Orchids (2024)

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We’ve allseen orchids at supermarkets and home stores and wondered if they’re a wise purchase. “Absolutely,” says Marc Hachadourian, Curator of Glasshouse Collections for the New York Botanical Garden. “Inexpensive orchids are no less likely to thrive. Just choose a strong, healthy-lookingplant.”

Most store-bought orchids come packaged in cheap plastic pots with the roots packed in soaked sphagnum moss. This is a problem, as theyneed air flow to avoid root rot. Once you bring yours home, you should consider repottingit.

RepottingOrchids

General PottingTips

• Do not repot while a plant is flowering, as the blooms may suffer. Enjoy the flowers, then cut off the spent flower spike with sterile snippers andrepot theorchid.
• When an orchid spills out of its pot, the roots trail down the sides of the pot, or the growing medium is reduced to crumbs, it’s time for repotting. Repot at the beginning of the next growth cycle (typically inthespring).
• Orchids should be so snug in their pots that you can pick up the plant by its leaves and not shake out theroots.

How to Repot anOrchid

1. Carefully remove the orchid from its existing pot. New orchids are typically sold in thin plastic containers, which can be cutaway.
2. Dispose of the old potting medium, especially if it looks like it’s breaking down orrotting.
3. Inspect the orchid’s roots,cutting off any that are blackened, hollow, spongy, or otherwise damaged. Healthy roots look white orgreen.
4. Hold the plant upright in the new pot and fillin around it with new potting media, tamping down gently, to about an inch from the top of thepot.
5. Water the orchid well to settle the media around its roots. Add more media ifnecessary.
6. If the plant doesn’t stay in place, consider staking it until its roots take hold of the new media. Green bamboo and curly willow make forattractivestakes.

Orchid GrowingMedium

• Never plant an orchid in standard potting soil. All orchids—especially epiphytic species—need a lot of air around their roots. The best medium is one that is very light, porous, andfast-draining.
• Large plants with older roots do better in coarser growingmedia.
• Most garden stores sell special orchid potting mixes:
  • Orchid potting mixes are made offine, medium, or coarse fir bark chunks, which are usually combined with perlite, peat, or sphagnum moss, and horticultural charcoal. (You can mix up your own, using four to six parts bark to one part each of the othercomponents.)

OrchidPots

• Orchids are commonly grown in terra cotta pots because theyallow for extra airflow. There are even special orchid pots that have wide drainage slits around the sides of the pot. These “peep holes” allow forair movement and also make it easier to check on the health of theroots.
• Select a pot large enough to allow at least an inch of growing space around theroots.

In their native habitats, orchids grow like weeds, but they are inclined to homesickness as houseplants. For the best results, provide the conditions they prefer. Some species have individual preferences, but all need a balance of light, air, water, food, rest, and, from time to time, a new pot in order tothrive.

OrchidFlowers

Of course, orchids are renowned for their beautiful flowers, which can seem to last forever. Orchids can be picky about blooming, however.Here are answers to a few common orchid flowerquestions:

• How often do orchids bloom?It depends on the type of orchid. Phalaenopsis orchids will readily bloom every few months, while other types may be limited to once or twice ayear.
• How long do orchid flowers last? Depending on the species, orchid flowers can last anywhere from several days to several weeks. Generally speaking, they will last longer if the orchid is kept in a coolspot, is watered sufficiently,and isn’tstressed.
• When should I cut the flower spike? As soon as the flowers wilt and begin to drop off the stem (called a “spike”), it can be cut. Prune the spikeoff at the base, being careful not to accidentally snip any leaves or roots as well. Phalaenopsis orchids are an exception: they will often produce more flowers from the same flower spike, so don’t be too quick to snip it once the flowers fade. In fact, leaving the flower spike on Phalaenopsis orchids can speed up the time betweenblooms.
• Why won’t my orchid bloom? Your orchid is most likely not getting enough light. Read more about lightingbelow!

Lighting

• Without adequate light, expect lush growth but no flowers. Insufficient light is the most common reason for failure tobloom.
• These plants thrive in strong light, butdirect sunlight can burn orchids. Bright, indirect light from an eastern or southern window isideal.
• Leaf color is a good indicator of the amount of light an orchid is getting:
  • Bright green leaves indicate a happy,healthyplant.
  • Dark green leaves signal that a plant is not getting enoughlight.
  • Yellowish-green or red leaves indicate that a plant is getting too muchlight.
• If you suspect that your orchid is exposed to too much light, feel the leaves. If they feel noticeably warmer than the surrounding air, move the plant to a location with less intensebrightness.

AirCirculation

• Orchids must also have fresh, circulating air. In the wild, continual gentle breezes are vital for their survival. Air in motion helps to evaporate stagnant water, which is a breeding ground for fungi and bacteria that are trapped duringwatering.
• Ventilation also helps orchids to tolerate intense light that would otherwise burn the leaves. Create gentle breezes: Open windows in the summer and use an oscillating fan in winter. Without ventilation, orchids may eventually die from rot, lack of carbon dioxide, ordisease.

Watering

• Experts say that more orchids are killed by incorrect watering thanby any other cause. Orchids should be watered just as they dry out. Over-watering may lead to rot, which kills orchidroots.
• Do not water orchids with ice cubes! Most orchid houseplants are tropical species and will not appreciate the direct chill of an ice cube. (Consider how you would feel ifsomeone dumped a bucket of ice on you at thebeach!)
• To know when to water, pick up the potted orchid and examine it: Is the potting mix dry? Does the pot feel light? This means that it probably needs adrink.
• Another way to tell if an orchid is thirsty is to look at its roots:
  • Plump white roots indicate a healthy orchid that’s being watered correctly. When watered, healthy roots should turn brightgreen.
  • Shriveled gray roots signal that the orchid needs morewater.
  • Shriveled or spongy brown and black roots are a sign of rot, so cut down onwatering.
• In general, douse plants early in the day with tepid water once a week in winter and twice a week in warmer weather. Water until the water runs out of the pot freely; this also flushes out any naturally occurring salts. When indoor air is dry, spray orchids with tepid water to keep the humidity up. Terrestrials prefer to be kept slightly more damp thanepiphytes.

Fertilizing

• As a general rule, fertilize orchids every 2 weeks during peak growth (spring and summer) and once a month during dormancy (fall and winter). Use a 30-10-10 fertilizer or orchid food, diluted to halfstrength.
• Approaching bloom, play it safe with a balanced fertilizer, such as20-20-20.
• Many experienced growers fertilize “weekly,weakly.”

Dormancy

• Many orchids need a period of dormancy—or rest—generally in winter. During this time, when you should reduce or stop fertilizing, plants strengthen their root systems, grow leaves, and stockpile energy for their next growth spurt and bloom. Typically, an orchid can rebloom every 8 to 12months.

There are many beautiful orchid varietiesout there today. It can get overwhelming, so we have highlighted some of the most common types to get youstarted.

• Cattleya, the “classic orchid”(epiphytic, or air-growing): The showy “corsage orchid” has ruffled blossoms in luminous colors and a rich, heady, hint-of-vanilla scent. To achieve blooms, it requires 5 to 6 hours of light per day. Move it outside in the summer, and watercopiously.

Cattleya

• Oncidium, the “dancing lady orchid”(usually epiphytic): Easy-to-grow Oncidium bears small flowers that sway like dancing ballerinas. These fast-growing, fanciful flowers appear in every size, shape, and color that you can imagine. It needs filtered light 5 to 8 hours aday.

Oncidium

• Phalaenopsis, the “moth orchid”(epiphytic): The best choice for beginners, this is easy to tend and fast-growing, producing lavish sprays of white, pink, yellow, red, spotted or striped blossoms that last for 3 to 6 weeks. It’s very cold sensitive and needs a lot of humidity. Feed itwell.

Phalaenopsis

• Cymbidium, the “buttonhole orchid”(usually terrestrial, or earth-growing): Expect intricate, arching sprays with double rows of big (3- to 5-inch) bold blossoms in colors from pastel to primary. Native in many parts of Asia, cool-loving Cymbidiums are really outdoor orchids; in southern California, they’re ideal garden plants. Cymbidiums are often fragrant, especially those with greenflowers.

Cymbidium

• Paphiopedilum, the “slipper orchid”(terrestrial): Often called “Lady’s Slippers,” this orchid is great for beginners and one of the easiest orchids to grow. Slipper orchids have long-lasting blooms, flauntingoutlandish flowers in sensational and mysterious hues. They also have a patterned foliage that is attractive even when not in bloom. Lady’s Slippers come in many colors andpatterns.

Paphiopedilum

• Dendrobium, the “orchid of many faces”(usually epiphytic): This light-loving plant thrives when it’s pot-bound, can’t stand to have wet feet, and doesn’t like to be disturbed. The flowers are most often white or purple and white. Use a small pot and repot it only every fewyears.

Dendrobium

DyedOrchids

You may occasionally see Phalaenopsis orchids with neon blue or bright orange flowers for sale in stores. Unfortunately, these flowers have been dyed, which means that the flower will not be the same bright color if the plant blooms again. There’s nothing wrong with buying these plants, but you should know that they’ll produce onlywhite or light pink flowers in thefuture.

FragrantOrchids

Some orchids have an amazing fragrance. Among the most sweet-smellingare…

• Angranthesgrandalena: sweetjasmine
• Brassavola nodosa: freesia orlily-of-the-valley
• Cattleya walkeriana and hybrids: cinnamon andvanilla
• Maxillaria tenuifolia: roastedcoconut
• Miltoniopsis santanaei:roses
• Neofinetia falcata:jasmine
• Oncidium‘Sharry Baby’: vanilla andchocolate
• Phalaenopsis bellina: freesia with a touch oflemon
• Phalaenopsisviolacea: spicy,cinnamon
• Rhynchostylis gigantea: powerfulcitrus
• Zygopetalum:hyacinth