I love orchids. I had always heard how hard they are to grow, but they’re not! Really they’re easy! Especially for someone like me who always forgets to water plants. They like to get dried out between waterings so it is so simple! Just wait till the sphagnum is dry then water until it’s moist again. They really don’t need any fertilizers or even dirt because they are epiphytes or air plants. They derive what they need straight out of the air and water! Like magic.
Another great thing I love about orchids is their bloom length and time. The blooms of these orchids stay on for months on end. They unfurl one at a time until the whole thing is covered in flowers for a month or two. I love that they start budding in January or February and bloom right before everything else in the yard wakes up. They are great indoors here in Colorado and perfect in the tropics as well!
White Orchid
The Kitchen table is getting full of orchids
It is one collection I don’t mind increasing! 🙂
When you get to PR just hammer some orchids onto tree trunks and they will flower a few times a year! Pretty easy!
We love orchids, too. Went last week to the Santa Barbara International Orchid show
http://www.sborchidshow.com/index.html
Just fantastic old and new varieties. Brought home a trio of beauties.
Wow that’s cool!
So how do you propagate them and make more?
I would love to see an international orchid show! That’s awesome!
They have classes on propagation at the show but I didn’t take any this time. There is also an Orchid Society in SB which gives lectures every month.
After blooming, I think you can separate the corms (like roots but bigger) and put in potting bark (small bark chucks for little orchids and big chunks for bigger plants). The plants don’t need the bark; you could use rock instead but bark is cheaper and lighter. The growers recommend small pots for small plants as the roots like to be “tight” in the pot, medium not direct light, and good liquid fertilizer. Be sure to wear gloves and use sterile bark and pots, as orchids are susceptible to fungus and bacteria. There is a lot of speculation and recommendation on the lliquid fertilizer, but I have found Miracle Gro (available anywhere even Costco) in powder or liquid form works great and the orchids thrive on it.
Hopefully you can join us at the SB orchid show one day! We could also visit the orchid growers in town other times of the year.
I was born in central PA, on a farm, and have always had a love for planting seeds and seeing the miracle of growth. Now after living 40 years in Puerto Rico I have the opportunity to create beauty beyond imagination. Growing gorgeous orchids takes very little effort and is priceless.
You do need patience. Most orchids grow very slowly.
http://www.MyGorgeousOrchids.com