Light
Orchids have varying light requirements depending on the type. For example, Epidendrum and Oncidium species require intense light whereas Miltonia and Phalaenopsis orchids require some shade.
You can use either natural light or fluorescent light for orchid plant care. Many orchid growing tips recommend a combination of the two types of light.
If you are using fluorescent lighting to supplement natural daylight, two 40 watt florescent bulbs should be sufficient. If florescent lighting is used on its own, four 40 watt tubes should be used.
Remember that the most intense light comes from the center of florescent tubes. If you are growing several different types of orchids with different lighting requirements you should group them on different shelves. The top shelves are the warmest and the bottom shelves are the coolest so you can also arrange your orchids according to their temperature requirements.
If you are using fluorescent lights for orchid plant care, operate them on a timer so that your orchids receive the same amount of light every day.
Containers and Potting Medium
Orchids can be grown in just about any type of container. Remember though that the roots of epiphytic orchids will not stay in a pot. They will usually grow out of the potting medium and hang over the side of the pot.
Even though pots can be used for epiphytic orchids, it's usually preferable to grow them on slabs of cork or hardwood. Slabs tend to dry out more quickly than pots so they should be used in a high humidity environment.
Terrestrial orchids should be grown in an orchid medium. You can buy it or make it yourself by mixing together equal parts of perlite or sand, sphagnum moss, osmunda fiber, ground charcoal, and course peat.
Epiphytic orchids should be grown in a very porous medium so that the roots have a chance to dry out between waterings. Epiphytic orchids are vulnerable to root rot, so they do best on a medium such as coconut fiber, tree fern, fir bark, redwood bark, or peat moss.
Orchids - Care of Orchids Top 5 Questions
Comments
Bill
08 Mar 2007, 02:45
Bought a flowing orchid at the store, 6 inch clear pot, leaves are 11 to 12
inches
long by 3 inches wide. No flowers in 2 years. Sits in West facing window
with lots
of light, little direct sunshine (afternoon only) unknown what variety it
is. Want
to see the flowers again...
Jackie
22 Oct 2008, 13:08
I have removed my orchids from a very large pot and planted in a protected
garden bed. I inherited this plant from my late grandmother which over the
years I had to transplant twice into a larger pot, now into the ground.
They have given me the most beautiful flowers each year (approximately
eight to 10 stems each year). I hope I have done the right thing by
transplanting. Please can you advise me?
saroj
03 Jan 2009, 23:31
hi
i would prefer the answers to the comments
Ruth
25 Mar 2009, 23:40
Bill, your orchid is probably a phalaenopsis. They need a drop in
temperature between day and night for three to four weeks to rebloom. We
leave ours outside in a sheltered location around October/November until
the second time it drops into the mid forties. If it drops below forty
they need to be brought back in or protected from the cold. This will get
it to rebloom.
Jackie, is your orchid terrestrial? Planting an epiphytic (tree-dwelling)
orchid in the ground will eventually kill it. However, there are a bunch
of terrestrial types. Cymbidiums, Phaius [Commonly called the Nun orchid],
Epidendrums, some Oncidiums, Paphiopedilums, and Phragmipediums are just a
few.
Diane
24 Aug 2009, 06:34
When the blooms have fallen off do I cut the stem back to the root?
Shirley
12 Apr 2010, 11:52
I have a phalaenopsis. The blooms have all dropped. Do I cut the stem
back to the root? Thanks.
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