You like
orchids and for quite some time you are considering the option to grow
a few in your place. BUT, you don’t have “green fingers” and you are
afraid you may fail. Lack of confidence influences you in a negative
way. You worry for nothing. In nature, most orchids grow like weeds. In
fact, many species are considered to be “weeds” in some countries.
Orchid
lovers and growers are divided between those who express the view that
orchids are easy to grow and those who oppose that view and believe
that Orchids are difficult to grow outside a greenhouse or other
suitable facilities. The truth is in-between.
There
are many popular, easy-to-grow orchids that adapt to a variety of
temperatures and light conditions.
Orchids
grow wild in some of the coldest inhabited and un-inhabited places on
earth, as well as in tropical countries. Hundreds of genera and 10's of
thousands of species exist around the world. You can be assured that
there are orchids that can grow successfully in your area. New hybrids
not only produce beautiful, lasting flowers, but also tolerate a wide
range of growing conditions.
In the
wild, orchids attach themselves to the sides of trees and tree
branches, adapt and learn to survive when rain is scarce, accumulating
water in pseudo-bulbs, thick roots, leaves, and stems
To grow
orchids successfully remember the five basic requirements: Air
Circulation - Light - Temperature – Humidity – Nourishment.
Air
Circulation. Good air circulation keeps bacterial and
fungal diseases under control and reduces the risk of infections.
Light:
Many orchids tolerate full sun; however, growers cannot reproduce their
natural environment, and therefore it is best to keep them protected.
Most plants require “filtered sunlight”. Some orchids tolerate morning
or afternoon sun for a few hours.
Worry when
you see an Orchid plant with beautiful, glossy dark green leaves,
because these plants are not as healthy as you may think. The
attractive green colours are telling you: "HEY, You keep us in the
dark, please let us have more light”. Plants with nice green
leaves do not flower very often. "Yellow" leaves, unless there is a
problem or deficiency of some sort, tell you the opposite, the plant
can do with less light. Too much direct light causes leaves to sunburn.
The
right amount of Light enhances flowering potential. Less light prevents
orchids from flowering
Temperature: Orchids are usually classified as warm
growing, intermediate, and cool growing with regard to their
temperature needs; however, in nature many orchids experience
substantial day/night temperature differences. Manipulating
temperatures, especially in autumn and winter, helps to induce orchids
to set flower buds more readily.
Humidity:
Good humidity around orchids will result in better plants and
flowering.
Water:
Orchids can and are equipped to withstand periods of drought. Nothing
kills orchids faster than too much water, especially if it is stagnant
(water-logged pots). Lack of oxygen will suffocate the the roots and
the roots will rot.
Nourishment: Orchids do not
require great amounts of fertilizer. As epiphytes, orchids absorb water
and nutrients from the air and rain, and from whatever drips down the
tree. To maintain healthy plants that bloom on a regular basis use
commercially available for orchids fertilizers.
Choose
easy to grow orchids that can grow in your area. The reward: beautiful
flowers every year.
The
basic steps to become a successful grower are:
1. Establish contacts with the
outside world: Clubs:
In most
English speaking or European countries, you will find an Orchid Club
with monthly meetings. Sadly, in some countries, Orchid-clubs exists in
name only and are managed by the State Government.
What does
an Orchid Club do or can do for you?
* Club Members meet regularly, at least once a month.
* Clubs invite “guest speakers” to talk about specific issues i.e.
diseases, cultural issues, national or international shows.
* Some clubs have meetings for novices, to discuss cultural issues,
exchange views and experience.
* Clubs occasionally organize day trips, visits to other successful and
experienced growers, nurseries, shows, or observe orchids in their
natural habitat.
* Most clubs run an in-house competition that last year. In meetings
members table their orchids, the orchids are judged, and the winning
plants receive points. At the end of the year, the overall winners
(owners of the plants) are announce and receive a price.
* Most Clubs welcome visitors.
Orchid
nurseries: Orchid nurseries specialize in
growing and selling orchids. I have seen orchid nurseries in Holland
with many hundreds of thousands of plants, ready to sell. Employees can
and do give reliable advice. Many nurseries also have “exotic” lines
for the experienced growers.
2. Management issues:
a). Water and fertilize your plants according to their requirement,
either early in the morning or late afternoon.
Seasons,
day temperatures and humidity and the potting mix used, determine the
frequency of watering and amount of water to be used. You may water
certain plans once a week in winter, but is summer, the same plants may
require watering 2-3 times a day. There shouldn't be any moisture on
the leaves or stems during a "warm" day. (That's why you need good air
circulation). The presence of water on leaves or stems during a warm
day can be fatal. It can burn the plant or parts of the plant or assist
in the establishment of bacterial or fungal disease.
b). Orchids flower best when the plants are happy. Sufficient light,
day and night temperatures, nutrients and moisture bring happiness and
flowers.
c). Check your plants daily for pests, diseases and injuries. You can
control many pests by "removing" ants from the area you keep your
orchids. Protect useful predatory insects, like praying mantis,
spiders, lady beetles, certain wasps, etc... You always need them.
d). From time to time, orchids require re-potting. Always use a clean
new one size larger pots and a new potting mix. Do not forget to add
some charcoal. Many growers, including experts, re-pot plants when they
notice a “smell” coming from the old potting mix. Please, take time and
think about it. Organic matter only smells if it rots and it rots when
it is diseased with bacteria. Fungal diseases have no smell, only
bacterial diseases smell. If the potting mix smells, than you should
seriously consider if you should keep the plant. If you do keep the
plant, make sure you dip it in a good bactericide/fungicide solution a
few times and let it dry before re-potting. Keep spraying the plant
with a good systemic bactericide.
Off
course, there are also Terrestrial orchids, not covered here.