Orchids- Growing, Caring and Thriving

Have you been gifted a potted orchid plant and have no clue what to do next? I have marveled at the beauty of this plant in stores. I have owned several that have lasted more than 7 years. sadly only 2 continue to flower. So, I am going to change up their care and here is what I researched. I also found some fascinating information about the plants history.

The word orchid is derived from the Greek word (orchis) for testicle because of the shape of the root tubers in some species of the genus Orchis.

Orchids grow on every continent except Antarctica. Orchids all belong to the family Orchidaceae, although they are one of the most diverse plants in existence. Of the 880 genera, there are approximately 28,000 species as well as over 300,000 varieties!

It is believed that the orchid history started in China or Japan 3000 to 4000 years ago. The first reference found was made by Sheng Nung, Chinese emperor, when he gave some advice about the Orchids application in medical usage.

Confucius, 551-479 B.C., also mentioned the orchids’ scent. Vanilla comes from orchids.

In the Western Hemisphere, the oldest reference found was by Theophrastus, a pupil of Aristotle, and a scholar considered by many as the father of Botany.

Around 300 BC, in a study entitled “Inquiry into Plants”, he mentioned the word “orkhis” to denominate some of the orchid’s terrestrial species which gave origin to the name of the whole family “Orchidaceae”.

Orchids are different from other houseplants. Unlike ferns, philodendrons, palms and Swedish ivy, orchids do not grow in soil. Potting an orchid in soil is actually one of the best ways to kill it. Most orchids in the wild are not rooted in the ground, but instead attach themselves by thick roots to the sides of trees and on branches. Clinging to the bark, the plants absorb water and nutrients from the air and rain and whatever drips down the tree. They are adapted to surviving when rain is scarce, hoarding water in thick leaves, stems and roots

Taxonomy

Common Name: Orchid, cane orchid, moth orchid

Botanical Name: Orchidaceae

Family: Orchidaceae

Plant Type: Perennial, herbaceous

Mature Size: 1–3 ft. tall, 6–12 in. wide

Sun Exposure: Partial

Soil Type: Well-drained

Soil pH: Acidic

Bloom Time: Varies

Flower Color: Pink, purple, white, red, yellow, orange, green

Hardiness Zones: 5–11 (USDA)

Native Area: North America, South America, Central America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, Caribbean

Growing media

Most orchids do not require soil to grow. Many are grown in osmunda fiber which comes from the roots of a fern that grows in the Pacific as well as Australia. Fresh pine bark, peat, perlite, and vermiculite are also used in varying combinations. They can even grow in pebbles mixed with bark. Orchids are more adapted to harsh wind and air exposure than to overly moist conditions.

Orchids grow fairly slowly and require repotting every two years.

Fertilization

Orchids benefit from liquid fertilizers with a 20-20-20 commercial analysis or a 30-10-10 orchid-specialized fertilizer applied once per month. Orchids are generally used to nutrient deficiency so over-fertilization is dangerous and one of the leading reasons orchids are killed.

Light

Orchids thrive in bright, south-facing windows or any place where they enjoy indirect light equal to 1500-2000 foot candles and are protected from any breezes. All orchids need partial shade and are usually damaged under direct, harsh sunlight. 36-48 inch fluorescent light bulbs shining at least twelve hours per day often are great for growing orchids indoors. A fluorescent bulb in addition to window light often increases the chances of flowering.

Temperature

Orchids are divided into three temperature groups: cool, medium, and warm.

Cool orchids prefer 50 degrees Fahrenheit at night and 60 degrees Fahrenheit during the day. These plants like a lot of light.

Medium orchids include most commercial orchids and have an ideal temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit during the night and 70 degrees Fahrenheit during the day. The average home usually provides a good environment to these orchids, and they adapt to some extent.

Warm orchids need 65 degrees Fahrenheit during the night and 75 degrees during the day and do well in high humidity.

Diseases

Pink, yellow, or light brown spots on the flowers can indicate mold.

Orchids are occasionally susceptible to spider mites, mealybugs, thrips, and scale depending on geographic location as well as the orchid species.

Blackened leaves indicate sun damage, and browning leaves often indicate toxic mineral levels.

Root disease can result from over-watering or old potting material. Slugs and snails can also cause certain root diseases.

Solution for Dead Roots

Step 1 Rinse the old potting soil with tepid water. This way, you can see the roots clearly if you have your orchids in pots.

Step 2 Look for dead roots that are dried out or soggy and brown. When you spot a root you believe is dead, hold it and gently tug it. If the outer skin of the root slips off to reveal a brown root or stringy thread root, it is dead.

Step 3 Cut dead roots from the orchid with a sterilized blade, removing them completely. These roots may have been under or overwatered, or they may just be old. Leave the healthy roots that are plump and green to white in color.

Furthermore, also consider these useful tips in maintaining your orchid:

• try repotting your orchid every 2 to 3 years, when the potting soil becomes soggy.
• if dead roots are brown and mushy, your orchid roots may be attacked by fungus. Treat the healthy roots with powdered sulfur to prevent them from suffering the same fate.

Transplanting Orchid

How to Transplant Orchid Plant With Air Roots

Step 1: Remove the orchid from its container.

Step 2: Trim off unhealthy orchid roots.

Step 3: Wash orchid roots to remove old soil.

Step 4: Put the plant in a new potting mix.

Step 5: Give the plant the right conditions to grow.

Basic Orchid Glossary

Though by no means a comprehensive glossary listing, below you will find a basic orchid glossary

adventitious bud — Meristem originating from a single cell or group of cells not part of preexisting meristem.

adventitious propagation — The use of tissue culture to produce whole plants from adventitious buds. Can lead to high levels of somaclonal variation, unlike micropropagation.

aerial root — Any root produced above the growing medium.

anther — The part of the stamen containing the pollen; the end of the column.

axillary bud — Preexisting meristem within the axil of a leaf that is normally inactive in growth.

backbulb — An old pseudobulb behind the part of a sympodial orchid that is actively growing. Although there may be no leaves the presence of undamaged “eyes” is a sign that growth is possible.

bifoliate — Having two leaves.

cane — An elongated psuedobulb, usually used when describing Dendrobiums.

crock — Small pieces of broken earthenware or flower pots, placed in the bottom of a pot when repotting to aid in drainage.

cultivar — An individual plant and its vegetative propagations in cultivation; a horticultural variety.

diploid — A plant with two sets of chromosomes. The normal condition.

epiphyte, epiphytic — A plant which naturally grows upon another plant but does not derive any nourishment from it. Many of the orchids in cultivation are epiphytic.

eye — The bud of a sympodial orchid that will eventually develop into a new lead.

foliar spray — Many minor nutrients and trace elements beneficial to growth are best absorbed through the stomata of an orchids leaves when mixed with water and sprayed on the plant.

genus (pl. genera) — A natural grouping of closely related species.

habitat — The type of place in which a plant normally grows.

hybrid — The offspring of a cross between species or hybrids.

inflorescence — The flowering portion of a plant.

intergeneric hybrid — A hybrid between members of two or more genera.

keiki — A Hawaiian word referring to a baby plant produced asexually by an orchid plant, usually used when referring to Dendrobiums or Vandaceous orchids.

lead — An immature vegetative growth on a sympodial orchid that will develop into flower-producing structure.

lip — A modified petal of the orchid flower specialized to aid in pollination and different than the other petals.

lithophyte — An orchid that grows on rocks.

medium — The material in which an orchid is container-grown, it may be organic such as fir bark or inorganic such as lava rock.

mericlone — A plant derived from tissue culture that is identical to its parent.

meristem — The actively growing area of the plant from which mature tissues such as leaf, stems, flowers and roots originate.

micropropagation — The use of tissue culture to grow inactive axillary buds into whole plants with very little somaclonal variation, unlike adventitious propagation.

monopodial — Orchids which grow upward from a single stem producing leaves and flowers along that stem.

node — A joint on a stem or pseudobulb from which a leaf or growth originates.

panicle — An inflorescence with a main stem and branches, the flowers on the lower branches open earlier than the upper ones.

photosynthesis — The process a plant uses to produce carbohydrates and sugar from water and carbon dioxide in the air using chlorophyl-containing cells exposed to light.

polyploid — A plant with more than the normal two sets of chromosomes.

pseudobulb — A thickened portion of the stem of many orchids functioning as a water and food storage d

evice.

raceme — An unbranched inflorescence of stalked flowers.

rhizome — A root-bearing stem of sympodial orchids that progressively sends up leafy shoots.

scape — An unbranched inflorescence with one flower.

sheath — A modified leaf that encloses an emerging inflorescence or leaf.

somaclonal variation — Genetic variants arising from tissue culture.

species — A kind of plant that is distinct from other plants.

spike — An unbranched inflorescence of unstalked flowers.

stem propagation — See micropropagation.

stolon — A branch that grows horizontally above the medium and produces roots and shoots at the nodes.

stomata — The breathing pores on the surface of a plant’s leaves.

sympodial — Orchids which grow laterally and produce leafy growths along a rhizome.

terrestrial — Growing on the ground and supported by soil.

tetraploid — A plant with four sets of chromosomes. A normal plant is diploid with two sets of chromosomes. Most modern complex orchids hybrids are tetraploid. Compared to diploids, tetraploids general have larger, fuller and heavier substanced flowers.

tissue culture — The technique of culturing cells on a sterile synthetic media. There are two general methods use to propagate plants — micropropagation and adventitious propagation.

unifoliate — Having one leaf.

velamen — The thick sponge-like covering of the roots of epiphytic orchids which helps prevent water loss and aids in absorption.

virus — A type of infectious agent, much smaller than common microorganisms, several forms of which affect certain kinds of orchids.