned an orchid boutonniere on your prom date, or clutched a snow-white orchid bouquet as you walked down the aisle, orchids are synonymous with elegance and celebration. You’ll find stunning orchid flowers everywhere you turn. From big box stores to grocery aisles, orchid adoration runs rampant—and today’s reasonable prices make them ideal impulse buys. No longer just a status symbol for royalty and the rich, orchids now grace the dorm rooms of college students, desks of struggling writers, and dining tables of middle-class homeowners. In fact, orchids now outpace the sale of poinsettias. After all, with a little knowledge and TLC, an orchid makes the perfect holiday gift that looks lovely for years.
One of the largest families of flowering plants, with more than 28,000 species and 120,000 hybrids, orchids are found on every continent except Antarctica. Today’s hybrids focus on stunning blooms and easy care, making orchids accessible even for beginner growers.
Many people believe that orchids are difficult to grow and require expert care. However, with a little bit of knowledge and the right approach, anyone can master growing these beautiful flowers. By selecting the appropriate orchid species for your environment and learning a few tips and tricks, you’ll be able to enjoy stunning blooms for many years.
Ubiquitous Beauty, Elegance, and Status with Orchids
Today, finding your favorite orchid is as simple as a Google search or a visit to a local greenhouse. But among the highest echelons of Victorian-era society, orchids served as status symbols. Some of the wealthiest members of society hired flower hunters to search for specimens throughout the world, bringing them home in Wardian cases—decorative sealed glass and frame containers that mimicked tropical conditions for orchid transport over long ocean voyages. In fact, the frenzy to procure the fabulous flowers became a phenomenon known as “orchidelirium.”
Although today’s scientific breakthroughs in breeding and cloning provide orchids for the masses, nefarious orchid-obsessed collectors pay premium prices for the rarest of rare plants, often hiring poachers to procure elusive orchids. Susan Orlean’s best-selling book, The Orchid Thief, provides an in-depth look into the shady world of black-market blooms—and the unscrupulous plant dealers who poach plants for profit. But poachers aren’t the only problem in the orchid world—orchid thieves target many top collections, and even homeowners have found plants stolen from their yards.
But while thieves target rare orchids and collections, you’ll find plenty of beautiful, legal orchids to grow, thanks to today’s breeding and propagating technology.
How to Choose an Orchid
Before you plop that pretty Phalaenopsis next to the broccoli in your grocery cart, take a moment to consider if it’s the best orchid for you. Often orchids found in supermarkets or big box stores may not receive the optimal care required for a healthy plant. Plus, many orchids sold in mass market settings aren’t properly labeled with their botanical name. (How many times have you seen “Houseplant” as the “name” on a plant tag, especially in a grocery store?)
If you need an instant mood booster while you’re shopping for green beans—of course, add the orchid to your cart. But if you’re looking for an orchid to add long-term ambiance to your indoor décor, consider purchasing your plant from a reputable greenhouse or online orchid expert.
Before making your purchase, consider the following:
- Where will you grow it? Some orchids prefer warmer temperatures, while others need a cooler climate to produce blooms.
- How much room do you have? Some orchids produce very tall flower spikes, while others stay nicely compact. Make sure to choose an orchid that fits your space.
- What’s your learning curve? Do you want an easy-peasy plant to boost your orchid-growing confidence, or do you like a bit of a challenge?
- Do you covet fabulous fragrance? Some orchid blooms produce sweet scents, like Cattleya species, others offer no fragrance, such as many common Phalaenopsis, and some, like Bulbophyllum, produce an eye-tearing odor used to attract pollinating insects that thrive on decaying matter. Make sure to do your homework, so you’ll know which orchid will add a delicious fragrance to your home rather than repel guests.
- When would you prefer orchid blooms? Not all orchids flower in the same season. Some orchids bloom during specific times of the year, while others flower randomly throughout the year. Phalaenopsis reblooms easily. Slipper orchids (Paphiopedilum) may only carry one flower per stem, but that flower may last 4 to 5 months—and the plant reblooms without difficulty. Oncostele orchids may flower 2 or 3 times per year, with the blooms lasting 2 to 3 months. A little research before you shop helps you enjoy a long season of orchid blooms.
Find Your Favorite Orchid
With so many gorgeous options, why pick just one orchid variety? Select several, and you’ll enjoy staggered, year-long blooms. Take a little time to research different orchid varieties so that you’ll understand their needs.
- Know your orchid variety. It’s important to know what type of orchid you’re buying so that you can understand its cultural requirements. Some orchids prefer warm temperatures and high humidity. Others need a bit cooler climate. Terrestrial orchids, like Lady’s Slippers, grow with their roots in soil, often in boggy areas or grasslands. However, epiphyte orchids use their fleshy roots to anchor themselves to trees in the wild, absorbing moisture from the air. Knowing how an orchid grows naturally helps you understand how to care for it at home.
- Sympodial versus monopodial orchids. Understanding the orchid’s growth habitat is important. It affects the way the plant grows and flowers, as well as how to propagate the orchid. Sympodial orchids spread by a horizontal rhizome to form clumps of leaves, often with swollen pseudobulbs beneath them that store water. Flowers usually arise from the newest growth, and rhizomes produce fleshy roots. New shoots spread sideways to fill the pot. Monopodial orchids, like Phalaenopsis, produce new leaves from a central crown. The orchid grows upward, rather than spreading outward. Flower stems grow between the leaves.
With thousands of orchids to choose from, some of the most common orchids you’ll find in the market include:
- Phalaenopsis: Also known as the moth orchid, you’ll find this orchid everywhere—grocery stores, big box stores, nurseries, and online. There’s a reason it’s so prevalent: it’s an easy-care plant with stunning, long-lasting blooms, and the reasonable price makes it a great gateway to orchid growing. It grows well in warm environments.
- Cattleya: Known as the “queen of the orchids,” these flowers are often used in corsages.
- Oncidium: Known as “dancing lady” due to the orchid’s many ruffled, long-lasting blooms that rise above the plant, this orchid prefers cooler environments.
- Dendrobium: The most popular orchid used for leis, this large group of orchids is known for many pastel-toned blooms.
- Vanda: Producing stunning flat flowers several times a year, this orchid prefers greenhouse-like conditions for optimal growth.
- Cymbidium: Known as “boat orchid” due to the shape of the lip, this winter-blooming orchid produces flower spikes that can last 1 to 3 months.
- Paphiopedilum: Known as “slipper orchids,” these exotic-looking flowers are favorites among orchid enthusiasts. In this category, there are both warm-growing and cool-growing varieties, so make sure to research which is best for you.
Orchid Vanilla planifolia is one of the primary sources of vanilla flavoring. If you’re looking to grow your own vanilla, it’s a fun project—but be warned.
The vining plant can grow up to 100 feet tall and needs support. The flowers last one day and must be hand-pollinated to produce the beans, which are the source of vanilla flavoring. So, if you have adequate space, ample light, and appreciate a challenge, try growing your own vanilla.
Orchid Growing 101
To keep your new orchid healthy and happy, you’ll need to follow a few basic steps.
First, make sure to understand the key cultural requirements of the orchid you choose. Read the plant tag or search online for the specific orchid’s requirements. While orchids’ needs vary, all orchids require a balance of light, air, water, and food to grow and flower well.
- Light: The biggest mistake new orchid growers make involves thinking that the plants don’t need much light, because they grow on the forest floor in the wild. However, most orchids evolved as epiphytes, clinging to trees by their roots to reach the brighter light in the upper forest canopy. Orchids need bright, indirect light to produce blooms. Place the orchid where it will receive bright light without scorching the leaves. The length of light exposure is more important than the intensity to produce flowers. Aim for 10 to 16 hours of light. Grow lights work well for dark interiors.
- Air: Orchid roots—and eventually, the entire plant—will die if they don’t have access to air. Except for some terrestrial orchids, most orchids do not grow in soil. Orchid potting mix should be coarse and open, providing excellent drainage, but also capable of holding sufficient moisture to support the plant’s growth. Orchids don’t tolerate stale, stagnant environments. Use an overhead paddle fan or oscillating fan directed away from the plant to generate air movement.
- Water: More orchids die a slow death from overwatering than any other reason. Grow orchids in containers with excellent drainage. Water orchids just as they dry out, sticking your finger into the potting mix to check the moisture level. If the mix feels dry, it’s time to water. There’s no schedule or magic formula to tell you when to water, other than observation. Humidity, air movement, potting medium, type of container, and light levels all impact watering needs. Give the orchid a good soak with room temperature water over a sink. Let the water run through the drainage holes. You’ll soak the potting mix, but you’ll also flush salts that accumulate when you water thoroughly over a sink. Never let an orchid sit in the water.
- Fertilizer: Orchids grow and flower for long periods without fertilizer, but some feeding results in stronger, healthier plants. Choose a fertilizer intended for orchids, using ½ label-recommended strength. Orchid fertilizer should not contain urea, because soil organisms must first convert urea to a form usable by plants. Since most orchids don’t grow in soil, the conversion doesn’t occur efficiently and can harm the plant. Typically, orchids are fertilized once a week during summer, and every two weeks in fall and winter. However, make sure to check the recommendations for the orchid variety you’re growing.
An orchid’s visible roots indicate how much moisture it needs.
Dehydrated roots look wrinkled and tan. Dark, mushy roots indicate overwatering—and the roots have begun to rot. Your orchid should sport plump roots that turn green after watering, returning to a silvery-green as they dry off. Remove dead, mushy roots with sharp pruners.
How to Care for Orchids after Blooming—and Prepare Them to Rebloom
When your orchid drops its last flower, don’t chuck it in the compost or trash, as many people do. Instead, trim the flower spike. If it is green, though—wait. It may still push new flowers. To speed up the reblooming process, cut the spike back to one inch above the highest node on the spike. Cut unhealthy, brown spikes all the way back to the base of the plant.
Like all plants, orchids follow cycles. The flowering stage is the reproductive cycle. In the wild, many orchids evolved to increase their chances of pollination. Some sport flowers that mimic other things in the environment, like female pollinating insects, to lure male insects to “mate” with the flowers. Some orchids produce a female pheromone that entices an insect to visit, resulting in pollination. So, while you’re enjoying the unique blooms of your orchid, those flowers serve as species survival in the wild!
Encourage orchids to rebloom by dropping the nighttime temps a bit.
Lowering the nighttime temperature by about 10 degrees Fahrenheit, usually in autumn, often spurs the plant to flower.
To rebloom, orchids need to have a vegetative cycle.
After the flowering cycle, an orchid needs to recover, preparing to rebloom. This is known as the vegetative cycle. Continue to care for your orchid, according to the needs of your variety. Water, feed, and continue to grow the plant in bright light.
And be patient. Some orchids may need 6 to 9 months before they bloom again. But once those gorgeous new blooms appear, you’ll feel like an orchid expert! Soon, you’ll experience your own “orchidelirium,” collecting cultivars to fill your home with beauty.
Organically grown orchids make a tasty treat! Use the edible flowers to dress up salads or add the blooms to decorate desserts.
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1 Comment. Leave new
I have about 20 plants, that i look after. That was a very informative article. Thank you