Garden Tips

By Robert C. Newton

Orchids are a favorite house plant around the world and are becoming more popular every day. Their popularity is a result of the numerous variety of species to choose from and the fact that they are relatively easy to grow, once you educate yourself on their needs. With proper watering, lighting and feeding, orchids will flourish in most climates.

One of the popular and easiest-to-grow orchids is the Phalaenopsis orchid, primarily because it adapts well to both a home and office environment. The sprays of the Phalaenopsis remain in bloom for over two months from the time the first bud opens. This is not the case with all species of orchids; flowers of the Cattleyas orchid only last for up to one month. The frequency of blooming also varies among orchid species. Some will bloom once a year, while other orchid species bloom several times a year. A few orchid species bloom continuously throughout the year.

The wonderful fragrance of orchids is another reason they are so popular among gardening enthusiasts.

The strength of scents of the different orchid species vary considerably. Some plants have a very mild scent, while others are extremely strong. The fragrance range from flowery to fruity. Some orchids even have familiar aromas such as citrus, raspberry, and chocolate!

Although orchids are not difficult to grow, they do have specific requirements that need to be met for each plant to grow to its fullest potential. Orchids should be planted in bark or New Zealand sphagnum moss, not typical potting soil. Also, they should be grown in pots with good drainage, and watered on average once or twice per week. Watering can vary depending on the season; in the summer, orchids may need to be watered more frequently. In general, the hotter the climate the more water an orchid will require. If New Zealand sphagnum moss is used for planting orchids, watering can be done less often.

Orchids prefer a great deal of light that is low in intensity.

For example, many species prefer sitting in a window facing east. Orchids can be grown in both sun and shade, as long as the sun exposure is not too strong. It's easy to tell if your orchid is getting too much sun - it's leaves will begin to yellow. If this occurs, place your plant in the shade for a longer period of time, lessening it's exposure to direct sunlight. Yellowing of orchid leaves can also be a result of insufficient feeding; orchid plants need to be fertilized on a regular basis about every other week. Watering orchids with a diluted nutrient solution will also help feed your orchid.

In general, common sense and some basic knowledge of your orchid's needs will make it easy for you to grow beautiful, fragrant orchids that will be the envy of your neighbors and friends.

By Carl Harrison

Growing orchids indoors takes some time, patience, and proper knowledge to successfully have beautiful orchids hanging in your windowsill. The thought of growing orchids may seem very challenging even thought the fact of the matter is growing orchids is a simple yet easy task to complete. Now your probably thinking I must be crazy, growing orchids is very difficult. No, it really is not. The problem is that people are not taught proper orchid care therefore they are unable to grow orchids and then they eventually quit altogether. But you don't want to do that because when you discover how simple it is growing orchids indoors you will keep growing them for many years to come.

Tip #1 Using the Proper Orchid Medium

If you are planning to grow orchids indoors you may need to have some orchid soil or medium to place inside of your orchid pots. These pots will hold your orchid as well as the soil that will give your plant the proper nutrients as well. So what type of orchid medium should you purchase? Well, there are different kinds of soils that can be used to grow these beautiful flowers. There are organic and inorganic materials that are the most commonly used. Some organic ones include fir bark which is the most popular out of all the organic materials. You can also apply osmunda fiber as well as coconut husks. Inorganic types include charcoal, lava rock, and sometimes alifor. My personal favorites are the organic kind because I find that orchids grow better in these types of mediums. Another easy way is to just purchase pre packaged orchid medium that is sold commercially in hardware stores such as home depot. Some large nurseries may also sell orchid soil too.

Tip #2 the Perfect Orchid Habitat

This is where many people get confused or just don't have the right information. When growing orchids indoors setting up the perfect climate for these plants is relatively easy and inexpensive if you know what to do. The one thing about orchids is that they love the hot humid weather, but are particular when it comes to the amount of humidity and sunlight that surrounds them. During the summer place your orchids on a windowsill that is protected by a curtain or any other type of transparent material. This will prevent sunburn on your plants and will give them the right amount of sunlight they need to thrive. When winter comes around be sure to keep your flowers away from the windows as they could bring in cold air and may harm your flowers.

Let's discuss adding humidity into the atmosphere or where your orchid plants reside. There is a simple yet effective trick you can do to place humidity into the air which will provide your orchids with the correct amount of humidity. If you have an old tray laying around you are going to need it. Place inside of this tray a level amount of gravel or small rocks. Put water into this tray that is below the top of the gravel line and then place your flowers on top of the rocks. If your plants are touching the water then you put too much and you will have to dump some out. Once you get the water at the right level then you can leave your plants there and they will receive the right amount of humidity they need. If you want to check you can always purchase a hydrometer that can measure the humidity in the air. You should have a humidity level of about 60-80 percent when growing orchids indoors.

From this article you can see how growing orchids indoors can be easily accomplished with just two simple orchid care tips. Now it's time for you to start growing your own beautiful orchids indoors using these tips. And find more garding tools