CARING FOR ORCHIDS

Caring For Orchids

Caring for orchids in the past time has been misperceived for something luxurious, which can only be afforded by rich people or the high society. But with the huge amount of species and hybrids, which certainly provide much room for any orchid admirer and enthusiastic, this perception weakened.

In fact there are thousands of species that can be chosen from to fit a certain lifestyle or budget constrain. Orchid hobbyists can easily find an orchid type which match their skill and experience. To day orchids becomes a very popular, easy to care and amazing house plants

Caring for orchids is really not a lot of work with many problems. They need just the same effort like other common house or garden plants. Although there are indeed some orchid types that need special treatment, but generally they are easy-to-care plants. Just look for some information whether an orchid you are interested in need special treatment or not.

About the flowers……well, orchids are among a small number of plants that blooms with such beautiful and colorful flowers. Those flowers will enhance the cheerful atmosphere in many houses and offices. There is no doubt that caring for orchids attentively will result a healthy plant that will flourish for a long time which is about an average of three months.

Selecting your orchid. There are a lot of orchid types that you can start with. The phalaenopsis orchid is the most common type which you might be encountering by chance. They are the easiest orchid type to care for. Other orchids that can be recommended for beginners are the dendrobiums, oncidiums, cattleyas and vandas which all are included in the moth group

Buying an orchid. If you would like to buy an orchid you should check the condition carefully. Clean and shiny leaves are an indication that the orchid is well taken care for. Go on to look at the roots which are most likely seen coming out from the potting media. Look for healthy and fat roots which should be intact with no sign of damage. Buy a plant that is already flowering. This is to make sure whether you are buying the right type of orchid.

Make sure your orchid gets enough light. The most comfortable spot to place your orchid is a spot with adequate sunlight during the day. Morning sunshine and the afternoon shade will be the most appropriate light intensity for most orchids. Thus, the best spot to place your orchid will be the eastern side of your house, probably at an east facing window will do fine.

Please be aware that too mach light will cause the yellowing of the leaves, while on the contrary, too little light will darken the green color of the leaves. Then the plant will look skinny and will not bloom. In case of insufficient natural daylight condition, you can substitute it with a fluorescent lamp which you should place about one foot above your orchid plant.

Make the temperature comfortable. Orchids flourish best at temperatures between 15ºC and 25ºC. Orchids that are exposed to temperature over 35ºC will loose their buds very soon and will even not flourish forever.

Maintain humidity. Keep the flower stays moist since they used to live in such environment that is humid. You can do this by spraying it with enough amount of water. Just do not over watering the roots, since it may kill the flowers.

Another way to maintain the required humidity is using a room humidifier to create a humid area close to your plant. Or you use a humidity tray. This tray can be put under the orchid pot. The spill out of watering will be caught by the tray. Then the spilled water will evaporate which creates extra moist to the plant.

Use fertilizers if needed. If you wish a long lasting flowering of your orchid, you can use a fertilizer before it blooms. Then when the flower blooms you have to stop the usage of the fertilizer.

Prune your orchids. Long lasting flowering can also be supported by orchid pruning while it’s blooming. After a short while you will see that the orchid develops a second flower set. We will discuss orchid pruning in more details.

Well, caring for orchids is a matter of knowing what you need to do and exerting the necessary amount of attention and good care. The reward will be yours where you can be proud of succeeding to take care and own such an amazing orchid

ORCHID POTS

Selecting Your Orchid Pots

Orchid pots are the primary supplies of orchid caring. Almost all orchid growers should have these orchid pots in his or her possession. Their importance is very obvious. Orchid pots are needed to ensure quality caring of your orchids. Without them it is more likely that you will have a lot of problems with the healthy growth of your orchids. Neglecting this potting issue will make it impossible to control the health condition of the potting media.

You can have orchid pots in many sizes and shapes. You can also select between the functional and the decorative ones. Orchid pots common materials include plastic, clay and ceramic. There are some specific materials that can be used to make these orchid pots such as coir (the outer shell of coconut) and purple clay from China. While the different shapes and sizes are meant to make some adjustment when repotting your orchid which should match the requirements of a growing orchid with expanding roots.

Here are the requirements of good orchid pots:

Strength

Orchid pots should be strong and don’t easily break. They have to manage the pressure of growing and expanding roots. They should be endurable to tolerate wet potting media or exposed to liquid substances for a long period of time.

Support good quality drainage

Orchid pots should support good drainage or make it possible to schedule your orchid control and orchid watering with ease. Adjust the size and number of drainage holes accordingly, since each pot material has different water permeability.

Facilitate root expansion

Orchid pots should provide enough room to facilitate root expansion. There are orchids, the Cymbidiums for instance, which have very long roots. In this case, a tall pot will be most proper. While some orchids such as the Jewel orchid possesses spreading roots where a shallow broad pot is most suitable.

Unscented and pH neutral  

Those orchid pots should be unscented with a neutral pH. Some plastics are known to produce harmful substances when exposed to high temperature. It’s the same with acid and alkali. Please be aware of such conditions especially when you are trying to re-use an old pot.

Resistant against fungi and algae

Orchid pots should possess antifungal and anti-algae features. This will ensure good feeding of your orchids. Fungi and algae will share the nutrients incorporated in the potting media, hence will cause ineffectiveness of feeding

Benefits and shortcomings of potting materials:

Plastic orchid pots

These are frequently used pots mainly in orchid houses and gardens. These pots don’t break easily and are suitable to be stored and re-used after orchid repotting. They commonly possess multiple drainage openings due to the impermeability of plastic to water. In plastic orchid pots the potting media is more likely to dry longer than orchid pots made of clay. The well-liked pot is made of clear plastic. When using this type of pot you will be able to look at the condition of the roots. This makes it possible to detect early problems with the roots or potting media.   

Clay, terracotta and ceramic pots

These orchid pots have more weight thus it gives you more steadiness. Their water permeability are higher, therefore they commonly possess only a single drainage opening. The larger pots may have several holes at the base of the pot. The potting media in these types of orchid pots are more likely to dry out faster compared to the plastic pots, due to their higher permeability. That is why clay pots are most appropriate for orchids with succulent drought-tolerant characteristics because of the slighter possibility of water accumulation.

Basket orchid pots

These are plaited pots which can be made of plastic, wood, wire and nets, thus they have loose walls. Such construction provides advantage for orchids with heavy roots which require healthier air circulation. An example is the Dracula orchid also called by Drac, which will be most suitable to be put in a net basket to stimulate successful blooming. You can also get pleasure from several decorating orchids such as Stanhopea, Gongora and Acineta if you put them in an open basket pot.

Coir pots

These types of orchid pots are made of the outer skin of coconut (called by coir) which is composed of fibers and dust. These enduring coir pots are declared to be the most eco-friendly and biodegradable pots ever exist which give you plenty of advantages. These pots have been university-tested and claimed to be free from diseases and weeds. This in turn can deliver speedy orchid growth and the development of strong roots. As they are made from natural coconut skin it also contains essential nutrients such as ferrum/iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu). You can also place or plant these coir orchid pots straightly into the soil.

Purple clay pots

These pots are made from a very special type of clay which can only be dug out in Yixing, Cina. This special clay is called ‘zi sha’. These pots are made by master craftsmen using ancient Chinese techniques. This unique clay was actually meant to produce the famous Yixing teapot which eventually was adopted to produce delicate palace planting pots. Zi sha has been dug out since the Ming Dynasty in the 14^th century.

Zi sha has three natural colors: red, purple and yellow. The inherent porosity of zi sha is very suitable for orchids with subtle roots and will give you better air circulation needed by those subtle roots.

Talking about sizes and shapes, there are many choices of orchid pots that may fulfill your needs. You can buy them through the internet or make a purchase at your nearby gardening store. May I suggest you to get more information about this potting issue, or the gardening store keeper can probably help you out with some valuable information about a specific type of orchid pot you are interested in. Happy pot shopping …! 

ORCHID REPOTTING

How to Repot Your Orchids

Orchid repotting is one of the necessary things you need to do when caring for orchid. Here you will place your orchid into another pot due to two clear reasons.

First, your orchid has grown bigger and it simply does not fit in the current pot anymore. It needs more room to grow healthy and produce beautiful flowers. If you see your plant has it root as well as the whole plant exceeding the edges of the pot, then you definitely need to repot your orchid.   

Second, your potting media is not useful anymore. It is broken which fails to facilitate good water and air circulation. It becomes less effective since it has lost the necessary elements or may be too mushy which tends to rotten the roots  

As a matter of fact, repotting is a common activity for almost every house plant. Like those house plants, the repotting of orchids is quite similar. However there are a few aspects that you need to attend to. This is about the right timing. The best time to repot your orchid is when your orchid is showing signs of new growth with some roots still short which can be easily removed from the potting media. While the worst time which you should avoid is when your orchid is still blooming or just showing a spike.

When repotting your orchids you need some tools and other things that include some newspapers, a scissor or a plant clipper and a sharp knife or cutter. To sterilize your scissor and knife you can use a lighter to burn those tools or rubbing alcohol. Then choose a new larger pot and new potting media.   

Orchid repotting can be done according to three basic steps:

Step #1 – Orchid removal from the old pot.

Spread some of the newspapers on the floor or a table so that the potting media will not directly fall on the floor or table. Take the old orchid and turn it up side down above the newspaper. One hand holds the pot and the other holds the orchid and the potting media. Squeeze the pot gently while trying to remove it from the plant. To loosen the pot, you can make some taps to the side of the pot, then try to remove while squeezing again. If the pot holds too fast, make use of the knife or cutter.

Step #2 – Preparing your orchid for repotting.

After removing your orchid from the old pot, you have to split the roots from the old potting media. Do it gently by shaking the plant until the roots are nearly free from the old media. If there are still remaining potting media, do not try to remove it by force since this may damage the root.

Trim the orchid roots prior to repotting. Use the sterilized knife. Cut all the dead or any damaged root which could be wet and mushy or dry and easily broken. Healthy roots appear firm, white colored with light green colored growing ends.

Step #3 – Placing your orchid into the new pot

If you wish to still use your old pot, you should completely wash it. Then you should soak it in a weak solution of diluted chlorine bleach for about 30 minutes then rinse it well. To provide good drainage, you need to put some clean stones, plastic foam peanuts or broken plates in the pot bottom.

It is best if you replace the potting media with a new one. However you can also use the old media with some treatment. Wash it with water to make it a bit mushy then you should place it on top of the drainage materials. Place your orchid firmly by putting more potting media around the roots. Press down the loose potting media using your thumb. Please make sure that the top of the roots are at one level with the bark. Well. That concludes how you should repot your orchids

ORCHID CARE SUPPLIES

Orchid supplies and tools for your orchid caring success

Orchid supplies are referred to all the materials and tools that you may need to get maximum results in your orchid growing and caring. Orchid supplies are the things that make your orchid caring activities more enjoyable and easier. And most of all, orchid supplies can provide beneficial impacts to your orchid, which should be handled with gentle and care, and support its healthy growth.

It is very common that one will start to care for an orchid with a single plant, usually the potted orchid. An if the excitement and enjoyment start to grow, they probably add some more orchids and are thinking to build a mini orchid garden in the corner of the house.

The need to acquire some orchid supplies will grow in line with your orchid caring activities. In the beginning you don’t feel to have those orchid supplies in hands. But when the demand of practicality, comfort and ease in doing orchid caring task become more significant, you might start to collect and keep them, little by little, in your warehouse.

But you may have the option to prepare all the needed orchid supplies before you start the real orchid caring task as an implementation of your orchid caring and growing plan. Many people start this way. To become familiar about the needed orchid supplies I will present the list of the essential supplies and tools for you as the followings:

Orchid supplies #1 - Orchid pots.

Orchid pots are the primary orchid supplies to perform orchid caring activities. Almost all orchid growers should have these orchid pots in his or her possession. Their importance is very obvious. They are required to assure quality orchid caring tasks. Without those pots it is unlikely that you will be able to reach some success in supporting a healthy orchid growth. Poor attention to this potting stuff will make it unfeasible to control the healthy environment in the potting media.

You can have them in many sizes and shapes. You can also select between the functional and the decorative pots. Common materials to produce those pots include plastic (most common), clay and ceramic. You can also find some specific materials that are used to make those pots. To mention a few; you can find coir (the outer shell of coconut) and ‘zi sha’, the purple clay from China. There are different shapes and sizes which might match the requirements of your growing orchid type with their expanding roots. More about Orchid Pots

Orchid supplies #2 - Orchid potting media.

Potting media is the substrate where your orchids get its feeding. Generally, potting media is a mixture of soil which is meant to grow plants as well as vegetables and herbs in garden or house environment. Each type of plant may need a specific potting media that resembles their original environment or habitat.

A potting media may contain peat moss, composted bark combined with materials from other plants. To provide proper drainage, sand and perlite is frequently included in a potting media composition. If water retention is required, some potting media may include particles of vermiculite (a natural mineral which expands when exposed to heat). While some include particles of vermicompost (a composting process or product made of various worm species) to add some nutrition value.

Orchids naturally require proper drainage and air circulation around their roots. Failure in fulfilling this requirement will lead the orchid to death due to accumulation of water (too moist) and poor airflow. Please gather more information about your orchid type for you to be able to use the right potting media

Orchid supplies #3 - Orchid fertilizers.

Orchid fertilizers are nutrients which are usually composed of nitrogen (N) phosphorous (P) and potassium (K). There are some questions whether orchids actually need fertilizers? There are opinions that orchids can live in hard conditions where food is scarce. Orchids are really simple flowers which can live naturally, healthy and happily without having additional feedings. They have proven to live healthy on rocks or trees. The natural rainfall will bring them a little amount of food, which is enough for them. Thus, providing a fertilizer is some luxury for an orchid. They could even die if you over-fertilize them.

However, if your aim is to get a healthy built plant with plenty of amazing flowers then applying some fertilizers will help. But do it carefully under two conditions; feed your orchid with the right amount and do it at the right time. Thus remember that timing and the amount of fertilizer are the crucial factors when fertilizing your orchids. More about Orchid Fertilizers

Orchid supplies #4 - Orchid watering tools.

These orchid supplies are related to your watering task which may include a watering can and a misting bottle or a mister/sprayer. You can choose from many purchase offers depending on your personal discretion based on efficiency, functionality, attractiveness. Choose the lightest watering can which is made of plastic and available in many attractive colors.

As your orchid watering could be performed periodically using the watering can once in a week or so, you can use a mister to spray the orchid leaves to create some kind of humidity around the leaves. As a matter of fact some orchid types need this level of high humidity. To create some kind of mist you can adjust the nozzle to a fine mist. Mist the leaves adequately and avoid the accumulation of water at any part of the leaf which can harm them and will create some marks that makes your orchid looks unattractive. More about Orchid Watering

Orchid supplies #5 - Orchid pruning snips.

When your orchid reaches the blooming stage and beyond, you’ll need a pair of precise pruning snips or shears which are also called secateurs which can be used to cut stems and leaves in a harmless way. To avoid plant diseases please sterilize the secateurs prior to pruning. Do the sterilization thoroughly by wiping it with diluted bleach solution. Do not forget to wear sterile gloves to protect your skin.

Performing orchid pruning, as we know, will at the end promote new and healthy orchid growth to support the possibility to produce constant flowering of your orchid. Thus, do it without hesitation and worry that you will hurt your orchid. Using precise pruning secateurs will give you more confidence in performing the task. More about Orchid Pruning

Orchid supplies #6 - Orchid artificial lights

You will need these orchid supplies when natural light supply is insufficient. This usually happens during cloudy weathers and winters. In such cases the use of artificial lighting can be put into practice in combination with natural sunlight.

The use of complete artificial light can be carried out within one condition which is the guarantee to only use the required quality of light. Do not use regular lamps since they produce too much heat and definitely will destroy your orchid. Use fluorescent lamps which can give you the benefit of evenly covering a wider area while producing less heat, aside of being inexpensive but efficient

If you completely use artificial lights you will have some benefits. You will be able to do your orchid watering and other orchid care tasks more regularly, since you don’t have to worry about cloudy days.

Orchid supplies #7 - Orchid pest control supplies

 

Another item among other orchid supplies that you should have in hands are the pest control products. Pest control products or formulas are designed to get rid and kill insects which can live and be found at the surface of your orchid leaves, at the upper surface or beneath. Common annoying insects which might be infecting your orchid are mites, spiders, slugs and scale bugs. Fungi and snails are also the kind of disturbances that you should treat with pest control supplies.

To kill insects the application of organic insecticides (cinnamon based) will most suitable as well as some chemical substances such as malathion. Don’t ever use the regular mosquito killer spray to treat those annoying insects, since the blended formula of the commercial mosquito killer spray is not save for plants, and might harm your orchid as well.

There are plenty of commercial pest control supplies and formulas available in the market place which you can choose from depending on your need.

Orchid supplies #8 - Orchid stakes

Orchid stake is a kind of device that simply supports an orchid stem. It could be made of bamboo or metal. Bamboo provides a better natural look. While the metal made stake can be easily bend or formed into spirals to wrap your subtle orchid without fixing the orchid with ties or clips.

Orchid supplies #9 - Orchid mounts

Orchid mounts are used to be able to grow and display the epiphytic nature of many orchids such as oncidiums and phals. If you want to grow your orchid vertically, use the proper orchid mount that provides vertical support without any risk to harm the stem, leaves and flowers. It has been proven that using orchid mounts will result healthier orchids compared to those planted in pots.

Orchid supplies #10 - Orchid humidity trays

Humidity trays are used to create a humid atmosphere around your orchids which resembles the natural climate in tropical regions where your orchids are probably coming from.

Various types and designs of humidity trays are available in the market place. You can also create your own humidity tray rack. Simply place your orchid on a tray filled with stones or grate then pour some warm water into the tray nearly to the top. The stones or grate are meant to avoid direct contact of your orchid roots with the water. The water will eventually evaporate into the air causing some degree of humidity surrounding your orchid.

ORCHID PRUNING

Orchid Pruning Tips

Orchid pruning, aside from watering and providing sufficient water and air circulation and light, is another essential activity that you should never miss as your orchid starts to bloom. Applying orchid pruning will eventually promote newly and healthy growth which make it possible to produce constant flowering of your orchid.

Although it seems to be a simple task, but many novices feel a bit hesitation when they have to do this. It is the possible harm of the orchid which makes them worried. To minimize your worry, be prepared and get to know about some important matters that you should keep in your mind. 

First, do it at the right timing. Orchid pruning is best done while the orchid is in an inactive stage and stops to flourish. This should be about early October until the end of November. Do not miss it, since beyond it will be no use. Missing the right timing will also cause poor blooming, where your orchid probably blooms once but with the absence of new growth

Second, consider your orchid type to set the right timing. As a matter of fact every orchid grows and blooms in its own unique way hence the right timing for orchid pruning may differ from one orchid to another. For example, phalaenopsis has its best time for pruning shortly after you see the flowers flop or fall down. Some other orchids have their best time when their stalks go brown.

If there is any hesitation about the type of your orchid or timing for pruning, I suggest you to obtain information or on hand instruction through the internet or ask a local gardener or plant house.

Third, use the correct tools for pruning. The very basic tool is a pair of small pruning shears (secateurs) which can be used to effectively cut stems while causing no harm to your orchid. To avoid plant diseases make sure that you sterilize the secateurs thoroughly by wiping it with diluted bleach solution. Do not forget to wearing sterile gloves to protect your skin.

Fourth, how, what and where to prune. You can start pruning by cutting back the flower stem first with a distance about a quarter of an inch from the base of the flower stem. Again, please consider the type of orchid you are going to prune. Some orchid types need different ways of trimming compared to the others. Check this out with your local gardener or plant house. 

Fifth, check your orchid roots condition. While doing orchid pruning, it is very useful to examine the condition of the orchid root. If the roots are healthy they will show a grayish or green film and is rather swift. If you see that your orchid turns brown, fragile and soft then you should prune it to give way to new growth

So that’s it, your task of orchid pruning is satisfactorily done. You see that you just need two small sterilized pruning shears for cutting and some guts to defeat your fear. Doing this frequently will eventually makes it more comfortable for you to prune your orchid successfully.

ORCHID FERTILIZERS

Using Orchid Fertilizers

An orchid fertilizer for your orchid, is it really necessary? Most of the orchids have proven that they could live in hard conditions where food is scarce. They live on trees or rocks, depending on the rainfall to bring a little amount of food. Thus providing a fertilizer is some luxury for an orchid. They could even die if you over-fertilize them. They are really simple flowers those can live healthy and happily without adding a fertilizer.

However, if your purpose is to get a well build plant with more amazing flowers then fertilizing will help. But it should be done under two conditions; feeding them with the right amount of fertilizer and it should be done at the right time. Thus bear in mind that timing and the amount of fertilizer are the crucial factors when fertilizing your orchids

In summer for instance, you may extra feed your orchid using a very little amount of fertilizer once in a week. The sufficient amount of the fertilizer in this season is just a ¼ - ½ of the recommended dosage as prescribed on the label. And this should be continued with plain watering for once in a month excluding any fertilizer. The purpose is to wash any mineral build up in the pot.

In winter it will be unnecessary to extra feed your orchid since they will be in an inactive stage. So, do not fertilize because they simply do not need it. Forcing to so, again, will harm your orchid.  

The need for a fertilizer is related to an orchid type. Most of the orchids live on trees as epiphytes with their clinging roots on three branches while some roots are dangling in the air. They entrust their food supply on bird dropping, or from rotten leaves, or dust wiped by the falling rain. Such kind of mutual interaction offers only a very view amount of nutrients to the orchids. Adapted to such condition, orchids can basically thrive well when nutrients are limited.    

Unlike the epiphytes and lithophytes that can live very thrifty, terrestrial orchids have the opportunity to absorb more nutrients from the mineral-rich ground where they live, thus you need to use a little more fertilizer when extra feeding a terrestrial orchid.

Too much fertilizer will cause damage to your orchid and can be fatal. In milder cases the impairment will appear as blooming failure, slow growth with many immature leads growing. Damage can also be detected at the root which looks like burned then your orchid will eventually die. A defected root will not be able to absorb the needed amount of water which will lead to dehydration. In thin leave orchids, like the cymbidium and miltonia orchids, the indication of over-fertilizing is the presence of burned leaf tips.

This situation can be fixed by washing out the pot with plain water to flush out the fertilizer. You may need to repot your orchid and replace the destructive potting media with the new one. If the condition is helpless it will be best if you get rid of the orchid and buy a new one.

Speaking about fertilizers, you can choose among the slow release fertilizer and the liquid form fertilizer. The first one is sold in granule and pellet form, which can be planted in your potting media close to the plant. While the liquid fertilizer comes also in two forms which are the powder form and the liquid concentrate. Both should be diluted in water prior to usage. It is proven that the liquid fertilizer is more suitable to fertilize orchids.     

ORCHID TYPES

Orchid Types, Terrestrial, Epiphytes and Lithophytes

In such a large family of orchids, which consist of thousand of species and hybrids, the orchid family, Orchidaceae is basically divided into two major types of orchids. The terrestrial orchids, which are all orchids that grow on ground soil and the epiphytes which include all orchids that live upon trees. There is a minor group of orchids, namely the lithophytes, which are growing on rocks and is of minor importance to the caring of orchids. 

Some among the most popular orchids for cultivation are coming from the terrestrial type. Some are not truly terrestrial or semi-terrestrial orchids since aside of their main roots that grow in ground soil they also have some aerial roots which are exposed into the air.

The first terrestrial orchid species cultivated by men were the Cymbidiums. These species include about 40 species and generated thousand of hybrids. Cymbidiums are the perfect example of a semi-terrestrial orchid that grows on ground soil as well as upon trees and on rocks. Grounds of loose humus that are composed of rotten wood and decomposed leaves are the best growing media for these cymbidiums.

Cymbidiums are easily found in the South East Asian region and Japan, and extended to the grounds of Australia. Their popularity is due to their easy to care for orchid, which should be an ideal choice for novices. It will be very motivating for a beginner to see a cymbidium blooms with beautiful flowers after caring for it in a very easy way.

Orchids are not the only plants that can be considered and reserved as an epiphyte. As a matter of fact any plant that possesses roots above the ground and grow upon other plant, like a tree and are non parasitic can be considered as an epiphyte, e.g. tea epiphytes, bromeliads, mosses etc. Among the orchid epiphytes, Dendrobiums are the most popular orchid to cultivate. Like the cymbidiums they are easy to grow but need a bit more care. Dendrobiums also do not bloom easily, and if it blooms it will be on an irregular basis.

Dendrobiums include more than 1,000 species which can be easily found in tropical regions such as South East Asia, Northern India, Polynesia and Australia hence they could flourish best in warm and humid atmosphere.         

The Phalaenopsis is another common epiphyte orchid type that is also considered as an easy to grow orchid. It has colorful flowers that last for quite a long time and are frequently seen in wedding parties or ceremonies.

Another fact that should be emphasized is that epiphytic orchids are not parasites that take the nourishment from trees they live upon. They manage themselves to provide their own nutrition by the means of the roots that capture the accumulation of organic substances between the roots and tree branches. These fleshy roots also keep the sustainability of the plant in hard times of dry and wet periods.

The sturdy, tough core of the root is enclosed by a white sponge like cover that could easily absorb water. During rains, this cover will absorb water, and when it is totally filled up, its color turns into light green. The watery root will then release the water little by little to keep all tissues fresh. 

As mentioned earlier, there are some lithophytic orchids too. This type clings to rocks and stones with very limited food resources where the lithophytes could thrive in strained light, and should always be kept in open and airy condition

PROPER ORCHID WATERING

How to Water Orchid Properly

Watering your orchid is one of the critical task when caring for orchids aside from providing sufficient light and adequate amount of nutrition. Proper watering will ensure you to get the utmost of your orchid which will eventually provide you with stunning flowers. Either too much water or too small amount of water will harm your orchid very much. 

Similar to any other plant, orchids also need proper growing conditions to be able to live and thrive healthy. The task of providing your orchid the proper growing conditions includes to giving your orchid the right amount of water. The requirement for each and every orchid for water can vary between one and another. So, it will be very important to be sure in the first place about the orchid type or species you are caring for.  

 

The majority of orchids are native to tropical areas of the world. Tropical areas are characterized with plenty of rain and high humidity where orchids get used to an ideal level of humidity around 80%. Such high humidity level will definitely not be comfortable for the majority of human beings. Thus you have to figure it out on how to provide a comfortable environment for your orchids while being kept in rooms or houses.  

An easy and smart way to humidify an orchid plant is providing them with regular water supply. You can purchase and make use of a deep bowl and some small rocks. Place the small rocks into the bowl. Then you should place your orchid pot on top of the small rocks within the bowl and then pour in water into the bowl.  Keep the water level away from the bottom of your orchid pot. You have to make sure that the water level will never touch the orchid pot. This will create an artificial high-humidity environment around your orchids.

As mentioned earlier, over watering your orchid will be fatal. This is probably the biggest mistake of watering an orchid, although this is not done by intention but merely due to lack of understanding about some condition, including the knowledge about the orchid type. It happens very often, using the common logic if a potting media looks dry then watering is needed. But this is not the case for orchids. We have to be aware about the fact that although a bark looks dry, but it still holds some moisture inside.  

There is a simple rule of thumb to follow. Just water your orchid once in a week or once in a fortnight, with modest amount of water. Again, never overdo it. If you care for an orchid in your house, you should make sure that the barks in the pot are totally dry prior to watering. You might keep some orchid species on trees or branches. In this case you should examine their roots prior to watering. If they are totally dry, then proceed with the watering.

You may as well make use of a fertilizer, especially if you want to get amazing flowers. You have the option to purchase it at a gardening store or you can make them yourself using used kitchen stuff like eggshells, dried and crushed chicken bones, milk leftovers, etc. But you need to use the fertilizers sparingly, since most of the orchids can thrive healthy without any fertilizer

However providing good routines for watering plus fertilizing your orchid is a sort of guarantee to be able to see orchid grow healthy and produces amazing flowers. Just remember that water orchid and fertilizing are parts of a total good care for your orchid. Other means like providing sufficient amount of sunlight, changing the potting media regularly and repotting your orchid when needed are also parts of caring for orchids the right way.

ORCHID CARE INFORMATION

How to Care for Orchids

“When the orchids are blooming, I always remember you. Remembering the sweet times, when you told me you love me”. Those are part of the lyrics about orchids and love written by the famous Indonesian composer Ismail Marzuki, which its Dutch version became very popular among the Dutch people. You can play the song below.

Orchids are indeed the expression of love as well as many other feelings. Orchid is a language that expressed itself by its value of beauty and colorfulness. White colored orchids for instance may convey sincerity and trust of genuine love and kindness. White orchids also represent the hope of a new beginning such as first dating, engagement and weddings

Orchids positive traits

No wonder that orchids become the most favorite house plant in quite a short time. It is the #2 largest family of the flowering plant that includes about 24,000 species found in bare nature and looked after in homes and offices. More hybrids are cultivated in plant houses and orchid gardens to yield more beautiful flowers making them more and more admired

Other things that made them so popular as house plants is that they can easy grow in condition with enough water, air and light. They will even thrive better with the presence of a fertilizer. The majority of orchid species could live in rooms or other places in temperatures between 25ºC and 30ºC, while some species will be comfortable in cooler temperatures.

The ease in growing is shown by the Phalaenopsis orchid which due to its easy adaptability in room environments it becomes the preferred orchid decoration in homes and offices.

Depending on species, orchid flowers can bloom with different life spans ranging from a month to continuous blooming all over the year. The Cattleya blooms for only a month, while the flowers of Phalaenopsis can last for 2 to 3 months. Their blooming frequency also differs, from only once in a year to several times and even to continuous blooming.  

Another positive trait is their fragrance that comes in various intensity and strength. Their variety can range from mild to strong smell and fruit like smell to flowery. Some of the orchids possess unique smell such as lilac, raspberry, citrus and even chocolate.

Caring for orchids

The most suitable media for orchid planting is in bark which is better than the common potting soil. Using common potting soil might block the circulation of water and air especially at the root part of your orchid. The New Zealand sphagnum moss is also a good medium for orchid planting. Thus the most comfortable container to grow your orchid is simply a pot that will provide good water drainage assuming you use the bark or sphagnum moss.

Providing your orchid with sufficient watering is also very important. A frequency of once or twice in a week is good for most of the orchids. During summer or in warmer climate you can increase watering frequency to every 4 – 5 days. Follow this simple rule: more heat, more water and less heat, less water. Please also be aware that orchids placed in sphagnum moss need lees water. Thus a frequency of watering them every 7 to 10 days will be sufficient.

Then, the exposure to light is also a critical factor when caring for orchids. Although the majority of orchids do not need too strong light, but depending on the orchid species the needed intensity may differ from one to another species. The most suitable spot for your orchid is the east facing window. This spot will provide an exposure to the morning sun while later in the day getting a mild intensity of the afternoon shade.

Placing your orchid in a corner with very strong light will cause damage which is indicated by a yellow coloring of the leaves. If you find some yellow coloring at the base of the leaves, move your orchid to another spot with lesser light or use a sunlight blocker or barrier. Yellowing leaves may also be an indication of poor feeding. You can fix this by applying a fertilizer once every fortnight.