Garden

[Sweetbay magnolia]

I am a "budding" orchid collector. It started as a relatively inexpensive way to have flowers in the house for long stretches (they are so elegant), and of course now I have several that are done blooming. I have found them homes out of the way to nurture a re-bloom (one is actually budded up again after this summer's show!). They are all moth orchids (Phalaenopsis) which I gather are the least fussy of the bunch, but if you are a fellow collector and have tips or stories about the nuances, it would be great to hear.

Happy gardening.

[ValuSkr]

For me, the hardest part is finding a spot that's quite sunny (but not direct sun). Watering, potting media, and temperature are also important of course. But I can handle that. Without enough sun, the plant will grow and appear healthy but won't send up flower spikes. I haven't resorted to grow-lights; I suppose it's the next step.

[JustJazzmom]

Here is the info sheet we hand out to homeowners about orchids and their care. One Master Gardener gave a class on orchids and the secret to getting them to rebloom is to have at least a 10 degree difference between day and night temperatures and to supply humidity via trays filled with small pebbles and water for them.

A friend of mine, also a Master Gardener grows his orchids in his basement under special lighting conditions. He loves this hobby.

[gardenman]

Orchids are pretty easy to grow. I had over a forty for a while, but I'm down to four now. I've got two dendrobriums, a cattleya hybrid (truthfully these days there's so little cattleya in them that it's kind of silly to call them that, but whatever) and a phalaenopsis. In the past I've grown paphiopedilums, miltonias, oncidiums, cattleyas, and more. Orchids literally come from all over the world so you have to tailor your growing environment to match that of the orchid. My big collection got killed off during an extended hospitalization when my mother became so concerned about making sure they were kept wet enough that she literally drowned them. I had them in pebble filled trays to keep humidity up, but she ended up filling the trays with water instead of having water just up to the top of the pebbles and orchids don't like to be constantly wet. I didn't have a lot of money invested in them as I'd bought most as very young seedlings ($2-$4 each), but it still hurt to lose them all. I now mostly buy really cheap orchids that are marked down by mass market retailers. (My cattleya hybrid literally cost something like $.98 at Lowes and the phal I just got cost $4.99 at Walmart.) Lowes, Home Depot, and Walmart often have orchids and don't know what to do with them, so they mark them down to move them. You can get good deals there.

As to care, most of the commonly grown orchids are epiphytes that grow on trees in nature and therefore they want a free draining potting mix specifically designed for orchids. There are very few tree branches that stay wet, so orchids have adapted to thrive in well draining potting mixes. Very few orchids want to be kept wet. They like humidity (generally) but not wet feet. Phals like normal household temps (65-75) and filtered light. Most of the cattleyas and others like more light and wider swings in temp. Some will flower more readily if there's a fifteen to twenty degree swing between daytime and nighttime temps. None of the ones I've grown have been exceptionally difficult. You just have to give them the level of light they want, the temps they want, and stay out of the way, and they'll likely do well for you. Cymbidiums, which you'll find available from time to time, like really cool temps and they're kind of trickier to grow, but many people grow them anyway.

[Love orchids]

As you see by my nic, I do like and grow orchids as a hobby. Being in Ca., even northern Ca., which is generally cooler than southern Ca., we can grow almost any kind of orchid because of our milder climate. I do have some indoor orchids, most of which were mentioned by gardenman above and I have had a couple of vanda's, which are more difficult to grow - they are native to more tropical areas so they like high humidity and once you find a place they do well, don't more them. I moved one that was in bud once and the bud immediately dried up and fell off. Since my elderly father has been living with us the last 2 1/2 yrs., my collection has dwindled. I currently have one vanda, a few phal. and about five more unusual ones that I purchased from growers at orchid shows.

Even tho most instructions say to keep out of direct sun, I have found that an hour or two a day of direct sun usually doesn't hurt. Just experiment and see - you can always move them if the sun is too strong. As gardenman indicated the most common mistake most people do for indoor orchids is killing them with over watering. Here in Ca., I can pretty much ignore them for a couple weeks.

My main concentration is cymbidiums. Here is Ca., they are hearty and take very little care. The hardest part is the repotting, which must be done every few years. I have about 50. When they are in bloom we place them all over the yard and enjoy them for 2-3 months. For those that don't know, cymbidiums are outside orchids in warm/mild climates. However if you are in a region where the temps. go above 85 or below 32 for extended periods, the only way you could grow them is in a green house or, if you have just a few, I suppose you could bring them into a garage or protected area. We get a few days to a week most winters that go a bit under 32, and a few days in summer than get into the mid to upper 90's. so we have to cover them in winter.

Here is Ca., from Feb. thru April/May (which is the blooming period for most cymbidiums) we have many orchid societies that have shows and sales, which is where I get most of my orchids. I have one golden color that blooms in Nov/Dec., so we are enjoying that one now.

Orchids are one of nature's most beautiful creations and I find them very relaxing and stress reducing.

Good luck with your orchids. Also, there is a wealth of info on the internet about orchids - enough to keep you reading for weeks. Many sites have beautiful photos of orchids. Most growers that sell orchids have websites with many photos as well. Santa Barbara Orchid Estate is one of the largest growers and sellers in Ca. Just google and have fun.

[pattypeep]

I water using three ice cubes once a week or so. Also, I do not place my orchid anywhere special to get the variable temperatures that our master gardener mentioned. I actually put mine in an east window a couple months ago which gets full morning sun and now have four stems with flower buds on them. In the summer I would not let it stay in that window unless I pulled the shade down. I used to think they were difficult to grow and would throw them out after they flowered and then learned (after ignoring one) that they will re-bloom quite easily. I love that they look so regal and that the blooms last for months.

[greamy]

I have Phals, about 20 of them, they are beautiful and the lovely flowers last a long time after coming into bloom. I keep a Calender and water them every 14 days. I bring them to the sink and run water through the pot until they are fully watered. Then I return them to their place on the shelves I grow them on. They reside on my enclosed sunroom. They receive a southeast Sunshine which seems to be perfect for them. I weakly fertilize about once a month. I donot fertilize when they are in bloom. They are fun and not too hard to grow.

[Sweetbay magnolia]

Great stuff! The best information comes from first hand experience. I am encouraged to keep growing, and researching.

I think I have some lovely areas for the orchids; I have a modest sized home, but larger than the last, so I can finally dabble.

Happy gardening. In my state our slogan is "Virginia is for Lovers" and I would now insert "orchid" before "lovers". Thanks!

[Love orchids]

On 12/6/2014 Sweetbay magnolia said:

Great stuff! The best information comes from first hand experience. I am encouraged to keep growing, and researching.

I think I have some lovely areas for the orchids; I have a modest sized home, but larger than the last, so I can finally dabble.

Happy gardening. In my state our slogan is "Virginia is for Lovers" and I would now insert "orchid" before "lovers". Thanks!

I am originally from Va. - northern.

[toodles11]

I have killed them with kindness.

I tried the ice cubes once a week. Dead.

Water once a week. Dead.

I have one right now. I spritz it a little. It's alive right now.