At Master Gardener College 2017, I was fortunate to attend a presentation about the “Tips and Tricks” of caring for orchids given by Art Chadwick of Chadwick & Son in Richmond. The presentation covered the care of several different types of orchids and the idiosyncrasies of each.
For this discussion, I am going to focus on the information that Mr. Chadwick provided about the care of the Phalaenopsis or Moth Orchid which is the type orchid I see in the grocery store and usually buy for my home. I bet you did not know that this orchid blooms for approximately 3 months from January through May? Of course not, because we see these orchids blooming in the store year-round! Well, it seems that this orchid can conveniently be forced to bloom anytime.
The Phalaenopsis requires indirect light. That means shade or early morning/late day sun. Mr. Chadwick recommends a potting medium of sphagnum moss in clay or plastic pots. To pot, soak sphagnum moss in water for 24 hours and then stuff in around the roots. The ideal air temperature is 65 to 90 degrees F. If the leaves are warm to touch the plant is being exposed to too much sun. You can judge the correct light exposure over time by looking at the color of the leaves. Dark green foliage means not enough light and pale green foliage means too much light. Medium green is the perfect color! You can encourage spiking by exposing the plant to 50 degree temperatures at night for three weeks in the fall.
Water when the medium is almost dry, once or twice a week. Water thoroughly and keep damp all the time. The temperature of the water should be about 65 degrees. Avoid getting water in the crown.
Cut off the stem after the blooms die. Use fertilizer sparingly because orchid roots are sensitive. Weak solutions applied several times a month are usually sufficient. You can use one teaspoon of Epson salts in one gallon of water to feed your plants. To prevent buds from falling off the plant, strive for at least 50% humidity year round.
I would also like to share some specific tips that Mr. Chadwick provided about some other types of orchids. The Cattleya (Corsage orchid), the Dendrobium (Hawaiian Lei orchid) and the Oncidium (Dancing Lady orchid) require filtered direct sun which means full sun diffused by sheer curtains or partially turned blinds. Do not use sphagnum moss for a Dendrobium orchid, but instead use lava rock or Fir bark in a clay pot. Specific to the Cattleya orchid, do not cut the bulbs off after flowering and keep pot bound. The roots can cover the inside and outside of the pot. Specific to the Dendrobium orchid, leave the bulbs and do not cut back. This orchid blooms from the top, blooming on old and new cane.
My Phalaenopsis had a great year in 2017 and I have no idea how that happened! Essentially, I set it aside and ignored it after it finished blooming. I must have put it in the right place, with indirect light. I watered it faithfully every week and it re-bloomed. Not only did it re-bloom, but it birthed a beautiful baby! (See photo) Now that the orchid is finished blooming, I will snip off the baby and plant it in wet sphagnum moss in a clay pot. I will choose the smallest pot that will fit the roots and pack the moss around them. I will put the plant back in its “right place” with indirect sun, water it once or twice a week, and then I will just have to wait. Stay tuned!
If you live in the Richmond area you can board your orchid at Chadwick’s for $2.00 per month! Out- of-bloom orchids are boarded under greenhouse conditions until they re-bloom. To learn more about orchids, the care of orchids and Chadwick’s, visit: http://www.chadwickorchids.com/