Blooming Orchids
While orchid plants have a diva reputation, many blooming orchid varieties are no more trouble to grow at home than the average fern. But before you succumb to that gotta-have-it moment when met with a table of lush, flowering orchids, you need to know the right plant for the right place. If you first identify the indoor conditions with which you have to work, and then match them up with an orchid that will simply love it there, you can have a nearly foolproof growing experience.
Here are several varieties and what they need to flourish:
Cattleya ‘Emeral Isle’
What: It’s the prom queen of orchids; many are fragrant.
Degree of difficulty: It’s a 3 (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the trickiest).
Where: West-facing window.
Light: bright, indirect light all day or direct afternoon sun only.
Temperature: 70-80 degrees, 55-65 degrees at night
Humidity: High
Watering: Keep potting mix moist during the growing season and blooming season. (March through September)
Feeding: Fertilize once a month at full strength or weekly at quarter strength.
Moth Orchid (phanaenopsis)
What: It’s readily available and can bloom for months.
Degree of difficulty: It’s a 1.
Where: East facing window.
Light: Filtered; no direct sun.
Temperature: 75-85 degrees, 60-65 degrees at night
Humidity: High. They love moist air, so try a windowsill in a bath or over the kitchen sink.
Watering: Keep moist but not soggy.
Feeding: Fertilize once a month with liquid orchid food.
Dancing Lady Orchid (Oncidium ‘Grower Ramsey’)
What: It’s also called “spray orchid” for its habit of producing lots of small blossoms on a set of stems.
Degree of difficulty: 1
Where: west-facing window
Light: bright, indirect light all day, or direct afternoon sun only.
Temperature: 70-80 degrees, 55-65 degrees at night.
Humidity: High. Place potted plant on a saucer filled with pebbles and water.
Feeding: Fertilize with high nitrogen fertilizer (30-10-10) once a month for the first six months after bloom. Apply half-strength fertilizer every third watering in growing season.
Quick answers to common orchid questions
1. How do I make my moth orchid rebloom?
After the flowers have dropped off the stem, find the third node from the bottom of the plant and clip above that point with clean, sharp pruners. The plant will rebloom from this point with small yet equally chic flowers usually within eight weeks.
2. What is the most common mistake when growing orchids?
Over watering. Even when following guidelines, always check the planting medium before watering. It should be somewhat dry; if you’re unsure, wait. Orchids tolerate under watering considerable better than over watering.
3. How often should I repot my orchid?
Repot every two years, generally in the spring or summer or whenever the blooming period has ended. Many orchids are planted in bark, which decomposes quickly. Once it breaks sown, it acts like a sponge holding moisture.
Adapted from: Cottage Living Magazine; January/February 2008
Written by Kate Karam