Garden Tips

By Cliff Hunter

As with any practice, knowledge and insight breeds passion. And the know-how involved in cultivating the beautiful orchid flower can make growing these delicate plants easy and rewarding. The end product, the vibrant orchid and its beautiful sights and scents, are the passion.

It's all about location. And the orchid-grower must first familiarize them with this most important fundamental.

Indoors, outdoors, or in the greenhouse, location is optimal in orchid growing.

Indoors

The natural splendor of the orchid is not reserved for the primacy of nature. The indoor orchid can thrive and sustain like the best of outdoor beauty. Their fragrance can be enjoyed inside, with the right insight, over the difficulties of dry heat from air conditioners or furnaces.

Though you may have a difficult time getting your orchid to bloom indoors, the right information can make the process a clear-cut formula, as rewarding in the process as it is in the outcome.
Orchids thrive indoors under bright light, but not direct sunlight. This condition is often simulated by fluorescent lights, and often creates ideal conditions for the orchid. The plant must be kept above 60° F as well.

In addition to warmth and light, the location housing the orchid requires moisture. A half inch of water, along with a tray of natural gravel or soil will keep your orchid wet and fed with water. The water, as well, must be complimented with a healthy amount of air circulation. In warm weather, windows could be opened to allow a natural air supply in. Or, similarly, a fan could be used to simulate the oxygen needed by the plant.

Moth Orchids, among the most popular indoor orchids, bloom twice a year with enduring and attention-stealing flowers.

Lady's Slippers, another popular variation, last as long as three months, and can flourish as older plants. The exotic nature of the Lady's Slippers, the warts, hair, and striped colors, stimulate not only the physical atmosphere, but the imagination as well.

In the Greenhouse

The magic of the orchid, the survivor skills that allow it to keep from withering in extreme conditions, help it thrive in greenhouses. Adapting to warm and cold temperatures, the greenhouse orchid requires a 15° difference in daytime and nighttime temperatures.
Like indoor orchids, their greenhouse brethren require ample amounts of water and air circulation. During hotter months and prime blooming periods, orchids require watering once - often twice - per week.

Greenhouse orchids growing under artificial lights require different kinds and amounts, which can be decided simply from determining the specific species. Whether the light is shaded or brighter, the orchid will provide an eclectic atmosphere to any good greenhouse.

Outdoor Orchids

The orchid is a survivor indoors and out, and the ability of the flower to attach itself to a tree helps to keep them mature all year long. Thriving in damp and temperate climates, the orchid can be grown outdoors, or moved from a windowsill to a natural spot in the ground.

Common of the tropical paradises around the equator, the orchid might not naturally know many winters. But, if cared for correctly, can out-last the cold season as any well as any snowman in your garden. Their tropical nature was made to last, and simply taking the orchid inside during the most intense cold will see them survive the winter, and make for a beautiful spring.
Cliff Hunter is a Orchid-Care enthusiast. For more great tips and advice on the basics on orchid care, visit http://www.orchidflowerpot.com.
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