Orchids are gorgeous, beautiful, intricate, spectacular, and a number of other superlatives. They also have a reputation as being hard to grow, but that “ain’t necessarily so,” to quote the old song.

Botany Nerd says – So Many Orchids to Choose From!

The Orchid family is divided into four tribes, 800 genera, well over 20,000 different species with numerous varieties, and more being discovered every year. There are also an estimated 500 commercial hybrids entering the trade per year, for an estimated 3 million hybrids currently known.
BUT!
Don’t get overwhelmed by orchid numbers. I only told you their numbers so I could tell you this – there are so many to choose from!

If at first you don’t succeed – try again. Try a different species!

You Can Grow Orchids

This post was inspired because I was in a big grocery store yesterday and saw a number of lovely orchids for sale at a surprisingly affordable price.

And good news – those orchids at the grocery store or in the big box garden centers are some of the easier ones to grow. And for once simple reason. Their genes.

Most commercial orchids are species that come to us from somewhat dryer rainforests. The orchids may look tropical – but not all the tropics drip rain all the time – a good thing because our homes are not all that humid.

Most cultivated orchids are genetically programmed to perch on tree branches in the rain forest, where they get little water and have virtually no soil either. The term for this is epiphytic (epi = upon, phytic = plants)

This genetic predestination for being epiphytic is helpful to bear in mind as we go through care tips.

Orchid Care

Water

Never over-water orchids. It is a quick way to kill them! These perching orchids get rain, but then they dry out because the rain runs off down their tree perch.

For plants grown in bark or lava, water once per week at most, and only if this bark or lava chunks are dry. If they are in potting medium, let them dry out somewhat between watering.

You can submerge the pot in water for 5 minutes and allow to drain. Last ditch technique is to place 2 to 3 ice cubes on top of potting medium – but this is not ideal. They are tropical and don’t appreciate cold.

For the orchids (generally Phalaenopsis) grown in sphagnum moss – water even less frequently! Once every two weeks should be sufficient. Be sure to water moss thoroughly, since moss that is very dry may not immediately absorb water.

Potting Media

Notice I didn’t say potting soil. Most orchids are sold in either moss, chunks of bark, or possibly porous lava rock. This is fine for them, and you shouldn’t need to repot it for years — if ever.

Container

It may seem to be a tiny container for a large plant. Not for these perching plants!  Tiny is fine. It may actually be better, to help avoid excessive moisture around the roots. If the container is tippy, put the entire orchid pot in a larger pot filled with decorative rock to keep it from tipping over.  Make sure there are drainage holes so nothing stays wet and rots.

Light

Don’t overdo it. In the wild, orchids perch on branches in filtered light. Thus indoors in a sunny room is good, just not on the windowsill. Regular indoor lighting is also fine for orchids, so you could take them to the office.

Humidity

This is the kicker. Our indoor environments in the Southwest are generally a tad too dry for orchids. They can often survive but not thrive.  They wouldn’t mind if misted with a plant mister once per day. Use clean distilled water, not tap water, full of calcium and chlorine. In winter, make sure your orchids are not in getting blown on by heated air from the furnace.

Temperature

Store-bought orchids need to stay between 65 and 80 degrees. Orchids are not outdoor plants in the Southwest.

Fertilizer

Fertilize with care! I know orchid experts say differently, but for newbies it is best not to fertilize at all when the orchid is in bloom, since it may cause plants to drop flowers. (Been there and done that!)

I know I often say that any fertilizer is fine as long as you go by the NPK numbers – but there is an exception to every rule! Orchid fertilizer is best for these specialty plants.  Use as per label directions.  I advise avoiding a general purpose plant fertilizer for orchids.

Orchid Flowers

Depending on the species, a stalk of orchid flowers may last for months. Let the stalk (spike) just keep doing it’s thing.  Try to avoid touching the petals themselves.  Some species bruise easily.

After the last flower on the spike  is done and dried out, cut the stem just above the node (nodes are those bumps on the stem) from which the first flower appeared. A new spike may branch off within weeks. Alternatively, remove the flower spike entirely to allow the plant to recover and form a new spike in 3 to 4 months.

You Can Grow Orchids!

Orchids are beautiful. They can be fun to grow. These charmers are low care, needing little water, occasional fertilizer, and not much else. They reward you with spectacular, long lasting flowers. If you buy an orchid and it doesn’t survive, remember it fondly as a very nice bouquet of flowers — a bouquet that had roots.

More about growing houseplants in general: Houseplant Tips for Desert Homes

or

My Online Class about Houseplants

Most common houseplants are native to tropical rain forests, and thus they can have highly specialized needs. This class will focus on house plants that thrive in a home with low humidity – like in the arid Southwest – or any air conditioned home in the summer!

USE THIS DISCOUNT CODE:  On the check out page there will be a spot to use the discount code: summerhouse.  Coupon is good until the last day of summer – September 21, 2024.

This class is on my Gardening With Soule class site on New Zenler.

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