Orchids have a stigma, literally and figuratively. Many gardeners perceive them as difficult, petulant even, ready to expire as soon as you’ve brought them home. The truth is that you don’t need a sophisticated greenhouse to grow exotic beauties like the Rhyncholaelia digbyana above or the miniature Cattleya hybrid below. Armed with a little knowledge and some observational skills, successful orchid growing can be within reach of us all.
Let’s be realistic. Not all kinds of orchids will do equally well on your windowsill. If there’s too much direct sunlight, your Phalaenopsis will get scorched. If the temperatures stay consistently warm, orchids like the Cymbidium below will never flower. However, what holds true for one kind of orchid may not for another. Since there are around 25,000 species of orchids originating from a wide range of habitats, there’s bound to be an orchid suited to the kind of environment you can provide in your home. I like to learn about the amazing places where orchids grow in the wild. Not only is this a great way to be an armchair traveller, but it also allows me to more closely replicate the conditions my orchids would experience in nature.
To keep things simple, there are three things about your growing area you need to be check before obtaining a new orchid: light, temperature and humidity. Yes, yes, there’s the whole fertilizer thing, too, but as long as you occasionally feed your orchids with a dilute fertilizer of some sort, you’re sure to do pretty well.
Light. Most of the orchids you are likely to encounter prefer a bright aspect. This includes such beauties as Cattleya hybrids and so-called hard-cane dendrobiums like the fiery Dendrobium Kirsten Ann, pictured above. Phalaenopsis (such as the buttery yellow Phalaenopsis Tiffany Coll, pictured below) will flower well with considerably less light than the other two genera.
Temperature. Certain orchids, like Dendrobium, Phalaenopsis and Oncidium hybrids (exemplified by Oncidium Sweet Ears, below) prefer warmer temperatures. Certain orchids, like Miltonia and others with thin leaves and reduced or absent pseudobulbs, like Masdevallia, suffer easily from heat stress and do better under cooler conditions.
Humidity. Many tropical orchids will thrive if you are able to increase the humidity around them. This can be done by growing them on trays of moistened gravel, being sure not to let the bottom of the pots touch the water’s surface. You could also try growing smaller specimens under a bell jar or in a Wardian case.
Another exciting orchid show season is just around the corner. Get out there, talk to the growers, talk to members of your local orchid society. Explore the amazing variety of orchids on display with new-found knowledge. And this time, don’t be afraid to bring a few tropical beauties home with you.
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