Grow Organically » Orchids

Orchid Plants – Quick and Easy Jump Start to Orchid Culture

seekez — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 08:26:47 +0000

There really is not much difference at all between growing orchids and growing other plants. All plants really need the same care to be healthy and this consists of meeting their basic needs in terms of water, food, warmth, sun and air. Orchids require these same basics to grow and thrive – it is only the amounts which separate them from other types of plants. The amount needed of each of these elements for growth also separates orchids from one another.

Giving orchids care begins with providing the right humidity level for the type of orchid you intend to grow. Generally speaking, orchids need between 40% and 70% humidity day after day. While most plants control water evaporation, orchids cannot, and are constantly in a state of losing water. The only controlling factor is the amount of humidity in the air. Know how much humidity your orchid is going to require before purchasing it.

If you are growing orchids, you need to supply continuous atmospheric moisture, whether it be by hosing the garden or inside, by spraying the plants, setting them over trays of water or keeping them in a container such as a glass environment where you can control the humidity levels. Humidity is not a problem in cold weather. You should follow periods of humidity by a time of drying out. This is similar to having morning sun followed by an afternoon shower, and then morning sun once again the next day.

Air is another necessity of orchids. In nature, orchids often grow up trees because they have excellent air circulation. While all plants pull carbon dioxide from the air, orchids are exceedingly efficient about it. It is essential to have good ventilation to grow healthy orchids indoors. A good source of air circulation is a ceiling fan. Even indoor orchids need fresh clean air inside so open a window whenever possible. If it’s cold outside, arrange it so the air is warmed before it hits the plants. For example, open the window from the top and not the bottom.

Place your orchids where they will get the most sunlight they can without suffering any ill effects, such as sunburn. Orchids need lots of light–around ten hours per day. This light should not be at full intensity at all times so start them out in the sun and then move them to shadier spots or filter the light through curtains until you achieve the desired effect.

Orchids need to be protected from frost and snow. Many orchids grow naturally where temperatures dip well below freezing. In the Andes, for instance, temperatures in the 20s are not terribly uncommon. But you must be very attentive to colder temperatures, and orchids that do experience cooler temperatures must remain dry. Cold and wet are not good conditions for growing orchids. Cooler orchids are those said to need a temperature averaging fifty degrees. You can find temperature charts online or in orchid books that will show which orchids do best at certain temperatures.

Your orchids need to be fed. That is a step of giving orchids care not to be ignored. Some growers still argue about what orchids need to be fed and how much. But, especially if you are a beginner, you will want to do everything possible to have healthy orchids.

Begin by using orchid liquid fertilizer, whether it be synthetic or organic. Most orchids today are planted in osmunda, or dead fern roots, which decomposes. Always be on the lookout for malnourishment, which shows up in your orchids as yellowish or brownish discolorations. Check out recipes for nutrient fertilizers online.

If you meet these basics of orchid care and culture, you should have no trouble at all being successful at growing orchids. As long as they have the basics of food, air, humidity, protection and light, orchids will respond positively.

Secret Strategies For Properly Caring For Orchids

seekez — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 20:14:09 +0000

If this is your first time owning an orchid then you will want to learn the proper orchid care steps to growing beautiful orchids. In this article I will explain how caring for orchids can be accomplished easily and quickly with these easy to learn strategies. If you want to turn your orchid plants into beautiful and thriving flowers, then you need to read this article for proper orchid care. So without further ado lets get into the exact process of caring for orchids.

Watering Orchids

In order to have amazing orchids you need to know how to water your orchids correctly. One of the main factors to watering orchids is to make sure the orchid soil is moist and not soggy or too wet. By keeping an eye on your orchid will allow you to make sure that the orchid soil does not dry out and will keep your orchid healthy. You can also make a note of the weight of your orchid after you have watered it. This is a great way to find out exactly when to water your orchid again. You can also place your finger about one inch into the top layer of the orchid medium and test to see if it is moist or dry. If it’s dry then its time to water your orchid. If the orchid medium is still moist then you should wait before watering your orchid again.

Fertilization and Nutrition

An important factor to having healthy orchids is knowing what you should feed your orchid to have vibrant plants. Nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium are the most important nutrients your orchid plants need to thrive and grow. These are the basic nutrients that every plant needs to have in order to thrive and bloom. The basic nutrients for orchid nutrition is what I will discuss for basic orchid feeding.

Nitrogen is used for the leaves and flowers of your orchid plant. If you begin to see your orchid leaves turning yellow and becoming stunted in growth, this may be a sign of a nitrogen deficiency. Having too much nitrogen can also be a problem as well and could prevent your orchid from flowering correctly or at all. Use the proper amount of nitrogen when feeding your orchids.

Another essential macro-nutrient needed for optimum health is phosphorous. Phosphorous is a great nutrient for many different things. In order to properly transplant your orchids correctly you will need the help of phosphorous. Strengthening the roots of your plants is important and phosphorous can make this happen. Slow growth and blue green discolorations of the leaves of your orchid can be caused by lack of phosphorous in the soil. Too much phosphorous will inhibit the absorption of other nutrients such as magnesium, iron, calcium and various others.

Potassium is not as an important nutrient as nitrogen and phosphorous is but is worth mentioning. In order to keep the plants cells of your orchid strong and healthy you need to have potassium in the orchid medium or soil. Important sugars such as starch is needed for proper orchid health, and potassium allows this process to occur correctly. An excess of potassium may lead to a deficiency in nitrogen, copper, calcium, iron, and many other important minerals.

Propagating Orchids

Discover all about orchid propagation and how it can help you to have amazing and healthy orchids. Propagating orchids is simple; it is just moving your plant into a new orchid pot and soil. If you don’t know when it’s time to replant your orchids then keep an eye on the roots of your orchids and when they become crowded it is time to transplant them. Handling your orchid with care is essential if you want to have healthy orchids throughout the year. When removing your orchid plant you need to make sure not to pull the plant from its stem, if you need to you can hit the bottom of the pot and this should be enough to loosen the soil and roots to easily remove the plant. You can also use a knife to cut the plant from the pot, but you need to be careful not to cut any roots.

Take a knife and remove all the decaying material that is around your plant and throw it away. If your orchid roots happen to be thriving or healthy then you will need to repot your orchid into a larger pot than the original.

Before adding the orchid into the new pot you need to make sure it will have proper drainage by adding Styrofoam peanuts into the pot. Put orchid medium into the pot and then place your orchid inside filling up the pot all the way to the top with orchid medium. Press firmly down on the orchid medium making sure that your orchid is in place and it will not move. Many people place a stick inside of the pot and tie their orchid to it to prevent it from falling over or blowing away.

Discover How Taking Care of Orchids Does Not Have To Be Difficult

seekez — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 09:28:39 +0000

Your orchid needs proper care as soon as you purchase it from your local greenhouse. After you purchased that first orchid of yours you need proper orchid care techniques for thriving plants.

As long as you have the right knowledge you will be able to grow these flowers very easily. So lets discover these simple and easy to learn techniques right now.

You Can Tell Everything From Your Orchid Leaves

You need to understand what your orchid leaves are trying to tell you and keep an eye on them for any sudden changes. When taking care of orchids properly the normal colour of an orchid leaf should be a light, bright green. If there is any variance in this colour, it could be that the light, temperature or amount of water is not meeting the needs of your plant.

Avoiding Orchid Diseases

Do not forget to care for your orchid plants or you may end up killing them if you don’t have the proper orchid care tactics. One way to avoid root rot is to dry out your orchid soil first, then you can begin to water your orchid. Make sure when checking the roots of your orchids that they are not too soggy or mushy, otherwise you may need to dry them out or water them less.

If you use an orchid mix that you purchase at any garden store you will not have to worry about drainage problems with your plants. However, just because the medium appears dry, does not mean it is time to water the plant. One quick way to determine if the soil is dry is to place your finger or an object of equal size into the medium to see if it is moist. If the pencil comes out dry, the plant needs to be water. Make sure when watering your orchids you should water too little rather than too much.

Lessen The Water Used If Your Orchid Is

not receiving direct sunlight, or during cloudier time periods
has been planted inside of a plastic pot.
When the moisture in the air has increased such as high humidity.

Increase The Water Used When The Orchid Is

If your orchid is planted in a clay plot instead of a plastic pot.
If you happen to be growing orchids in dry conditions.
Even hot conditions as well as bright sunlight.
Thin, leaves or growth

Light up your Orchid’s Life

Most orchids are accustomed to bright but filtered light. One way to determine if your orchid is not getting enough light is if your plant is thriving but not blooming. When there is not enough sunlight then you may think about placing your orchids underneath fluorescent lights. If you do use grow lights for your plants then I would suggest only using fluorescent lights. Even though grow lights can be expensive it is well worth it to grow magnificent orchids.

The Best Orchid Pots You Should Use

When selecting your orchid pot, you will need to consider the type of maintenance you will be able to provide for your plant. Do you care for orchids like you would with your own child or do you tend to ignore properly caring for your plants?

When you tend to give your orchid much care then you may want to use either a mesh or a clay pot for effective and healthy orchids. If you happen to water your orchids more than often then these materials will easily dry out the orchid medium. If this doesn’t work then you might want to think about purchasing pots with very dark colors. These dark colors will allow the sunlight to heat up the medium much faster than light colors.

Daily orchid care is essential, but if you don’t care for them daily you can always purchase plastic pots for all your plants if you care for them less frequently. If you happen to get light colored plastic containers it will help the plant to hold most of the water you give it.

Fertilizer

Feeding your orchids is important if you want to have orchids that bloom correctly and beautifully. To guarantee beautiful blooms and continual growth, you will want to supplement your orchid with fertilizer.

Let’s discuss the many important types of fertilizers that you should know all about. Fertilizers high in nitrogen encourage leaf growth, those high in phosphorus will help prepare the plant for flowering.

Now that you understand taking care of orchids is such an easy task to complete you can now grow beautiful and magnificent orchids. Start today growing your favorite orchids and get hands on experience caring for these amazing flowers.

Seven Beautiful and Magnificent Types of Orchids

seekez — Sun, 30 May 2010 16:41:57 +0000

Facts About These Seven Types of Orchids

If you plan on buying an orchid , the vast number of orchids and hybrids can be overwhelming. This guide will give you some basics of each of the main types of orchids, and hopefully help you narrow your search for the ideal orchid.

Cattelya Orchids

Cattelya orchids are the ideal corsage orchid, because of the massive size of these orchids and their bloom . The cattleya flower can vary in size from 5 cm to as large as 15 cms wide. There are over 42 orchid species of these types of orchids, with the majority originating from Costa Rica and South America. Due to the warm climate that they originated from, they require a warm, humid, home environment to thrive .

Phalaenopsis Orchids and Their Amazing Beauty

This is probably the easiest orchid to grow at home , and is therefore often recommended for the beginner orchid grower. Many beleive that there are about 60 types of phalaenopsis orchids . The blooms on this orchid can vary from a few simple blooms, to a long beautiful trail of delicate small flowers. These plants typically bloom on an annual basis , and the blooms will last for approximately a month.

Paphiopedilum Orchids Are Also Called Slipper Orchids

This exotic plant is often referred to as a slipper orchid since the shape of its flower is so strange . In nature, these types of orchids are often found on the ground and therefore will tolerate mois environments than a typical orchid. If you are lacking a sunny environment and you tend to over water, this may be the perfect orchid for you.

The Beautiful Cymbidium Orchids

These plants are one of the taller varieties of orchids , with plant heights sometimes reaching and exceeding 60 cms. They are often used as cut flowers, due to their length and the trail of flowers that each stem holds. These orchids are one of the most difficult orchid plants to grow , as they require a fairly warm environment when flowering and a cool one during their dormant period. If you are a patient grower and are looking for a challenge, then this type of orchid may be the perfect plant for you.

The Different Varieties of Dendrobium Orchids

It is estimated that there are over hundreds of types of dendrobium orchids , and within this genus there is a full range of simple to grow varieties to those that a bit more challenging. Before you start growing dendrobium orchids , be aware of the specific genus as the light, temperature, and moisture needs will vary accordingly. If you care for your dendrobium orchid properly then the blooms can last up to eight weeks or even longer .

Beautiful Oncidium Orchids

This orchid is often referred to as the dancing lady, because the flowers, for those with a vivid imagination, can be mistaken for a lady dancing . The beauty of these flowers is not in their size, but in their sheer amount. The stems of this plant sometimes lean over from the sheer weight and amount of flowers .

The Right Conditions For Vandaceous Orchids

These orchid species are naturally grown from Southern Asia, and so they will most likely thrive in warm, humid weather . Perhaps the most colourfull of the orchid variety, they can bloom about three times per year with the right conditions and proper orchid care .

Orchid Care For Beginners

seekez — Thu, 27 May 2010 19:00:26 +0000

Orchid care is the most important and easiest aspect of growing beautiful orchids . With the right information you can easily have magnificent and amazing orchids growing in your home or garden in a very short time. There are a few basic orchid care tips you should know in order to grow thriving orchids that will last for many years to come. In order to have beautiful orchids you need to learn about proper light, temperature, humidity, correct watering, and what type of soil medium do orchid prefer to grow in.

Proper Orchid Medium

The first thing you should know when caring for orchids is using the right orchid medium. If you plant your orchids in regular potting soil your orchid plant will surely die because they grow in very different soil. There are many readily available mixes that you can find including tree fiber, fir bark, and coconut husks. Inorganic types of orchid medium include lava rock, charcoal, turface, and even pearlite can be used to grow orchids. Most of the time if you go to your local greenhouse or garden store they have prepackaged orchid medium for sale. With the popularity of orchids you can find these mixes almost anywhere nowadays, and are great for growing your orchids.

How Much Light Does an Orchid Need?

Light is another important part of growing beautiful and healthy orchids as well. Most orchids are very sensitive to very bright light and can burn very easily if placed in direct sunlight. That’s why if you are planting your orchids indoors it is important not to place them directly in sunlight. For example if you place your orchid plant on a windowsill it is important not to leave it in direct sunlight for too long or at all. During the summertime is when you need to make sure your plant is not in direct sunlight because the sun is strongest during the summer months. If you live in an area that doesn’t get much sun then I suggest using artificial lights to grow your orchids. If you do happen to use artificial lights then you don’t need to leave your lights on all the time, you only need them for certain times.

Using The Right Temperature For Growing Orchids

Proper temperature is critical to maintaining magnificent orchids. Three types of temperature classes you need to know are cool, medium and warm. The cool temperature class orchids thrive between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit. These orchids include cymdiums as cool temperature orchids. Medium class orchids such as cattleyas, epidendrums, and oncidiums require a temperature of 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Warm class plants such as phalaenopsis and vanda orchids need to have a temperature of 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. A dark and mush orchid means that the temperature is too low and you need to put your orchid in warmer temperatures. When the temperature becomes too high you might see your orchid leaves turning black and yellow because of sunburn.

How Much Humidity Do Orchids Need?

For optimum growth your orchids need to have the right amount of humidity, because their natural habitat has much humidity. Having the incorrect amount of humidity can cause potential harm to your plants and it may not bloom correctly. During the summertime the humidity that is around should be adequate for your orchids to thrive. Unless you happen to live in a dry climate. In dry climates you need to supply your orchids with humidity. It is important to keep your orchids with at least 60-80 percent humidity environment. If you need more humidity you can purchase a humidifier which can increase the humidity around your orchids. If you have a tray and some gravel or pebbles then you can place your plants on this. Make sure to fill the tray with water and the water is not touching your orchid plants.

How Should I Water My Orchids?

Watering your orchids is by far the most critical step to orchid care. When watering your orchids you need to be careful that you do not over-water them or under-water them. Follow these simple steps to keep your orchids moist and vibrant and avoid over-watering them.

1. First make sure you water your orchids thoroughly with warm tap water.

2. Next, you will need to test the weight of your orchid when it has recently been watered.

3. Third, you need to test the weight of your orchid every day to make sure it hasn’t lost too much water.

4.If you can’t tell by its weight then you will need to put your finger about one inch into the soil medium. If the soil is moist about an inch or two into the soil medium then you do not have to water your orchids. If it is dry then you will need to water your orchids again thoroughly keeping them moist.

These are some of the basic orchid care tips that I think should get you started with growing and maintaining your orchids quickly and easily. Good luck growing your orchids and have fun at the same time!