Orchid Care Tips Blog

The Orchids or orchidaceae family is the largest and most diverse of the flowering plant families, with over 800 described genus and 25,000 species. Some sources show that there are about 30,000 species in this family, but the exact number is unknown since classification differs greatly in the academic world. Each year 800 new species are added. They are found almost everywhere, but the majority of species are found in the tropics and subtropic regions ranging from sea level to almost 5000 meters in nearly all environments, except open water and deserts. More than half of the species are epiphytic Orchids with fleshy tubers and unusual flowers.

Interesting Facts: Orchids, through their interactions with pollinators and their symbiosis with orchid mycorrhizal fungi, are considered by some, along with the grasses, to be examples of the most advanced floral evolution known. All orchid species are protected for the purposes of international commerce as potentially threatened or endangered in their natural habitat, including Cypripediums, Mexipediums, Paphiopedilums, Phragmipediums, and Selenipedium species Orchids. Many other species are protected by both international and national legislation, and while hybrids are supposed to be specifically exempted, hybrid orchids are not allowed into the United States without a CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) permit. The reason is that the authorities cannot distinguish the difference between hybrids and species.

Plant Background: Orchids are one of the largest families of flowering plants, challenging other plant families such as the daisy and sunflower. Orchids are a family of monocotyledons. They have a single seedling leaf and their floral parts are in threes. Currently there are known to be 25,000 species of Orchids. Estimates based on the current rate at which new species are being discovered and described, suggest that the number may reach 30,000 in a few years from now. Orchids are a cosmopolitan family found all the way from within the Arctic Circle to Tierra del Fuego (an archipelago at the southern most tip of South America) and the islands south of Australia. The term Orchid is derived from the Greek word orchis, meaning “testicle” due to the appearance of subterranean tuberoids of the genus. The word orchis was first used by Theophrastos during the period 372-371 to 287-286 BC. Theophrastos was a student of Aristotle and is considered the father of botany and ecology.

Flowers: Orchidaceae are well known for many structural variations in their flowers. Some Orchids have single flowers, while others have a raceme with a large number of flowers. The flowering stem can be produced from the base of the tuber (example: cymbidium), from the apex of the main stem (example: cattleya) or from the leaf axil (example: vanda). Orchid flowers are typically zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical), while there are some notable exceptions such as Mormodes, Ludisias and Macodes. The Orchid flower, like most flowers has two whorls or coils of sterile elements. The outer whorl has three sepals and there are three petals in the inner whorl. The sepals are very similar to the petals but may be entirely distinct. The upper medial petal is usually modified and enlarged, called the labellum, or lip. In most orchids the inferior ovary is rotated 180 degrees so that the labellum goes on the lower part of the flower, thus becoming suitable to form a platform for pollinators.

Care: Orchids have widely varying habits and can easily accommodate to the type of environment in which they exist. They may be terrestrial, epiphytic or saprophytic. The secret of successful cultivation of Orchids is to provide them with conditions as identical as possible with the environment under which they were growing in the wild. Due to their peculiar nutritional habits, Orchids require special techniques of cultivation if they are to grow healthy and produce a good crop of flowers.

The following factors should be considered as essential care tips to produce healthy and beautiful orchidaceae:

• Light
• Water
• Humidity
• Temperature
• Suitable medium to grow

The optimum in each of these factors varies from species to species and these factors are to be controlled. Orchids are generally grown in special orchid houses, which are of two types –

1. Open houses: The open type of house is mainly employed in tropical countries where humidity and temperature are most favorable.
2. Closed houses: This sort of house provides some amount of overhead protection from the blazing noon day sun of the tropics, which might cause leaves to burn in some delicate species.

Varieties: Eight percent of all flowering plants are Orchids, making them the largest family of angiosperms. The classification of the family is still problematic because of its size. There are another 100,000+ hybrids and cultivars produced by horticulturists, created since the introduction of tropical species in the 19th century.

There are five recognized sub-families of Orchidaceae:

• Apostasioideae
• Cypripediodeae
• Epidendroideae
• Orchidoideae
• Vanilloideae

I’m often asked which Orchid Books I recommend. These are some of the the best Orchid books I’ve found that can be bought immediately online.

1. Forceful Orchid Fertilizers - This book includes many homemade recipes. You can learn how to feed your Orchids and quickly get great results. Click Here!
2. Orchid Care Expert - An extensive guide to Orchid care techniques to maintain great looking Orchids. Click Here!
3. How To Care For Orchids - Grow Orchids and discover many Orchid mysteries. You’ll learn about the unusual biology of Orchids in their natural habitats and preferred climates. Click Here!

These are the best 5 ways to care for your Orchid and bring the Orchid back to life when it is almost dead. Orchid care miracles aren’t guaranteed, but hopefully these techniques help you! They usually have helped me.

1. Light: If the leaves are dark green, get more light. If they are light green, decrease light. If they have sunburn, decrease light.
2. Orchid Roots: If the leaves are dissolving and mushy, repot into soaked Orchid bark in a smaller pot. If the roots are still alive but not mushy, and instead are dry, water a bit more.
3. Fertilizing: If the Orchid has salts built up around edges of pot, wash the plant with clear water, then fertilize less.
4. Leaves: If there are no leaves left, your Orchid may be done. If there are any leaves left, there may be hope, so care for the plant carefully.
5. Bacteria on Orchid leaves: Cut the the plant leaf closer to the plant so the bacyteris cannot spread.

I’d like to announce a great Online book I hope you are interested in, The Magic Of Orchids. Reading it, you can discover secrets of growing magical Orchids. This is a guidebook across various categories such as Orchid care, hybrids, sick Orchids, pests, and more. This Online book is guaranteed. Click Here.

Top 15 Facts About Phalaelopsis Orchids

1. Most Phalaenopsis Orchids are from Northern Australia, India, Indonesia, the Phillipines, and othet tropical areas.
2. Medium bark, or sphagnum moss works best for potting Phalaenopsis Orchids.
3. Phalaenopsis prefer not to have temperatures below 62 degrees F or above 83 degrees F.
4. There are over 60 Phalaenopsis Orchid species.
5. Most Phalaenopsis are small to medium plants, but some can be somewhat large if older or a particular variety.
6. Phalaenopsis Orchids like tight pots on their roots. These pots usually end up being small to medium size.
7. Repotting should be done every 2-3 years. The best time to repot is when blooming is done.
8. Phalaenopsis Orchids do not have pseudobulbs, and are monopodial in structure. This means the plant does not have the same kind of storage mechanism for water and nutrients that Oncidiums, Dendrobiums, and many other Orchids have.
9. The thick spongy roots like to be misted in the summer heat.
10. A good way to tell if the plant is getting enough or too much light is to judge by leaf color. The leaves should be similar to the color of grass.
11. Too much light san sunburn Phalaenopsis leaves. Phalaenopsis Orchids do not like direct sunlight.
12. Too little water with slow growth and flowering, and roots can dry. Too much water will drown roots eventually and decompose the potting mix somewhat fast.
13. Phalaenopsis Orchids should be watered ideally once per week. BUT, if it is cooler or warmer, or the plant is in conditions where the pot weight does not lighten within a week, alter watering.
14. Phalaenopsis Orchids should be fertilized weakly, weekly. One in four waterings should have no fertilizer. If too much is used, leaf tips can burn and roots tips can burn as well.
15. Phalaenopsis plants can bloom at any time of the year, and can bloom 1-12 months. When the plant is done flowering, it can either be cut at the base of the flower spike, or below the last flower down the stem, in hopes the plant will rebloom. Only do this if the plant leaves and roots look strong enough to help the plant bloom again.

Top 5 Ways to Save Money When Buying Orchids

1. Buy a plant with more buds and one/some already open, so you know you’ll enjoy the full blooming of the plant without bud blast.
2. Don’t buy by price, buy by what you like. More expensive often doesn’t mean better with Orchids.
3. Get a plant with strong roots. Loot at the bottom of the pot and see if you can see roots through the holes.
4. Make sure you are buying a sturdy plant. If it is loose in the mix don’t buy it.
5. If a plant is on sale there is usually a reason. You’ll get a better buy in terms of plant quality and bloom time for your money by choosing a plant that is not on clearance. Those on clearance usually are on their way out.

This is an Orchid that likes to hang in a basket. Very nice petite flowers and a rare Orchid. Not the easiest to grow, but with some good air movement, humidity, light, and care, it will grow just fine.

Here is information about this Orchid from Carter and Holmes Orchids 

This is an Orchid that likes warm temperatures with very good air movement. It is easy to get spotting on the leaves of this exptic, tropical plant. The flowers are wonderful, usually in sets of 2-10.

View more information about this Orchid from Carter and Holmes

This is a very interesting Orchid. Not because it blooms a very long time… or even is a large Orchid… in fact it is very small. What is interesting is just how compact and detailed this Orchid is. Beautiful plant.

Read about this plant from Carter and Holmes on Amazon