5 Most Common Mistake People Make When Growing Orchids
Most people can’t get growing orchids right and end up killing them without knowing why. There are 5 common reasons why this happens.
1. You Over-water them
This is the number one killer of household orchids. If an orchid plant gets “soggy” from too much water, its roots will quickly start to rot. Orchids should be planted in a way that the water can freely flow away from the roots. They should never be left sitting in water. It will hurt your orchid less if you don’t water it enough than if you water it too much. In general, an orchid will not need watering more than twice a week.
2. You Plant them in Potting Soil
Orchids grow on trees (for this they are called epiphytes). They do not grow in the ground (with a few rare exceptions). Therefore, an orchid will never appreciate being planted with soil. Orchids grow better when placed in bark or moss or some other substance with simulates the experience of growing on a tree. You can even simply mount an orchid plant on a piece of wood without ever putting it in a pot and it will thrive! This is because orchids don’t absorb their nutrients from the tree or medium they grow in, but rather the air around them. The only purpose of the growing medium (bark or moss) is to help the plant be stable and not fall over.
3. You Place them in Insufficient Light
It is difficult to find the right spot for your orchid inside your house. Most areas of the home lack the necessary lighting for an orchid to thrive and bloom. The best kind of light for an orchid to grow in is indirect sunlight. This means sunlight that is filtered through a window or sheer curtain (or canopy of leaves, as in their natural habitat). Too much direct light will “burn” the foliage. But some rays of sunlight do need to come in contact with the orchid daily: so it will need to be placed in a bright, but not too hot area of your home.
4. You Forget they Need Wind
Orchids grow way up high in trees when found in nature. This means that they are used to being exposed to a lot of breezy air movement. The air circulation helps the orchid to stay free from disease, pest infestations and rotting. Keep your orchid plant near a breezy window or near a fan and it is more likely to stay happy and healthy.
5. You Let the Air Get Dry
Orchids absorb a lot of the moisture they need from the air. This means they need to be in very humid conditions in order to thrive. In nature, orchids usually grow in tropical rainforests. The humidity there is between 60% and 90%. Humidity inside a house is usually between 5% and 30%. Using air conditioners, stoves and heaters reduces the humidity in our houses and makes it difficult for the orchid to obtain the necessary moisture. You can remedy this by placing the orchid in a bathroom or near trays filled with water. As the water evaporates, it provides the orchid with humidity.
Growing orchids can be challenging and very rewarding. Learn more about the conditions and materials needed and happy growing!
Why The Orchid Is From The Largest And Most Unique Family Of Flowers
Orchids are a very unique family of flowers; they are the largest family of flowering plants. The orchid has evolved so successfully that there is only one continent in the world where they do not grow naturally – Antarctica. The evolutions of the orchids mean that they have learnt to adapt to each individual environment. During this process of adaptation the orchid has drawn on arachnids, insects, birds and butterflies to ensure its successful pollination. We all have an idea that orchids are a beautiful flower – some are not, however, their achievements of survival still make them worthy of admiration.
The orchid family divides into three sections, Firstly the sympodial; this has developed in dry climates and stores water in swollen stems a sort of “pseudo bulb”. The second type is a monopodial; this type of orchid has one upward growing stem, a rhizome, and continually produces new leaves from an apex. This type does not reproduce easily, but if the main stem is damaged it may produce a new young plant from the base. The third and least common type of orchid is the diapodial; it grows in a similar manner to the sympodials, but without the bulbs.
Orchids grow and gather their food and moisture by different means as well. Most orchids attach themselves to trees or twigs, some to rock while the third place themselves more conventionally in soil.
The needs of an orchid are much less than many plants, this has been key to its survival. As with all plants the roots are the means of nourishing the orchid, however, with an orchid the roots have another function, they are the means of the orchid anchoring themselves. It is the roots of the epiphytic orchid which holds it to the tree or rock which out which the orchid may perish. These exposed roots will absorb from the atmosphere the necessary moisture for survival; an orchid which is anchored to a tree may also absorb nourishment from the bird droppings or moulds on the bark of the tree.
The orchid is recognized as an exotic plant and has become the obsession of many an avid gardener. The wide variety of orchid plants means that there is a plant to suit almost every environment and if desired anyone can nurture an orchid. The range of orchids is constantly growing and a record of the different types is kept at the Royal Horticultural Society in London. This record contains all the recognized naturally occurring orchids as well as the hybrid orchids. Some orchids are now so rare that they are classified as endangered and protected by law. In the US there are certain orchids which are so rare that if you are caught picking or damaging one it is punishable under both federal and state law!
Orchid hybrids are naturally occurring as well and bred by enthusiasts. The ability of the orchid to evolve means that it is continually changing, it is possible that there are orchid hybrids formed and lost faster than man can record them. This is why the orchid has appealed to so many people; the survival of the orchid captures the imagination and then the sight of its delicate flowers draw people in to its world of wonders.
