The beauty and the incredible variety of orchid flowers are unparalleled in the plant kingdom. These extraordinary beauties consist of the largest family of flowering plants on this planet, with at least 30,000 different species, and over 200,000 hybrids. Since orchid has the amazing ability to adapt to any given environment we can find them anywhere in between in the equatorial tropics to the arctic tundra and they can be seen in any diversity. With so many diverse orchid varieties that can bloom in so many different environments, it is somewhat easy to find an orchid that is compatible to the conditions that you can provide — whether it is an indoor or a full-size greenhouse.
It is generally believed that orchids are difficult to grow. This is true in some cases. In fact, some orchids are just impossible to keep alive even by professional growers. But you can still find dozens of varieties of orchids, and plenty of hybrids, that can be grown anywhere.
How to grow Orchids
Orchids generally thrive in strong sunlight, but it is advisable not to put them under direct sunlight in the late afternoon. Moreover, it is necessary to maintain high humidity and high-speed airflow around the roots of the orchid plants. One must remember to water the plants heavily along with drying their roots alternatively. Airflow around the roots in needed as the roots should be completely dry out. Otherwise, these plants won’t be able to breathe and they will die eventually. Orchids grow best in above 50 degrees temperature but less than 85 degrees. The closer you can maintain these conditions to grow orchids, the better the blooms you can enjoy.
Taking Care of Orchids
With more than 30,000 different types of orchid species, it is difficult to give general care and gardening instructions. However, the appearance of an orchid can give us hints regarding its preferences for light, water, and other growing conditions.
If the plant contains few leaves, or it has leathery texture (just like cattleyas and oncidiums), it implies the plant demands a high-light environment. If the plant leaves have soft and limp texture (as we can see in phalaenopsis and paphiopedilum types), the plants are usually extremely light-sensitive, and should never be placed in a south-facing sunny window.
Some orchid plants have fat pseudobulbs, these plants should not be watered frequently, and they should be grown on coarse bark chunks or lava rock. If the orchid does not have pseudobulbs, it implies you need to water them more often, or requires a more moisture-retentive medium, like sphagnum moss. Also, remember during the winter season when the plant isn’t growing actively fertilize it once or twice a month.
