Although orchid tubers are a traditional African cooking ingredient, the current demand has got so great as to be unsustainable. In some countries, just a tiny fraction of the orchids natural habitat still exists. Unique environmental niches are being destroyed by human development; in order to build communities, factories, and so on. And worse still, visitors to parks, perhaps orchid collectors, will actually dig up and steal orchids up in order to add them to their home collections.
Conservation plays in an important role in the efforts to save those orchid species that face extinction. There are countless conservation organizations working around the clock in an effort to save the orchids. Globally, individual countries form their own conservation groups to address issues directly affecting the habitat and biodiversity of orchids in their specific regions. Some ways in which these groups are working to save the orchids is by learning to grow them in cultivation, and by propagation in order to supplement and extend their natural populations.
Finding a wild orchid growing in it's natural habitat is certainly a real pleasure, especially when it is in bloom. However, we must be more sensitive to the precarious situations many of these plants are in, if we are not to cause mass extinctions of orchid species in the coming decades. Toggle navigation.
Home Orchid types Cattleya orchid care Cymbidium orchid care Dendrobium orchid care Paphiopedilum orchid care Phalaenopsis orchid care Vanda orchid care Orchid care Care for orchids indoors How to repot an orchid What water for orchids?
Orchid info facts Orchids in the wild Buy Orchids. Orchids in the Wild. Photo Dominic Alves. Many epiphytic orchid species live in hugely moist atmospheres, such as cloud forest. The Monteverde cloud forest reserve in Costa Rica boasts species of epiphytic orchid alone. Photo Ellie Enking. Vanilla planifolia is a wonderfully scented Mexican orchid, with short-lived flowers.
The seed pods are used to create the vanilla flavoring used in so many foods. The Bee Orchid, Ophrys apifera attracts bees and similar insects to it's blooms, by having flowers that look like bees. Photo Bernard Dupont. Similarly, moth orchids have large colorful 'moth-like' flowers, that really stand out in the green of a forest. Bulbophyllum amesianum growing epiphytically in Sarawak, Malaysia. Orchids amongst the mossy branches in Himalayan cloud forest.
Ansellia africana growing in a big clump. Pour water onto the soil in the pot, and not into the heart of the plant. The water needs to be at room temperature. Rain water is better than tap water which contains too much lime. Preferably water early in the day. Even better is to immerse the pot in a bucket for a minute. Allow the plant to drain thoroughly after immersing - this will allow the excess water to run off.
The orchid can then easily go seven days without water. In the winter months when the heating is on, it is a good idea to spray the plant with water regularly in order to ensure that the humidity does not drop too low. Feed the plant about twice a month with special orchid food in the water between March and October. The Phalaenopsis can grow aerial roots outside the pot. Leave these roots in place: they are a sign that the plant is happy. After pruning place the plant in a cooler spot.
After about two months the plant can be returned to its old place. After pruning give the plant less water. When the plant is returned to its old spot after about two months, you can return to normal watering. This is a thickening of the branch. Overwatering can cause roots to rot. Bacterial rot also can occur if water is allowed to sit around the center shoot or in the leaf sheaths for a long period of time. Water only in the morning so that your plants can dry out by nightfall.
Never let them stand in water and keep the plants in a location where they can get good air circulation, indirect light, and a warm daytime temperature above 75F.
I am a new orchid grower; I was given a phalaenopsis as a gift and it is so beautiful. I was thrilled to coax more flowers from its buds. I am not clear on what to do when it stops blooming. Do I trim the whole stem back? Do I leave the stem but just remove any dead flowers? And is any time without flowers a 'dormant' time when I don't want to feed or water it quite as much?
Thanks - your information is so helpful! Can an Orchid survive in just a bowl of water and thrive? I have a baby Orchid that has been in water only for a year now.
The roots are exactly was you stated to be considered healthy but will it ever grow any further? I also thank you. I have 4 plants and 2 are just sending out their bloom shoots right now. I can see which are struggling and which need to be repotted, which I haven't done. This is tremendous advice. I have been given an orchid that doesn't look healthy, so it will be a challenge to get it back "on its feet" again.
Thanks for all the advice. Thank you! Skip to main content. You are here Gardening » Growing Guides. By The Editors. Repotting Orchids General Potting Tips Do not repot while a plant is flowering, as the blooms may suffer. Enjoy the flowers, then cut off the spent flower spike with sterile snippers and repot the orchid.
Repot at the beginning of the next growth cycle typically in the spring. Orchids should be so snug in their pots that you can pick up the plant by its leaves and not shake out the roots.
How to Repot an Orchid Carefully remove the orchid from its existing pot. New orchids are typically sold in thin plastic containers, which can be cut away. Healthy roots look white or green. Hold the plant upright in the new pot and fill in around it with new potting media, tamping down gently, to about an inch from the top of the pot. Water the orchid well to settle the media around its roots. Add more media if necessary. Green bamboo and curly willow make for attractive stakes.
Orchid Growing Medium Never plant an orchid in standard potting soil. All orchids—especially epiphytic species—need a lot of air around their roots. The best medium is one that is very light, porous, and fast-draining.
Large plants with older roots do better in coarser growing media. Most garden stores sell special orchid potting mixes: Orchid potting mixes are made of fine, medium, or coarse fir bark chunks, which are usually combined with perlite, peat, or sphagnum moss, and horticultural charcoal. You can mix up your own, using four to six parts bark to one part each of the other components. Orchid Pots Orchids are commonly grown in terra cotta pots because they allow for extra airflow.
There are even special orchid pots which have wide drainage slits around the sides of the pot. Select a pot large enough to allow at least an inch of growing space around the roots.
Orchid Flowers Of course, orchids are renowned for their beautiful flowers, which can seem to last forever. Here are answers to a few common orchid flower questions: How often do orchids bloom? It depends on the type of orchid. Phalaenopsis orchids will readily bloom every few months, while other types may be limited to once or twice a year. How long do orchid flowers last? Depending on the species, orchid flowers can last anywhere from several days to several weeks.
When should I cut the flower spike? Prune the spike off at the base, being careful not to accidentally snip any leaves or roots as well. In fact, leaving the flower spike on Phalaenopsis orchids can speed up the time between blooms. Your orchid is most likely not getting enough light. Read more about lighting below! Lighting Without adequate light, expect lush growth but no flowers. Insufficient light is the most common reason for failure to bloom.
These plants thrive in strong light, but direct sunlight can burn orchids. Bright, indirect light from an eastern or southern window is ideal. Leaf color is a good indicator of the amount of light an orchid is getting: Bright green leaves indicate a happy, healthy plant.
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