Orchid Basics

For our first real Blog post we're going to discuss orchid basics. In all future posts we'll get more granular but you have to start somewhere.

I remember when I first found my love of orchids. There was no internet back then so everything was either in books or word of mouth. The access to information nowadays is so much better but for that same reason so is misinformation. Ask a question to ten different growers and you'll get ten different answers.

Still the basics are pretty undisputed. To help your orchids live you need to understand three basic things, water, light, and food (not too different from us is it?).

Water

The first thing that kills more orchids than anything else is overwatering! We love our babies to death sometimes. Most orchids that we grow are epiphytes or lithophytes. Meaning that in nature they grow on trees or rocks. Please note there are plenty of terrestrial or semi-terrestrial orchids and this information does not apply to them. 

So first, think of what happens in nature. Rains come in, heavily soaks the plant and its area, but no water is really retained. It flows off and dries up quickly.  When we put orchids in pots we do our best to emulate that environment. We use some variation of organic (bark) and inorganic (charcoal, lava rock, clay leca pellets, etc.) material.

While the water needs vary greatly from genera to genera more often than not we water too often. So, always be informed of your orchids' specific needs but if you are unsure if its time to water, wait a day. Soak your orchid heavily and do not mist or lightly spray them. Avoid the bucket method! I know you've heard or seen people doing this but if you share your orchids bucket and water between different plants it is an easy way to spread pests and pathogens. If your orchid has larger aerial roots you will also crack or damage those roots with the bucket method. So do not do it if at all possible.

Soak and then dry!

Light

As with water and the next topic this varies greatly depending on your plant. Some orchids will want heavy shade and some can even take full strong sun. Mostly orchids want something in between. We refer to this as dappled light.

Close your eyes, no not while you are reading this silly. Imagine a sunny day. You're sitting in a hammock under a tree with a cool cocktail in your hand, not a care in the world. Think of how the sun just peeks through the leaves for a second and then moves. Part sun and part shade. Now you're thinking like an orchid!

Direct morning sun is fine and usually preferred but by 10am-11am your orchids want a break from the strongest midday sun. If not they will burn. Many people will create a shade house or greenhouse for their plants and typically use a 50%-60% shade cloth.

Food (Fertilizer)

Orchid nutrients can be divided in two main categories, macro and micronutrients. To keep things easy we're going to focus on the macronutrients, N-P-K. Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium and the primary nutrients for all plant life. You will see this listed as three numbers on all fertilizers, ex. 20-20-20.

My first rule for you, stop buying fertilizers that are branded as "for Orchids". The differences are either nonexistent or nominal depending on the brand. They charge you 2x to 3x the cost just to put the word Orchid on it because they know people will pay it. Find a well known company and you can't go wrong, Miracle Grow/Peters/Dyna-Gro/etc. 

Buy one version for vegetative growth, usually even numbers or slightly higher first number (nitrogen), and one bloom booster, higher in the second number (phosphorus). Fertilize once a week in a rotation of 3 times growth version then 1 time bloom version. 

The old adage of weakly weekly is still around and not a bad way to start but.... you can easily go 1/2-3/4 strength without issues unless your orchid is sensitive. Most commonly sold hybrids can take full strength weekly without issues but airing on the side of caution isn't bad but you do not need to go as low as 1/4 strength. 

Summary

In summary; let your orchids dry enough prior to watering again, keep them out of the mid-day sun but still in a bright area, fertilize weekly with a good rotation or grow and bloom booster fertilizers. Start with these simple things and you're on the way to happier healthier orchids! 

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