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Grow Orchids

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Grow an exotic orchid

The first orchid I ever owned was a present from a friend. I was initially intimidated by the gracefully arched exotic beauty. It was going to be a real challenge for me to keep this pricey and fussy plant alive, I thought. Where should I put it, how often should I water it? How do I get it to bloom again after the flowers are spent? These were the questions zipping through my mind as I graciously accepted my first orchid from my friend.

Ten years have passed and that one orchid plant had grown multiple spikes, been split into separate plants, repotted several times, with some colorful exotics joining the club.
This lens showcases the orchids that I learned to grow through trial and error. You too, can grow an orchid.
All the photos were taken by yours truly and some are posted on Flickr.

Take this quick poll

Orchids have a magical beauty and allure with incredible colors, shapes and scents. Perhaps, this contributes to the belief that they are difficult to grow and bloom. I thought so too, but I have become an orchid enthusiast.

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Spectacular dendrobium bridal veil

Show of all shows

My first orchid was a white dendrobium with a single stalk or cane. It flourished, bloomed, and grew multiple offshoots. One year, the dendrobium made a spectacular display of more than 50-some flowers arching gracefully next to the window. The stem was so weighted down that a sturdy pole had to be inserted in the center of the planter to hold up this bridal veil. Have you ever seen anything like this?

denbrodium white bridal veil


Today, some of the older canes have died back, new root shoots called keikis (Hawaiian for babies) are growing from buds on the upper portion of the cane. Eventually, these will be removed and repotted as separate plants. Notice the buds on the bloom spikes in the third picture. Perhaps, there will never be another bridal veil, but these white dazzlers are always a welcome sight.
Lone white dendrobium orchiddendrobium with spikesdenbrodium Spring buds

White Phalaenopsis or 'Moth Orchid'

A classic beauty- a popular wedding flower

Phalaenopsis or Phals, for short, are easily grown in the home and stay in bloom for a very long time. They live in the moist and shady undergrowth fo the forest in Southeast Asia including the Philippines, Taiwan, and many islands in that region.

Phals are monopidial, which means they grow leaves from a central stem. Each year a phal will grow one or two new leaves. To encourage new spikes to emerge from the phals, the plant must experience lower temperatures (60's) at night. Ideal daytime temperature is around 75-85 degrees F.

White phalaenopsis

A "forever" gift

A gift from a co-worker became a forever gift. When I first received this orchid, it had five medium-sized blooms. Every year, the blooms multipled and became larger (4 inches across) that a thicker bamboo stake had to be put in place to hold the weighty cascading stalk upright and keep the pot from tipping over. Notice the new bloom spike in the photo which is getting ready to make a scene this Spring 2012.

white phaleonopsis cascading giftwhite Phaleonopsis cascading gift spike

Delicate Pink Phalaenopsis

Soft touch of a baby's cheeks

Delicate and elegant, the subtle pink phalaenopsis makes it own statement.

Watering

Never overwater an orchid. Water every 7-10 days or when the planting medium is dry to the touch. Water orchids in the morning so that the leaves are dry before the evening.

Yellow-orange with purple Phalaenopsis orchid

Star-shaped with perfect symmetry

A lovely contrast to the whites and purple orchids, these yellow-orange phals bring smiles to dreary days. The petals are thick almost like those of succulents.

Mottled purple and white Phalaenopsis

Spotted harlequins

These wild-looking phals never fail to turn heads. Exotic, stunning, and long-lasting, these are one of my favorites.

Yellow and purple Phalaenopsis

A variation of the white and purple phal

If only we could decipher the secret messages written on the petals. God is indeed the greatest artist of all.

Sunlight

Never expose an orchid to bright mid-day sun as this will burn and scorch the plant. Indirect sunlight is best.

Muti-branched Phalaenopsis

Fooling Mother Nature

Phals are supposed to have a single stem. But this orchid defied Mother Nature and branched out into several arched blooms. This phenomena occurred several times and then stopped. Digital cameras are wonderful in capturing great moments.

Mother's Day sunny yellow Striped Phalaenopsis

Baldan's Kaleidoscope 'Golden Treasure'

One way I remember orchids is by association. My son gave me this lemony candy-striped Phalaenopsis for Mother's Day in 2011. It came in its own ceramic 4" container. I took a photo of it for posterity and for sentimental reasons. The intricate network of "veins" is eye-popping and the red lips are striking
Mother's Day moth-candy-salmon phaleonopsis
In a few more days, it will be Spring 2012 and this small green spike will burst into golden treasures that will elicit smiles from this mother.

Mother's Day Phaleonopsis salmon spike

All about Phalaenopsis or Phals

Phalaenopsis Care
How to care for a Phalaenopsis orchid. Practical care advice for phalaenopsis including bloom cycle and when to cut spikes.
Orchid care: cutting the flower spike | The Modern Gardener
The Modern Gardener
When and where to cut flowering stem on a Phalaenopsis orchid
Flowering orchids is a desired objective of successful orchid cultivation, in our case, Phalaenopsis orchid and it is very difficult to decide whether to cut the flower stem or not.

Where to cut a Phalaenopsis spike?

To get blooms all year round

There are two ways to induce growth of new spikes after the flowers are spent. The first way is to lop off the spike at the base. Cutting the flower spike entirely allows the plant to gather its energy for a more spectacular bloom the next time. The photo below shows an old spike which has browned and never produced a new spike. This was because I had inadvertently cut the old spike above the node on the stem where a future spike will emerge. But it was not all in vain because a new green shoot emerged from the base of the leaves.

spike from base of orchid


The second way to induce a new spike is to cut the old spike just above a node on the stem while it is still green. This will force a new spike to emerge from the node and rebloom as a branch off the existing spike. This results in more blooms sooner but take energy from the plant and may result in smaller blooms. I have done it both ways and never noticed any difference in the size of the flowers.

orchid spike from cut node

Two miniature white phals with new spikes

Out with the old, in with the new

Phalaenopsis orchids' bottom leaves wlll turn yellow and fall off when new growths emerge. Note the new spikes in the two plants. These new shoots will have a display of small white Phals, about the side of half dollars in a couple of months. This photo was taken on Feb. 18. 2012.

miniature white phaleonopsis with spikes


Just a little over two months later (April 29), mini white phals bloomed and stole the show. Usually, the stems have to be staked to keep the flowers upright. Cute little orchid butterfly clips hold the stems to the stakes. These can be purchased from the local nursery.

mini white phals with flowers

Ingredients for thriving orchids

Patience, good air circulation, indirect sunlight and water. Some orchids like warm temperatures and other prefer cool.

Details, details, details

Be mindful of standing water

Most orchids are sold in plastic pots in varying sizes. Before putting the 4-inch Phalaenopsis in the decorative pot, I inserted an inexpensive plastic dish inside topped with a layer of smooth pebbles. A bag of river rocks can be purchased from the dollar store. The river rocks will serve as a drainage for residual liquid after the orchid is watered. It is not a good idea to let an orchid sit directly in water even for only an hour. Leaves will start yellowing. I have lost a couple due to this oversight.
river rocks for orchid drainage orchid blue pot with phaleonopsis

How to water orchids

This video illustrates how to water and fertilize an orchid. The only difference is that I catch the running water into a basin and pour this into the next orchid. Why waste the precious orchid food into the drain? Every so often, I give the leaves of the orchid a light shower to rid of the dust. Orchids look great with their healthy and shiny spade-like leaves. Then I wipe these dry with kitchen towels.
Watering Orchids
by growingwisdom | video info

79 ratings | 50,777 views
curated content from YouTube

Purple dendrobium orchid

My pride and joy

Watering Dendrobiums

Water thoroughly to saturate the bark mixture and drain well. Dendrobiums store water in their rhizomes and like to dry out between waterings.

Striking purple Dendrobium

My favorite color

There are 4 large planters of purple dendrobium orchids against the sunroom windows. The orchids were placed by the windows because the stalks were tall and there was nowhere else to put them. These were also very prolific plants which continued to grow offshoots and overtime crowding the pots. Fortunately, dendrobiums like to be root-bound.

horizontal cluster purple dendrobium
The morning sun and the afternoon shade made this a perfect location for the purple beauties. Evening temperatures are about 60's which forced the bloom spikes to emerge in the late Winter. This explains why the purple denbrodium orchids are my best performers in the house. Weekly watering and fertilizing played a key role too.

dendrobium in planters


The key to a happy orchid is to move the pot as little as possible. Once the plant gets acclimated to a certain location, they tend to stay the healthiest when left in one spot.

purple dendrobium1

Temperature

Orchids like daytime temperatures of around 70's and colder evenings (60's). Never place orchids next to heating registers and radiators.
I closed the vents on the floor next to my orchids even in the winter so these plants do not get dehydrated. Keep a dish of gravel with some water on the bottom of the planter to maintain humidity. Never let orchids sit directly on water.

All about Dendrobium orchids

Dendrobiums - Growing Dendrobiums Orchids
How to grow the popular dendrobium hybrid orchids.
All about dendrobium Orchids and how to grow them
Cultural information on dendrobium orchids, stories, pictures and events in the UK, link to the oldest orchid society in the world.
Dendrobium Orchid Care - Beginner
Fantastic selection of orchids. Great and unique orchid gifts. Thousands of blooming orchid plants direct from our greenhouse in Hawaii. Save money and time guaranteed.

Enhance the beauty of your orchids

Orchids are usually sold in a plastic pot ranging from 3-6" pots. These are then hidden in decorative orchid planters to enhance the beauty of the flowers. Aside from decorative purposes, the cut-outs in the pots are made to improve air circulation.
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Repotting

Repot once every two years in Spring, after blooming, or when new growth starts. A mix of 10 parts fine-grade Fir-bark and 1 part orchid mix will work well in 6" pots and smaller, while medium-grade Fir-bark works well in larger pots.

Repotting Your Orchids

Orchids potting mix to create spectacular blooms

Orchids need special growing medium

Orchids grow on tree barks in the rainforests of Southeast Asia. Orchids are not parasites and do not rely on the host trees for nutrients. Instead, they get their nutrients from the air. Orchids are epiphytes or 'air plants.' Hence, orchid potting mix are usually made of bark with other loose materials. These products are fertile mixtures of chunks of peat blended with western fir bark, hardwood charcoal and coarse perlite. Proper drainage is essential for proper growth and root health of the orchids.


Sun Bulb 5011 Better-Gro Phalaenopsis Mix, 8 Quarts


Hoffman 10804 Organic Special Orchid Mix, 4 Quarts


Scotts Organic #89178300 MG 8QT Orchid Mix


BETTER-GRO FIR BARK 8 qt.

Papa's orchid

This purple orchid was given to me by a friend when my father passed away. There were several purple flowers when I first received the arrangement. But as months passed, the other flowers wilted away except for one lone orchid which lingered for 7 months.
Papa's orchid

Cymbidium or boat orchid

The orchid that came back to life.

This cymbidium orchid was spectacular after I took it home from a local nursery. But after the flowers were spent, the leaves browned and were unattractive and the plant did not bloom for the next two years. It was given up for dead and the cymbidium plant was banished outdoors under a Japanese maple tree where it was shaded and stayed cool most of the time. It gets watered once a week or even less and was pretty much ignored for sometime until beautiful yellow and orange blooms started to grow late Winter. The flamboyant blooms have a waxy texture and last ten weeks.

The lesson I learned here is that the cymbidium preferred to be in a cool shaded area with indirect sunlight and liked drying out between waterings.

cymbidium 2012

If you don't want to grow them, stick them on the wall

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Growing cymbidiums made easy

Cymbidium Orchid | Everything Orchids
Try growing a Cymbidium orchid as they will reward you with sprays of huge showy flowers that last for months! Come here to see how to grow these gorgeous orchids!
Cymbidium Society of America: An International Orchid Society
The Cymbidium Society of America was founded
to stimulate and extend the appreciation of cymbidiums, paphiopedilums and other cool-growing orchids.
Facts about Cymbidium
Cymbidiums are most popular winter & spring blooming orchids, symbolism of virtue and morality, Consists of 44 species. Learn interesting information Facts, Growing, Plant Caring Tips about Cymbidium

The world's most exotic flowers

You deserve to grow one

Life is too short not to grow an orchid. Now is just as good as anytime to get one for yourself or for a friend. Imagine the feeling of pride and satisfaction when your orchid blooms again and again.


X542 Orchid Plant Dendrobium Charack Red


SC92 Orchid Plant Pot Shin Shiang Diamond 'Sun #1' Pot Pack


SC94 Orchid Plant Potinara Free Spirit 'Lea' Pot Pack MEDIUM


Beallara Pluto's Drummer orchid Near Blooming Size


Hardy Chinese Butterfly Orchid-Bletilla ochracea-Potted


Rare Gueria de turrialba Cattleya dowiana Orchid Plant


Kate Chinese Ground Orchid
Bletilla
Potted


Bletilla striata 'Murasaki Shikibu'
Chinese Ground Orchid

A real winner for the adventurous gardener

Growing Hardy Orchids

Growing Hardy Orchids

by: John Tullock

Amazon Price: $16.03 (as of 06/01/2012)Buy Now

This book will challenge the adventurous gardener who will enjoy cultivating hardy orchids, some able to withstand temperatures down to minus 50 degress F or minus 45.5 deg. F. The author dismantles the myth that these terrestial orchids are difficult and challenging to grow ---no more than a rose. The book includes a catalog of 103 hardy and half-hardy orchids, detailing the techniques of cultivation and propagation.

Orchid food for blooms year after year

Nutrients to keep orchids healthy and prolific

I add 1/8 tsp. of orchid fertilizer to 1 gallon of water for the weekly watering. This is more than what the experts recommend but my orchids do not seem to be complaining.


Grow More All Purpose Orchid Fertilizer
(Yellow) 20-20-20 1.25 lb jar


Grow More 5120 1-1/4-Pound Orchid Food 6-30-30


GROW MORE Urea Free Orchid Fertilizer 20-10-20
(green) 1.25 lb jar


Grow More 5119 1-Pound Orchid Food 30-10-10


GROW MORE Growth Formula Orchid Fertilizer
(pink) 30-10-10 1.25 lb jar


Orchids in Music

The most exotic flowers on earth are not only a visual delight but music to one's ears. These CDs will delight the senses.
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Perfect resources for orchid lovers

Easy to follow and understand


Orchids For Dummies


Understanding Orchids:
An Uncomplicated Guide to Growing the World's Most Exotic Plants


Four Seasons of Orchids
(Gardening)


Growing Windowsill Orchids
(Kew Growing)


A must for orchid newbies

Orchids for Every Home: The Beginner's Guide to Growing Beautiful, Easy-Care Orchids

Orchids for Every Home: The Beginner's Guide to Growing Beautiful, Easy-Care Orchids

by: Wilma Rittershausen, Brian Rittershausen

Amazon Price: $15.34 (as of 06/01/2012)Buy Now

This book is easy to read and will set you at ease with growing orchids. It starts the newbie with the easy-care orchids and gradually move on to the high-maintenance variety. There is a description of the plant and its flowers, were and how often it blooms, where to site it, how often to water and other care instructions.
There is a trouble-shooting sections for common problems like mealybugs, sunburn , viruses, and how to deal with them.

Funny, informative, and a visual delight

5-star rated book--almost

Bloom-Again Orchids: 50 Easy-Care Orchids that Flower Again and Again and Again

Bloom-Again Orchids: 50 Easy-Care Orchids that Flower Again and Again and Again

by: judywhite

Amazon Price: $4.74 (as of 06/01/2012)Buy Now

This book will convince even the most nervous newbies that orchids are not hard to grow. Set your fears about orchids being fussy, temperamental and difficult after reading Judy White's award-winning book. A great reference book with a humorous outtake that will keep you peeled to the pages and the spectacular close-up photos whet your appetite for orchids.

An invaluable resource for beginners and orchid enthusiasts

Complete Guide to Orchids (Miracle Gro)

Complete Guide to Orchids (Miracle Gro)

by: Miracle-Gro

Amazon Price: $3.59 (as of 06/01/2012)Buy Now

According to the descriptions in Amazon:
Simple techniques and professional tips for growing orchids indoors.
Up-to-date expert advice guides readers on how to water, fertilize, light and propagate orchids.
A pictorial troubleshooting section helps homeowners diagnose any ailments their orchids might suffer.
Includes bonus in-depth information on the history of orchids so homeowners understand why orchids require certain growing conditions and care.

.

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Purple Star Awardee

On March 19, 2012, this lens was bestowed a Purple Star Award. I wholeheartedly thank the lensmaster who nominated this lens to be worthy of this honor.

Squid Angels flew by and blessed this lens.

Thank you so much for the sprinkles.

More angels found their way here

This lens is so blessed

Angels sprinkled more magical dust

my orchids just got a super boost

And more angels came

My hearfelt thanks

Give this a thumbs up if you like it.

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Are you ready to grow an orchid?

  • darjadani May 31, 2012 @ 7:16 am | delete
    Helpful information about Phalaenopsis, thanks :)
  • Cari_Kay May 30, 2012 @ 9:16 pm | delete
    These photos are beautiful. You've got me motivated to get more orchids! Blessed!
  • tfsherman May 30, 2012 @ 8:30 pm | delete
    Great lens, orchid lady! I live in Florida where my phals are soooo happy underneath the citrus trees. I bring them in when they bloom each year and put them in a bowl with a bunch of corks in the bottom. The corks diffuse water to them quicker than pebbles, but they aren't standing in water.
  • bakerwoman May 30, 2012 @ 10:31 pm | delete
    My orchids have never stepped out of the house yet, perhaps, because it gets pretty cool in the evenings in Northern California. It is also windy where I live. I like the tip on the usage of cork which I will keep in mind. The corks in my collection though are going towards some cor trivets which I plan to make.
  • MJsConsignments May 30, 2012 @ 3:24 pm | delete
    What an awesome lens. I'm willing to try but my dogs may have other things to say about it!
  • Pinkchic18 May 3, 2012 @ 2:48 pm | delete
    Orchids sure are high maintenance!
  • ernestoserna Apr 28, 2012 @ 7:49 am | delete
    I saw some beautiful orchids in my travels.
  • AnimalHouse Apr 5, 2012 @ 3:35 am | delete
    The orchids look wonderful.
  • Markstuffnmore Mar 20, 2012 @ 5:39 pm | delete
    great lens! awesome pictures and I love your tips in purple!
  • Michey Mar 19, 2012 @ 9:09 pm | delete
    Your pictures are supper, I love orchids.
    Regards
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by

bakerwoman

I am an avid baker, a knitting fiend, a watercolorist, and an art collector. I also love nature and wildlife. A day job keeps me busy which I blend with... more »

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