How to Grow Orchids

by Sandra Bekbissinger, International Intern, Germany

Most orchids you see in stores come from tropical climates and therefor need special care.
Find out what kind of orchid you have, before looking for care instructions to find the conditions under which your orchid will grow best.
If you don´t have any clue, try searching for those genera: Phalaenopsis, Dendrobium, Cattleya, Cambria/Vulkstekeara, Paphiopedilum, Miltonia, Cymbidium and Oncidium.
If you consider buying one, think about the conditions you have at home first and then try to find an orchid whose need you can meet.

Water

your 'normal' orchids are epiphytes, that means they live on trees. Consequently, the don´t need as much water as your average houseplant and a special growing medium.

As a general rule, watering them once a week is enough. When watering, try to wet all of the substrate and let all the excess water drain away. Orchids hate to have 'wet feet'.

It is recommended to add special orchid fertilizer every second watering in summer.

Don´t worry about humidity, most hybrids can grow on your window ledge. But be aware tha there are some orchids, such as Vandas, which need about 80% relative humidity!

Light

Different types of orchids have different light requirements. Most of them don´t like direct sun though. If you want to find the light optimum for your plant, search the websites listed below for your type of orchid.

Temperature

The preferred temperature range differs a lot between the different kinds of orchids. But most can be put in one of the following three categories:
warm (65-75°F)
temperate (like 'warm' during growing period, but then a cooler period)
cool (usually don´t like temperatures up to 80°F).
Your average orchid can usually be treated as the warm type, depending on the hybrid even some temperate species can be cultivated under warm conditions.

Further information

If you want to know more about orchids visit these websites:
-      the American Orchid Society: http://www.aos.org/
-      http://www.orchids.com/
-      http://www.orchidmall.com/