There are many myths surrounding orchids and how to grow them. One of the most common is that orchids are extremely difficult to grow. This is a big misconception I feel, it's true that there are some species of orchids that can be be very difficult to cultivate. Even highly experienced growers have problems keeping them alive. However, there are well over twenty thousand species of orchid and ten times as many hybrids, many of these are no more difficult to grow than your other garden and house plants.
It may seem difficult at first, you will need to properly research how to successfully care for your orchid first and just like anything worthwhile it'll take you a little bit of effort but in the end I know you'll find it rewarding. So stick at it and before long you'll have mastered the basics of caring for your orchids.
To help you start I've put together some basic information about gardening orchids that I hope you'll find both interesting and useful.
Basic Requirements
The requirements for orchid gardening are really not much different to gardening any other house or garden plant, water, light, fertilizer and air. If you can provide these in the right amounts then you're almost there.
There are of course a few other little extras that you can use to really get the most from your orchids including, humidity trays and grow light set-ups and many different potting mediums which I'll touch on, but for now we'll stick to the basics.
Myth number two surrounding orchids is that they must be kept in a greenhouse. I believe this stems from the common belief that orchids are tropical plants only and so you must provide these conditions for them to thrive. There are species of orchids found growing on every continent except the Antarctica and in almost every environment. Epiphytic orchids grow on trees, Lithophytes survive on rocks and terrestrial orchids are perfectly happy grown in the ground one species, Rhizanthella gardneri grows completely underground only appearing briefly for pollination to occur.
My point is that with so much variety in the world of orchids you shouldn't have too much trouble finding one that will suit your growing conditions.
1) Water
With such a huge variety of orchid species around it makes it tough to give specific requirements suitable for all orchids so you should do your best to find out as much as you can about the species of your orchid too.
In general orchids require watering well but only once every other week, they have highly adapted root systems which take in water very quickly and release it slowly over a long period of time making it easy to over water them if you're not careful. To be on the safe side let the roots of your orchids dry out almost completely before you water them again. Avoid letting the roots come into contact with standing water for any length of time or they will die off and damage the health of your orchid. For this reason it's important that potted orchids should have adequate drainage.
How much water your orchid expects and how often should give you a good idea of what potting media will be best.
2) Light
When it comes to light orchids love lots of it, long periods of sunlight, 10 to 12 hours per day will help to see your orchids thrive. However, direct sunlight should be avoided, even a small amount can burn and damage leaves leaving unhealthy looking marks or blackened leaves.
If you're growing your orchids indoors try placing it near but not too close to an eastern facing window to maximise the daylight exposure, if you're worried that the sun is too strong make use of frosted glass, net curtains or blinds to diffuse the light.
If you're orchids are out doors in your garden you can make use of objects and structures to provide it with shading, you'll know where the best spots in your garden are for this.
3) Fertilizer
You're orchid will want fertilizing periodically as potting mediums provide little in the way of nutrients. Use a solution diluted more than you would for ordinary plants.
You can purchase specialist orchid fertilizer for this which should provide more of the nutrients and trace minerals that your orchid needs to thrive.
You should stick to periods of active growth when fertilizing so avoid feeding your orchid during winter months and for a short while after re-potting.
4) Air
While terrestrial orchids can be grown in soil or compost in the garden, the majority of species are epiphytic with aerial roots adapted to having plenty of airflow.
If your orchid is mounted then this should not be much of a problem but if you're potting your orchid you need to provide it with a medium that allows plenty of air flow. This should go hand in hand with giving your orchids good drainage.
Most suitable potting media is organic such as, coconut husk, sphagnum moss and cork bark and as such will gradually decay over time. As it decays it will compact reducing air flow and increasing water retention. It may also attract more pests who feed on decaying organic matter mostly non harmful to your orchid but you may not want them around still.
Degraded potting mix should be changed as soon as possible, depending on the mix once every year or two, but be aware that the shock of re-potting may mean your orchid doesn't flower for a year or so afterwards. You can minimise the stress on your plant by avoiding damage to roots and stems when removing it from the pot.
All in all orchid gardening is fun and rewarding and it is absolutely within anyone's grasp to achieve fantastic results. Good luck and have fun!
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