Growing Orchid

Though there may be different kinds of plants that you could add to your own backyard or patio, one of the most popular plants that are known for their beauty and other outstanding characteristics are the orchid flowers.  Here are some general tips that you could take note of to ensure that your orchid flowers would bloom abundantly and beautifully and it is guaranteed that you will have the best orchid plant collection when you follow these great tips.

Pointers to Help Take Care of Them

One of the most essential keys or tips that you could follow when it comes to taking care of orchid flowers is to make sure that you have the right kind of light because it is one of the most important factors when it comes to successful orchid growing.  Keep in mind that the leaves of your orchid and the orchid flowers could easily be burned if they are receiving too much light.  On the other hand, it is also not good for the orchid flowers to not receive enough light and you must remember that when the flowers are in bloom, it is essential that you keep them away from direct sunlight.

Another great tip to follow that would ensure beautiful orchid flowers is to make sure that you also have the right temperature.  For those orchid plants that have low temperature needs, what you could do is to place them on the floor or on the shelves that are near above them.  And for those that may need warmer temperatures, you could use curtains to mimic the warm weather or you may use electric fans to help circulate warm or cool air that is needed.

How to Select your Orchid Flower

It may be true that the hardest part of orchid care may be the selection process. There are so many species of orchids available, that it is easy to become overwhelmed with the plethora of choices. Generally, when you are hunting for an orchid flower that will do well inside your home, the species to select from are phalaenopsis (also known as the moth orchid), cattleya (the most popular orchid found in bouquets), and dendrobium. By limiting your selection to these three varieties, you are more likely to find an orchid flower that you will be able to successfully grow indoors. You can then select from factors like when the orchid flowers bloom and how much sun and water each variety requires.

How to Grow Orchids

The first note to make when it comes to growing orchids is that most of these plants do not require soil to grow in. Many are considered “air growers”, which means that they usually grow on trees. Others grow in mulch on the forest floor, and still others root themselves in sand or soil. It is important to know which growing medium that your particular orchid flower will prefer. Light is another factor in the growing of orchid flowers. The majority of these plants will require plenty of bright, filtered light to thrive, so a southern-facing window is often the best location for your orchid flower. These plants also need sufficient water, but should never be allowed to become waterlogged. Finally, humidity is a key in good orchid care, so if your home is lacking in this component, make sure that you add additional humidity for your plant.

So the first rule of thumb in orchid care is to know where your plants come from. Here’s a brief guide. Epiphytes grow and flourish on tree trunks while hardy lithophytes make their home on rock and rock surfaces. On the other hand, the myco-heterotrophs are those that lack chlorophyll and feed on nutrients from decaying plant matter. The last category and one in which a large number of today’s household orchid plants belong to are called terrestrial plants.

Most household orchids include the popular varieties such as the Phalaenopsis (Moth Orchid), Dendrobium, Cymbidium and the lovely Cattleya or the Corsage Orchid. Even if these varieties are quite common, don’t think that it automatically becomes foolproof orchid care.

One should consider that successful orchid care involves being aware that varieties still follow their geographic influences with some general rules.

Some Useful Orchid Care Tips

Orchid Care Tip 1: While orchids don’t need extra care and are not generally delicate, you should remember that if you’re living in a temperate country, only bring them out during the summer. In temperate climates, regular living room temperature is generally okay should you wish to display your prized specimens there.

Orchid Care Tip 2: Ask the nursery for orchids that can grow optimally in particular parts of your house; example, your porch, living room or window sill. Some hybrids are bred for such specific areas.

Orchid Care Tip 3: If you are a novice orchid grower, try a variety or hybrid that is easy like Phalaenopsis. People like this variant because it can flower all year as compared to others who normally only blossom once a year. In taking care of this variety, remember to always cut the stem after flowering to ensure that it blossoms again or grows a new stem segment.

Orchid Care Tip 4: It’s okay to give your orchids fertilizers. Make sure to follow certain conditions like the orchid’s flowering season. While general fertilizers are okay, try looking for special formulations specifically just for orchids.

Cactus or Orchid?

While the large, showy blooms of the orchid cactus resemble those of other orchids, this plant is without a doubt a cactus. If you look closely enough, you will even detect the hairlike spines along the leaves and stem that characterize a cactus species. In addition to the name orchid cactus, these plants are also referred to as jungle cactus, which separates them from much of the rest of the desert flora that you might find. Many of the varieties of the orchid cactus will primarily bloom at night, when you will have to look closely through the darkness to find large, beautiful blooms of white or other hues. You can also find some species of orchid cactus that will bloom during the day, and now there are many other color variations available as well, as hybridization has progressed to many other varieties of this plant.

The term “epiphyllum” means “upon the leaf”. This refers to the fact that these plants often live on other plant surfaces, which is a typical characteristic for many types of orchids – another commonality between the orchid and the orchid cactus. This does not mean that this plant is parasitic in nature, however. The orchid cactus does not take anything from its host for survival. Instead, it relies on its environment to provide everything it needs to thrive. This is what makes the orchid cactus an epiphyllum instead of a parasite, just like the nature of many orchid plants.

So, what better way in which you could have these wonderful orchid bouquet arrangements than to do them yourself. You can use them for parties and then give them to guests to take home.  Here are great ways in which you could learn how to create different kinds of arrangements of orchid bouquets that would surely take anyone’s breath away.

Go Back to School

One of the best ways in which you could learn to create an orchid bouquet arrangement is by joining a school or an organization that could teach you the basics in flower arrangement.  And right now, one of the best organizations where you could have an education for arranging different styles of orchid bouquet is through the help of Long Wood Gardens Organization that are holding annual or seasonal lessons for orchid arrangements.

If you are interested in learning more about this wonderful organization and their cause, you may log on to their website at www.longwoodgardens.org and see for yourself what their class schedule is like.  Truly, having to join this kind of organization would not only help you enrich your knowledge but also let you meet wonderful people with the same interest as you do.

Read or Watch

Another one of the most popular ways in which you could learn how to arrange an orchid bouquet is by reading books that are very educational and could give you easy to follow guidelines. To find such books, you may check out the wonderful website of Orchids Books at www.orchidsbooks.com where books like “Fascinating OrchIdeas” and “Orchidees 100% Deco” are in stock and are suggested reading material for those who are starting to learn the basics of flower arranging.