How to Grow Orchids
Knowing how to grow orchids is a goal of many flower growers. Orchids are not terribly hard to grow if you can provide the right conditions. There are presently 28,000 species of orchids and 300,000 different cultivars that have been registered.
Orchids adapt to just about any environment. In nature, orchids need the help of fungi in order to grow. Out of hundreds of thousands of seeds disbursed by the wind, only one or two will find the necessary fungi and the moist enclosed spot in which to develop. If you want to know how to grow orchids you must totally understand the environment they need in which to grow.
The fungi and the orchid seed form a mutually benefiting relationship where the fungi gives water and minerals to the orchid plant and the orchid plant, with its ability for photosynthesis which the fungi does not have, feeds sugar back to the fungi. The need of having fungi for growth was solved by orchid cultivators who started growing orchids on moist and sterile agar. This allows hundreds of orchids to be grown at the same time. This is what has allowed so many varieties of orchids to be developed, because naturally orchids grow very slowly, and some species can take as long as seven years to mature and produce flowers.
There are two different kinds of orchids--monopodial and sympodial. Monopodial have one central stem. Flowers grow from the stem in-between the leaves, usually in an alternating pattern. Sympodial orchids send out rhizomes to produce a shoot which has a stem, leaves and flowers.
In order to learn how to grow orchids properly, you have to figure out where you are going to grow them and what kind of growing medium you will use. Osmunda fiber, which is a fern native to the Pacific regions and Australia, is often used. Pine bark can also be used but is usually mixed with other ingredients. Check with your local nursery to see what they have for growing orchids.
To plant an orchid, fill the pot approximately two-thirds full of growing medium and set the plant in the pot, either in the center if it has one stem or two fingers from the outside of the pot if not. Pack the growing material in very tightly. When the roots of the orchid begin to extend out of the pot, it is time to replant. This happens on average of every two years.
Orchid plants like lots of light--a southern window is a good choice if you have one. You should water orchids whenever the planting material is dry. You can also fertilize them with a synthetic fertilizer (20-20-20) once a month or you can purchase special orchid fertilizers.
Orchids have very few pests and diseases. If you are having any problems, contact your local garden center or extension service. The American Orchid Society publishes a booklet about caring for orchids.