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Frequently I hear ‘orchids are just too sensitive’ or ‘I could never…’, but honestly orchids are not always as difficult as people think. With the number of orchid species estimated at as much as 30,000 species (not a typo, see also Kew: Science and Horticulture: Orchidaceae) and native species found on every continent and climate except Antarctica, plus countless man-made hybrids, finding something right for your house is just about knowing what to look for in an orchid plant. Keeping it alive is just about being well informed (and occasional watering).
How is an orchid different? While there are many answers to this question, what really matters to the home grower is that many orchids, and certainly most of the common types grown as houseplants, are epiphytes. This is a situation where the plants use a tree branch (or occasionally rock crevice) as a condominium. They are not parasitic, just opportunistic. What this means to you as the home grower is that orchid roots are accustomed to an environment where while there might be frequent rain, there is also strong air movement. Many types can even be grown on a wood plaque with no media around the roots (see article here). Similarly, if your nicely potted plant has a root sticking out of the pot somewhere you shouldn’t be alarmed – in orchids this is not necessarily cause to repot. Some orchids just don’t really understand the concept of a pot and so throw their roots in every direction.
Good watering methods are key to root health. Watering of some houseplants is accomplished by leaving them to sit in water for hours at a time. This is not recommended with orchids (with a couple exceptions of some Phragmipedium species that live on river side rocks) as it may lead to root rot. The easiest thing to do is water the orchid by running plenty of water through the pot from the top. Once the media is well wetted, let it drain, then return it to the window.
For best results, orchids are potted in a fluffy or chunky mix that gives a nice balance of holding moisture but allowing air circulation. To maintain root health, repotting your orchids into fresh potting media every one to three years is recommended. Here is a repotting article.
Ok, so all that is great, but how to pick an orchid??
The most important piece of advice is to purchase a plant that is well established. You certainly can have success also with that $5 seedling in a two inch pot, but you will likely find it easier with more immediate gratification to buy a plant that is at least within 1-2 years of blooming for the first time. When buying a plant in person, especially at a place like the grocery store, challenge the plant by gently grabbing the leaves and lifting or moving the plant back and forth to see how well it is rooted into that pot. Good roots mean a healthy plant and more likely success.
Second is to look for a plant that matches your light conditions. For up to a few weeks at a time during blooming you can stick an orchid where it won’t get much light (say, the kitchen table) to enjoy it, but the rest of the year you will want to find a window for it to live in. Here’s a handy guide for commonly available orchid types, based on an unobstructed window, plant sitting right on the windowsill:
North facing window: Rather weak light. You might be able to grow a Paphiopedilum (Paph) there, or some Phalaenopsis (Phal). If it doesn’t bloom for you, supplement with fluorescent light.
East facing window: Great spot for Paphiopedilums and Phalaenopsis.
West facing window: Also great spot for Paphiopedilums and Phalaenopsis. Frequently this is also enough light for some Dendrobium (Den or Dend) plants or certain miniature Cattleya (Slc. or Pot.) hybrids, as well as several Oncidium types.
South facing window: This is your brightest light, excellent for Cattleya hybrids (Slc., Lc., C., Blc., Pot., Sl., Lc….), many Dendrobiums, and Oncidium intergeneric hybrids.
If you aren’t sure what category your plant-of-interest falls into, ask the grower for more details. They want you to succeed too!
I always recommend if you aren’t sure, go with a Phalaenopsis (Phal.) or Paphiopedilum (Paph.). These types are easy to grow, adaptable, and you can always make a very bright window less so by setting the plant back from the glass a little or using a sheer curtain to filter the light. Other culture details are fairly similar for the two types. You can find an article on growing phals here.
Hey folks, just a quick note to tell you I'm still alive and let you know there's a new photo of Dockrillia bowmanii on the Internet Orchid Species Photo Encyclopedia! Check it out here. You may remember this photo - it is one of mine. You can see more photos of the species on this older post.
I did at that time of that post introduce bowmanii and rigidum to each other, but they didn't really get along. There are no awesome seedlings to report. Not surprising. They're pretty different in terms of growth habit, and those weird Dendrobium alliance things can be picky about their dates. Pity.
Remember, if you have orchid culture questions, please feel free to ask. I enjoy chatting about plants, but also questions are usually the inspiration for some of my best articles, and I could really use a jump start! My blogging battery seems a bit dead here. Sorry about that, working on it...
These are Dendrobium bowmanii, synonym mortii, synonym Dockrillia bowmanii. I have five of these and four are currently in bloom. As you can see in the photos, they grow on long, spindly stems with needle-like leaves perhaps 3 inches long and very narrow, flowering from the nodes at the base of the fleshy leaves like other Dockrillas. Notice also the flowers are held up-side-down, another Dockrilla trait. The flowers are vaguely fragrant with a minty odor, matching nicely with their yellow-green color, and last about 2-3 weeks.According to IOSPE, the species is native to mangrove swamps in Australia, and prefers warm to hot temperatures year round with a slightly drier winter rest.I also have a Dendrobium rigidum blooming right now. I think I'll go off and introduce them to each other to see if we can't get something interesting...
Today's in bloom is a Den. hercoglossum. I purchased this plant a couple years ago at the SEPOS show from Andy's Orchids, and although for some reason I sometimes kill stuff I buy from him, this plant has had no problems. Likely because it likes a drier winter, so my cycle of abuse & good care suits it just fine. Oh, wait, did I say that out loud?Yes, well, Den. hercoglossum does indeed enjoy a slight rest in Winter, with less water and fertilizer, and slightly lower temperatures are also acceptable. In the Summer I put this plant outside in a medium bright location, and water nearly daily as it is mounted.
Today's selections are all miniature plants, defined as less than 6" tall, though many are well below that. Among miniature orchid species you will find a microcosm of delight, though you may require a magnifying glass to truly appreciate some.
This first selection, labeled Gehis. japonicus, has sprays of wee flowers of no more than 5mm in height. I take the label to indicate Gastrochilus japonicus, and the flowers do look similar to gastrochilus, but the foliage is all wrong and the flowers and plant are too small even for the species Gastrochilus japonicus. Perhaps I have misunderstood the abbreviation Gehis?
***UPDATE: Orchid Eric wrote to tell me that this plant is actually Omoea philippinensis. Thanks for the identification, Eric!***
Next we have a nearly microscopic Dendrobium, Den. toressae. Again with this, flowers (and also leaves!) are up to a whopping 5mm. I have to assume based on the plant habit and flower type and bearing that it is related to Den. lichenastrum. It may even have some odor associated with it, if you care to risk inhaling the entire flower.
This Masdevallia ferrusii was nestled into Andy's Orchids wardian case display, along with today's last selection Pleurothallis asaroides 'Walter'. Both of these had flowers in the 3/4 to 1 inch range, and as you can see, both with unusual forms. I really can't tell you much else about either species. Masdevallias are typically from new world Alpine cloud forest areas, meaning cool, damp, and buoyant air. Pleuros have a range of environments, especially in temperature, so it pays to do your research and ask questions when buying one of these guys.
Today I'd like to share two recent acquisitions, purchased from Andy's Orchids at the SEPOS show. First is Den. pugioniforme, a species with a curious chain like habit, and fragrant, apple-green flowers. According to the Andy's folks, the chains of leaves, which seem to grow in the fashion "stem, leaf, branch from leaf axil -> new stem, leaf...", can reach several feet in length.
Dendrobium lichenastrum v. prenticei, sometimes just Den. prenticei, is another of those nifty succulent-type species. This one has 1-2 inch long, fleshy leaves. Flowers are typically cream to yellow, though once I had a very nice one that was white with pink stripes. Their fragrance falls into the category I like to refer to as 'little dead things', as they typically smell like fish, but it isn't terribly strong, so its Ok. Even with, its a very cute little species, best grown mounted with phals or a bit brighter.
Today I'll show you a few of the Dendrobium selections at SEPOS this year. First off, we have two color varieties of a very cute, compact species: Den. kingianum 'Karl Marx' and Den. kingianum 'Big Foot' AM/AOS. Den. kingianum is typically fragrant and the plant compact in stature, but with spikes height is up to about 15 or 18 inches perhaps, and they can form large clumps. A large clump is of course rather impressive when in bloom. These two guys were exceptionally lovely. As much as this is often considered a 'common' species, not many people seem to grow it around here. Perhaps the appearance of these two at the show professes a coming increase in popularity.
Next, a most interesting small species, Den. lingueforme displayed by Andy's Orchids. By the flowers I wouldn't be surprised if this one has been moved between genus' a few times. It was displayed in one of his trademark Wardian cases, stuffed to the gills with interesting little bits. Leaves on this guy are about an inch long, succulent and multicolored with the tactile characteristic of very fine grit sandpaper. He had a couple for sale. I snatched one up - couldn't resist such a weird looking thing.
We'll finish out today with a Den. johannis. This is a rather tall plant topped by a spray of twisty, earthy flowers.
Once again, we took the annual opportunity to visit the US Botanical Gardens production facility this past weekend. They have an open house every spring, and it is a wonderful opportunity to see parts of their collection that you may not otherwise see. You can see photos from last year here.
This year, not as much was in bloom, likely due to the cooler winter, or perhaps much of it had just been moved off-site for use in the conservatory or participation in various plant shows. As always, we were treated to several nobile-type dendrobiums and their lovely bank of Paph. victoria-regina specimens (upper left).
The Dend. loddigesii, one of my favorite dendrobium species (of which there is an increasing number) were in bloom. These are sweetly fragrant, like roses. It is a delightful species to grow and they bloom fairly young. There are variegated clones of this species as well.
They also have a succulent collection with an interesting variety of this & that. There were a number of Euphorbias there I don't remember seeing before, and a few miniature Aloes. Aloes are a new fascination with me. I am especially fond of the miniatures.
Euphorbia horrida var. striata
Aloe humilis
Aloe aristata
And finally, because I think its cool, some liverwort. (Although, The Larry accused me of being weird for taking this photo.)
I know I already posted a closeup photo of Dend. rigidum flowers, but I realized today that I should have also posted a photo of the very unique foliage. So since the plants are in bloom again (which they do intermittently throughout the year it seems) I took a few new shap shots. Here it is in all its pebbly, succulent glory.
Ok, these aren't actually in bloom right now, but instead bloomed earlier this summer and I didn't post them then. But both are very neat species I think you'll like. First is Ascocentrum miniatum. This is a compact growing Asctm, with shockingly orange flowers densely packed on usually multiple inflorescences. They're equally at home in a basket or pot, but we prefer to grow them in an aggregate (hydrocorrels or "cocoa puffs", as Al calls them). For a Vandaceous thing they're very easy to grow. (For this & some newly added Civias, please check out my shop!) :)
This second species is Dend. unicum. This is something that was all over the place several years ago, to the extent that I actually overlooked its charms initially. Only recently did I learn that it is fantastically fragrant! It smells somewhat like peaches or other fruity substance. flowers are borne singly or in small clusters along the leafless canes. The plant tends to go semi or fully dormant in winter and will look rather shabby until spring, when it starts to grow and send up buds. Then suddenly it looks smashing again. Plant has a slightly sprawling habit for me, with the canes sticking every-which-way.
Hi folks! Yes, I'm still alive, its just been a tough summer for me. But we're not here to talk about that. No, we're going to have some orchids! yay!This is Dendrobium wassellii, also known as Dockrillia wassellii. A really awesome species with thick terete leaves approximately 4 inches long and, as you can see, a really high flower count. The flowers are somewhat fragrant. Inflorescences arise rather suddenly and develop quickly. Like most terete leaved species, it likes rather high light.
(Remember, you can click on the photo for a larger version of the image. Take a peek at those nifty flowers!)
Like container plantings with all their variety? Interested in plants other than orchids? Interested in something sure to be a conversation starter in your living room window? Why not setup a little community plaque with a variety of interesting little plants?
This is an example I just started recently, so the plants are not established yet. We have a bromeliad (Cryptanthus bahianus), a Dischidia ovata cutting, and the runts of the litter for both Phalaenopsis (lindenii x pulcherrima) and Dendrobium Maiden Charlotte (all other plants I have of those are more mature). The trick is matching up a variety of plants with similar requirements for light, water, and temperature. I've also selected for this plaque four plants that will stay relatively compact and not overwhelm each other, although that dischidia could one day have many vines, but they're easy to pull off things and send off in another direction.
I'd really like to make another community with a Dend. tetragonum, but can't decide what would work well with it. Dend. tetragonum is a semi pendant species. I wouldn't want it to get visually lost among its companions. Perhaps something squat like Sophronitis cernua would work, but their water requirements are a little different. They might adjust though. I'll have to think on it.
If you make one, please send me a photo!!
Growing miniature orchids is a very worthwhile adventure. Not only are there so many to choose from, each with their own unique features, you can fit so many more into a small window. You can also sneak them in here and there around and on top of your larger plants if your space is getting slim. Today I'll showcase two cuties for which I have a couple plants available to share.
The first is Neobathiea filicornu, an angraecoid species with a leaf span of around three inches topped by a cute white flower with a long nectary and nice large lip. This is a rarely seen species for all you angraecoid enthusiasts out there. I keep this plant in our cool to intermediate basement under fluorescent light year round. Blooming seems to coincide with humidity peaks (i.e. foggy windows) in our basement, but I don't know if such a humidity spike is required to induce blooming.
The second is Dendrobium rigidum, or at least that's how I know it. If you lookup rigidum online you'll find some other images. But these plants came to me as rigidum, and I have a friend who has been growing a few plants of this for several years also with the name rigidum. So we're sticking with rigidum for now. Anyway, the species has the neatest succulent foliage. Leaves are 1 to 4 inches tall, and very thick with a rough texture. These are adorned occasionally with slightly fragrant cream flowers with red markings. The plants are fairly easy to grow in an East or West facing window and make great mounted specimens.
Hi folks, just ran across this page giving an overview of Dendrobium species culture based on group, and wanted to share. There are a lot of cool Dendrob's out there, but they can vary greatly. This might give you a good starting point, from which you can research more individual species and groups. The one thing it says that I'm not sure I agree with is "medium to high light" for Latoria species. Even here on the East coast I've seen latoria hybrids burn in higher light. I keep them in phalaenopsis level light with no problems. Latorias are great by the way! :) The photo above is one I currently have available in my shop. (There will be more soon if they don't all sell at market!)
In line with my increasing fascinating with Dendrobiums, I spent a good deal of time examining the selections at the SEPOS show this year. There were many interesting and well grown plants, what follows is just a selection of highlights. We'll start with this beautiful specimen of Dend. lindleyi. This is a fairly compact growing species, but as you can see, does increase in overall size dramatically at flowering time.
Another densely flowered specimen was this Dendrobium (a.k.a. Dockarilla) Oliver Jack "Gerard". A very attractive tuft of a plant.
A very adorable Den. Tie Dye.
Dendrobium discolor, a rather tall species with very unusual twisty, ruffled, rusty-color flowers on long sprays.
Dendrobium harveyanum, with very cool fimbriate flowers.
This Dendrobium Julie Skillicorn was quite fascinating. It was hung in a spot where I suspect it might be overlooked by some, but it is something certainly worth admiring and probably growing if you get a chance. I'd like to get one! It was in a rather small basket that was overflowing with long, needle like leaves arranged in a chain fashion, with a generous seasoning of upside-down flowers.
South facing window: This is your brightest light, excellent for Cattleya hybrids (Slc., Lc., C., Blc., Pot., Sl., Lc….), many Dendrobiums, and Oncidium intergeneric hybrids.
