Growing Orchids

A good way to begin any new project is by learning the language associated with it, and growing orchids is no exception. Once you've mastered -- or at least had a look at -- this orchid vocabulary, you should feel more confident discussing your new plants, and you'll be better able to follow the instructions this article will present.

Get inspired! Beautiful blooms like this fire coral dendrobium orchid await when you begin your orchid-growing adventures.

AERIAL ROOT: an orchid root high on the plant stem or growing outside the pot.

ANTHER: the part of the flower that carries the pollen.

BACK BULB: an old pseudobulb, often without leaves, that can be encouraged to start growing again.

BOTANICALS: the name used for orchids species not too well known and not commercially grown for cut flowers.

BRACT: a modified leaf or leaves, often very colorful, that grows around flowers or stems in bromeliads.

CLONE: an individual plant and all its offspring that are reproduced by cuttings and by division rather than from seed.

COLUMN: the reproductive organ unique in the orchid family that contains both female and male parts.

DECIDUOUS: the losing of leaves at certain periods.

EPIPHYTE: a non-parasitic plant that grows perched high in the air or on other plants -- such as an orchid; roots are used for attaching the plant to a surface.

GENUS: a grouping of distinct but closely related species (plural is genera).

INFLORESCENCE: the flowering part of the plant.

KEIKI: an orchid offset; the Hawaiian word for baby.

LABELLUM: the orchid lip.

LEAD: the growth on sympodial orchids.

LIP or LABELLUM: a modified petal. In orchids, it is usually different from the other two petals.

MERISTEM: actively growing tissue in plants, usually at the tip of a stem or a root.

MONOCOTYLEDON: a plant that has only one seed leaf, such as bromeliads, orchids, and corn, rather than two, as in cabbages, roses, and beans.

MONOPODIAL: a form of growth in orchids where the plant keeps growing from the tip; hard to divide.

OSMUNDA: the fibrous roots of osmunda ferns; used for potting bromeliads and orchids.

PETAL: the flower parts, often brightly colored, that are inside the sepals.

PISTIL: the seed-bearing organ of the flower.

PSEUDOBULB: a thickened bulblike stem.

PUP: a bromeliad offset.

RHIZOME: the horizontal, modified, rootlike stem.

SCAPE: a stalk that comes up from the ground and has no true leaves.

SEPAL: a part of the flower envelope; the outside of the flower.

SPECIES: a subdivision of genus. Plants in the same species have the same distinctive characteristics (plural is species).

SYMPODIAL: a form of growth in orchids where the plant produces new shoots that grow up from the root-bearing steam; easy to divide (see drawing at right).

TERETE LEAVES: the leaves that are circular in cross section.

TERRESTRIAL: a plant that naturally grows in the ground. In bromeliads and orchids, these plants have well-developed root systems.

VELAMEN: a thick, corky layer of cells that covers aerial roots and is able to condense moisture and absorb it.

Rather than commit all these terms to memory, keep this page bookmarked for handy reference and continue to the next page to learn about the temperatures orchids like to live in.

Check these resources to find more ideas and information on placing plants around your house:

• Gardening: Whether it's vegetables, flowers, or foliage you're considering, the facts you'll need are here. Learn all the basics of successful gardening.
• House Plants: Wondering what might look nice in your kitchen window? Find out which plants are happiest inside the house.

There's not just one temperature profile that makes all orchids happy, but it's safe to say that they all enjoy well-circulated air. The tag that comes on your plant or a discussion with the nursery where you buy your orchid will give you the details you need to determine the temperature preference of the orchid you select.  Here is some additional general information to get you started with understanding the temperature requirements of orchids.

Whether you have an elaborate greenhouse or just a simple pane of glass, your orchid will enjoy the cooler temperatures and circulating air found near a window.

Most orchids come from rain forests rather than from jungles, and a number of hardy orchids grow as far north as the Arctic Circle. When grown indoors or in a greenhouse, orchids are roughly grouped by their winter night temperature preferences:

• Warm: Night temperature near 60 to 70°F; day temperature in the 80s.
• Intermediate: Night temperature 55 to 60°F; day temperature 70 to 75°F. This group is the easiest to grow inside because their temperature preferences are so close to those of people.
• Cool or Cold: Night temperature between 50 to 55°F; day temperature below 70°F. These orchids are hard to keep cool in the summer.
  

Inside the house, the temperature is cooler and air circulation is usually better near a window. Good air circulation not only cuts down the stuffy conditions that encourage disease, but also provides more carbon dioxide, which the orchids need in order to grow. As previously mentioned, orchids have a variety of temperature preferences, but none of them care for a stuffy environment.

So orchids should be placed near a window, but what kind of window? Continue to the next page to learn about the light orchids need.

Check these resources to find more ideas and information on placing plants around your house:

• Gardening: Whether it's vegetables, flowers, or foliage you're considering, the facts you'll need are here. Learn all the basics of successful gardening.
• House Plants: Wondering what might look nice in your kitchen window? Find out which plants are happiest inside the house.

Orchids are fairly hardy and can survive in a variety of conditions, but the light requirements of orchids are an important consideration because light is very important for orchids' flowering. And, because there is a lot of sunlight at tree tops, epiphytic orchids and orchids with pseudobulbs usually need more light than terrestrial orchids or those with soft leaf growth.

While it may take an orchid plant three to eight years before it is mature enough to bloom, some orchids will sit around fat and green for years and never flower until they get enough light. In contrast, when the plants start to shrivel and get yellow, the light is too strong. When growing orchids in a window, resist the temptation to crowd the plants together. Keep them far enough apart to make sure that each plant gets its share of the light. Turn the plants from time to time so the whole plant gets the benefit of the light.

When growing orchids outside or in a greenhouse, orchids may need shade in the summertime to protect them more from heat than from the light. This is done outdoors by growing them under trees or in a lathhouse. In a greenhouse this can be done by using blinds inside or out, by using mesh, or by painting shading compound on the glass.

These indoor orchids are blooming beautifully because they are receiving the proper light requirements.

When there is not enough natural light, orchids can grow and flower under artificial light. The smaller, compact plants are easier to handle. Some orchids can take as long as two years to adjust to growing under artificial light but, when they do, they often bloom more frequently. In addition, high artificial light intensity can speed up the growth of seedlings.

With orchids, a mixture of fluorescent and incandescent light seems to work better than fluorescent light alone. A proportion of five watts of cool white and daylight fluorescent light to one watt of incandescent light works well. Because of the heat generated by the standard 25 watt (120 volt) incandescent bulbs, 25 watt (130 volt) extended service bulbs are often used. They are cooler and last twice as long. Use the longest fluorescent tubes available that will fit your growing area; the light intensity always falls off at the ends of the tubes.

Not all orchids are affected by seasonal changes in day lengths, and many orchid growers keep their lights on 14 hours a day. However, timers are a must if you are growing a lot of plants indoors and under lights.

Water is another essential for every type of plant, so orchids are no exception. On the next page, learn how to water your orchids appropriately.

Check these resources to find more ideas and information on placing plants around your house:

• Gardening: Whether it's vegetables, flowers, or foliage you're considering, the facts you'll need are here. Learn all the basics of successful gardening.
• House Plants: Wondering what might look nice in your kitchen window? Find out which plants are happiest inside the house.

The proper method and frequency for watering orchids is something that must be learned by doing. In their native habitat, some orchids go months between rains. In captivity, orchids usually get more water than they need.

In addition, different orchids have different watering requirements. Epiphytic orchids need less moisture than terrestrial orchids. Orchids with pseudobulbs can store moisture and usually need less water than orchids without pseudobulbs. Plants growing in plastic pots need less watering than those growing in clay pots or on a slab. Orchids growing in osmunda need less water than those growing in bark. Some orchids appreciate a good rest after flowering.

This Cynoches orchid may require more water because it is planted in a clay pot.

The booby trap for new growers occurs when the top of the mix feels dry, while the mix deeper in the pot is still quite wet. It is safer and easier to have all of your orchids growing in the same medium.

The amount of water depends on the condition of the plant, the size of the pot, and the kind of potting medium. When watering, water deeply and thoroughly. Let the mix then dry out enough so the roots can get air. Water should be low in minerals and 60 to 70°F, or above air temperature. Do not use water from an ion exchange softener. Water early enough in the day so that leaves and flowers can go to bed dry at night. Orchids need less water on dull, cloudy days than they do on bright, sunny days. When in doubt, don’t water.

In addition to the water given to orchids via their potting medium, orchids also have preferences about the amount of water in the air around them. Most orchids do best when the relative humidity is 40% to 60%. Relative humidity above 70% encourages soft, flabby growth and can cause susceptibility to infection. Relative humidity below 40% can sometimes slow an orchid's growth, weaken the plant, and result in scrawny flowers.

Humidity is easier to raise than to lower, so if orchids are in an overly humid area, moving them may be the best option. You can raise humidity by keeping a tray filled with gravel and water under the pots or by using a humidifier. Use a small fan when necessary to keep the air moving without drafts.

There are a variety of options available for potting orchids, but the procedure is different than that for many other plants. Visit the next page to learn more.

Check these resources to find more ideas and information on placing plants around your house:

• Gardening: Whether it's vegetables, flowers, or foliage you're considering, the facts you'll need are here. Learn all the basics of successful gardening.
• House Plants: Wondering what might look nice in your kitchen window? Find out which plants are happiest inside the house.

Orchids can grow in almost anything (clay, plastic, peat) or in nothing (attached to a branch or a slab), as long as the roots get air and the drainage is excellent. This makes potting orchids a little different than potting many other types of plants. Special clay pots for orchids are available. If you are using an ordinary clay pot, knock a big hole in the bottom to make sure that the drainage is satisfactory.

Repot orchids when the potting mix and the roots seem to be getting squishy, or about every two years. Orchids with flower spikes growing straight down, such as Stanhopeas, are best kept in bottomless baskets. Some orchid varieties want to be left alone and prefer to have their roots growing all over the outside of their pot.

When potting or repotting orchids, work carefully and keep tools clean to avoid transmitting disease.

There are probably as many orchid potting mixes as there are orchid growers. The early English growers grew orchids successfully in sphagnum moss. Osmunda fiber was used extensively for a time, not only for potting material but also for pots. Because osmunda fiber became scarce, a number of other materials, including fir bark, gravel, and coconut husks were substituted alone or in combinations. Many growers use one mix for everything and repot their new orchids into it. It may take the new plant a while to adjust to the new medium but, in the long run, it is easier for the plant to adjust rather than the person.

Potting and repotting should be approached as a controlled operation. Before working with each plant, disinfect the tools and use a fresh sheet of newspaper under each plant and pot. This will reduce the spread of disease from one plant to another and will help with the clean-up.

Do not yank plants out of their pots. Remove them gently, even if it means cracking or breaking the pots. When the pot is removed from the orchid, clean away all the old potting material from the roots. Cut away all the shriveled and dead roots. Live roots are plump; dead roots are brown and thin. Wash your hands frequently and keep your cutting edges sharp and disinfected to avoid spreading disease.

Cover the bottom of the pot with fresh, clean, broken pieces of clay pot. Add some mix, set the plant in place, and pack the potting material firmly, but gently, around the roots. After repotting, keep the plant in a warm place, but out of direct sun for two to three weeks. Also hold back on watering for two or three weeks to give the orchid's roots time to heal. The humidity should be high, but keep water off the plant. If you feel timid about the repotting process, many commercial growers will repot your orchids for a small charge.

Potting appropriately goes a long way toward keeping an orchid healthy, but for an added boost, some fertilizer may be helpful. On the next page, find out how to fertilize orchids.

Check these resources to find more ideas and information on placing plants around your house:

• Gardening: Whether it's vegetables, flowers, or foliage you're considering, the facts you'll need are here. Learn all the basics of successful gardening.
• House Plants: Wondering what might look nice in your kitchen window? Find out which plants are happiest inside the house.

Many orchids react negatively to too much fertilizer, so fertilizing orchids is a careful process. But it is also not usually too labor intensive. Remember that in nature, orchids get only whatever fertilizer is delivered by the wind and the rain.

Minimal fertilizer or -- depending on the potting medium -- perhaps none  at all will be needed to keep this orchid looking its best.

Using elephant dung was recommended by the third World Orchid Congress for fertilizing orchids. But because very few elephants are found in trees, check with a successful grower for practical advice before experimenting with various fertilizers for the orchids in your collection.

The kind of fertilizer orchids might need depends, in part, on the kind of medium used for potting. Plants grown in osmunda need very little or no feeding. Those grown in fir bark will need additional nitrogen. Orchid plants should be fertilized only when they are actively growing.

Most of the major issues related to orchids have now been discussed, but continue to the next page to learn more about basic orchid care.

Check these resources to find more ideas and information on placing plants around your house:

• Gardening: Whether it's vegetables, flowers, or foliage you're considering, the facts you'll need are here. Learn all the basics of successful gardening.
• House Plants: Wondering what might look nice in your kitchen window? Find out which plants are happiest inside the house.

The following basics of orchid care will review some of the more important points previously discussed in this article, as well as providing additional details about getting the most from your orchid collection and keeping it healthy for years to come.

• To keep your orchid plants healthy, remember to keep the light and humidity up, repot them about every two years, and enjoy.
  
  
• If you don’t use orchids as cut flowers, keep the faded blossoms pinched off -- unless, of course, you are growing seed. While orchids have suffered from a bad press, they can be delightful, if sometimes bulky, indoor plants.
  
  
• Orchids that are kept clean and watched carefully do not have many problems except occasional visits from the usual indoor pests. Wash the plants carefully to head off pests before they become established.

  Watch carefully for leaf spots like this, as they may indicate that your orchid is getting too much light or has a disease.

• Use an old toothbrush to get rid of orchid scale, mealy-bugs, and such. Snails and slugs can be especially annoying when they feast on flower buds. Fortunately, these invaders can be picked off by hand.
  
  
• Leaves turn yellow from too much sun, too much water, or old age.
  
  
• Buds often drop when temperatures fluctuate.
  
  
• Plants may refuse to bloom altogether if they do not get their proper rest or enough light. In some areas, air pollution can be a problem.
  
  
• Transparent, water-soaked spots can indicate the presence of fungus.
  
  
• Avoid disease by maintaining good air circulation, refraining from crowding plants, watering carefully, and avoiding the spread of disease from one plant to another.
  
  
• Brown or black spots are usually due to burning by the sun, but they can be due to disease. Diseased plants should be isolated immediately and probably destroyed.
  
  
• If you have problems that cannot be treated successfully with recommendations from your orchid source or local orchid society, discard the plant, the pot, and its mix.
  

Healthy, happy, and carefully cared for, the orchids in your collection are bound to grow and flourish. Continue to the next page and learn how to propagate even more of your favorites.

Check these resources to find more ideas and information on placing plants around your house:

• Gardening: Whether it's vegetables, flowers, or foliage you're considering, the facts you'll need are here. Learn all the basics of successful gardening.
• House Plants: Wondering what might look nice in your kitchen window? Find out which plants are happiest inside the house.

Although many other home and garden plants can be easily divided or even grown from seeds, orchid seeds are extremely small. Although single pod can contain over three million seeds, the seeds have practically no food reserve, and young plants are very susceptible to disease. To improve results, seeds are germinated and grown in flasks under sterile conditions in special nutrient solutions until they are at least 1/2 inch tall. The orchids that result from the seeds in a single pod can vary tremendously.

Propagating orchids from their tiny seeds is a tremendous undertaking. The young plants must be kept in sterile vials.

Because of the challenges orchid seeds present, for most orchid growers, propagation is limited to division of their existing plants. For quantity production, orchids can be grown by determined and talented individuals (often professionals) from seed or multiplied vegetatively from the culture of meristem tissue. Orchids can flower three to eight years after sowing.

In meristem culture, cells are taken from the growing points of the plant and placed in a suitable growing medium and environment until new plants are produced. Orchids produced from meristem culture are identical to the parent plant.

Many hybridizers use the laboratory services offered by large commercial growers to germinate their seed or propagate their favorite plant by meristem culture. Because the species or variety of orchid dictates the time for and the method of propagation, it is best to learn from a friend or from a local orchid society before trying this at home.

Now that you've learned all about growing and caring for orchids, explore the next page to start deciding what types of orchids you'd like to have in your orchid collection.

Check these resources to find more ideas and information on placing plants around your house:

• Gardening: Whether it's vegetables, flowers, or foliage you're considering, the facts you'll need are here. Learn all the basics of successful gardening.
• House Plants: Wondering what might look nice in your kitchen window? Find out which plants are happiest inside the house.

Scroll through the following brief descriptions of all different types of orchids, and see what catches your fancy. For additional information and assorted orchid photos, be sure to follow the links to the individual flowers. You'll be ready to start your orchid collection in no time.

This Chysis orchid is but one of the many types of orchids you may include in your home collection.

Anota violacea or Rhynchostylis violacea orchid: This orchid produces a spray of lavender-and-white flowers in both winter and spring.

Anguloa uniflora orchid: Also known as the boat orchid or tulip orchid, this plant features a large, fragrant, creamy white flower.

Ascocentrum curvifolium orchid: This smaller orchid hails from Thailand and blooms in brilliant orange-red.

Brassavola orchid: Named for a Venetian botanist, this genus of orchids includes hardy plants that are easy to grow indoors.

Bulbophyllum lobbii orchid: This orchid has pseudobulbs and is named for its thick leaves. Its flower is beige with a yellow lip.

Cattleya orchid: This common family of orchids features flowers in the traditional orchid shape, and hybridizers have produced countless varieties.

Chysis laevis orchid: A bit temperamental, this orchid prefers not to be repotted and blooms in yellow and violet.

Cycnoches loddigesii orchid: Also known as the swan orchid, this plant can bloom with either male flowers, female flowers, or both. The two genders are both greenish-brown, but they have different shapes.

Cymbidium orchid: These orchids are well-loved and often used, and they can be rather large, although a smaller variety has been developed.

Dendrobium orchid: There are 1600 species in this orchid family, with flowers in every color. They are named for their natural tendency to live in trees.

Doritis orchid: This orchid offers leathery leaves and long-lasting flowers that bloom on a tall spike.

Epidendrum orchid: This orchid family features more than 1000 species, many with fragrant flowers.

Laelia orchid: Related to cattleyas, this orchid family ranges from plants with 8- to 10-foot flower sprays, to smaller cocktail varieties often used in corsages.

Lockhartia oerstedii orchid: Also known as the braided orchid because of the configuration of its leaves, this orchid blooms almost constantly with flowers that dangle on thin stems like earrings.

Lycaste orchid: This orchid family blooms in a variety of colors, and the plants with white blossoms are the national flower of Guatemala.

Maxillaria houtteana orchid: Easy to grow indoors, this orchid flowers in leathery cinnamon-brown.

Miltonia orchid: Also known as pansy orchids, these plants feature a flat, open flower and are nice to look at even when not in bloom.

Odontoglossum orchid: The flowers on this orchid seem to have teeth and a tongue, which is where it gets its name.

Oncidium orchid: The large sprays of yellow-brown flowers on these orchids have been compared to dancing dolls and showers of gold.

Paphiopedilum orchid: Also known as lady slipper orchids, these plants are related to easy-to-grow North American lady slippers.

Phalaenopsis orchid: Named the "moth orchid" because of the fluttering appearance of their flowers, these plants are ideal for growing indoors.

Pleurothallis orchid: This genus of American orchids features a variety of small and miniature species, some whose individual flowers can hardly be seen without a magnifying glass.

Renanthera Brookie Chandler orchid: This orchid likes to grow in household temperatures and gets its name from the antlers it appears to have.

Rhynchostylis coelestis orchid: Upright sprays of white and lavender-blue flowers are the hallmark of this orchid.

Rodriguezia secunda orchid: Named for a Spanish botanist, this orchid blooms in a rosy hue and grows nicely under artificial light.

Sophronitella violacea orchid: This tiny Brazilian orchid is usually less than three inches tall, but features one-inch lavender-rose flowers.

Stanhopea orchid: These orchids should be grown in wire-mesh baskets so their large, waxy flowers can hang down for dramatic effect.

Vanda orchid: These orchids are native to India and the Far East, and they can grow quite tall, so they require support.

With an abundance of orchids to choose from and the information you need to get them growing right here, there's nothing now to stop you from adding the beauty and elegance of these flowers to your home.

Check these resources to find more ideas and information on placing plants around your house:

• Gardening: Whether it's vegetables, flowers, or foliage you're considering, the facts you'll need are here. Learn all the basics of successful gardening.
• House Plants: Wondering what might look nice in your kitchen window? Find out which plants are happiest inside the house.