Orchid Care

Ask ten successful growers how they care for their orchids and you will get ten different answers. One technique that everyone can agree on, however, is how to bloom their phalaenopsis.

Surprisingly, the average consumer is not generally aware of this ‘secret.’ Plant care tags describe the culture necessary to keep the plant alive but often fail to mention what is required for re-blooming. Maybe that’s because marketers don’t want their clients to know this critical information – preferring, instead, to sell them more plants next year.

Question:

How should we care for our orchids during these cold winters? Diane F.

Answer:

One would think that tropical plants and snow storms are highly incompatible. Yet millions of orchid hobbyists across America are able to bridge the gap to successfully grow and bloom a wide range of orchid genera by creating healthy horticultural microclimates within their homes. The months of December, January, and February offer the greatest challenges, as well as the greatest rewards - if executed correctly.

Q) I am an ‘amateur’ grower of Phalaenopsis. I have 12 pots and all seem very healthy with
bright green leaves. My problem is they are not blooming. Some haven’t bloomed in 3-4 years!
My house doesn’t have much light so I’ve added grow lights. Jane E.

Q) My favorite orchid has unsightly color streaks on the flowers and I’m worried. What could this be?
Nate D.

A) Mere mention of the words Odontoglossom Ring Spot or Cymbidium Mosaic send chills through most growers for these are dreaded orchid viruses with no known cure. Symptoms include streaky leaves and flowers as well as compromised plant vigor. In most cases, the affected epiphytes are thrown out.

Healthy orchids are free of all plant viruses whose symptoms can include loss of vigor and unsightly markings in the foliage and flowers.

Sometimes it’s nice to share a success story of an everyday guy who grows orchids on his windowsill. I suppose he’s not quite an everyday guy. His name is Howard ‘Buddy’ Wiles III and he is an Obstetrics and Gynecology doctor in Richmond. Although he doesn’t have any professional orchid training, he has figured out a way to grow and bloom Phalaenopsis in his office window year after year.