You know how I say I’m a gardening enthusiast, not expert?  Same thing with orchids — I adore them, but I’m far from an expert.  After all,  I purchased my first orchid 6 weeks ago, so I’ve only kept an orchid alive for 6 weeks at this point.  However, I did attend an orchid workshop at Powell Gardens earlier this month where I learned from someone who is an expert —  and I took a ridiculous amount of notes to share with you.

Before we get down to the details,  let’s set the scene for our classroom.  Just imagine you’re in this greenhouse with me…

Are you there?  Excellent — let’s get started.

The workshop was led by the horticulturist who is in charge of the cactus/succulent greenhouse and the tropical greenhouse.  He covered details on the 7 types of orchids Powell Gardens has in their collection, including identification, attributes, and basic care. In addition to the 4 orchid types I cover below, we also learned about Zygopetalums, Cattleyas, and Cymbidiums.  My pictures of those didn’t turn out great, but I’ll tell you they’re all fabulous (because they’re all orchids).  I could give you the notes I took on those three without pictures…OR I could go buy one of each so that I can take pictures and profile them in a future post.  I think you know what I’ll do.

In the meantime, let’s talk about Phalaenopsis, Paphiopedilum, Oncidium, and Dendrobium orchids, shall we?

Phalaenopsis (Moth Orchid)

First, a primer on pronunciation, so you can sound smart in front of your friends: “fay-lee-en-op-sis.”  This is the most common orchid you’ll see in stores, as it’s the easiest to grow.  They’re native to Asia and have 3-12 blooms on long spikes.  There are a wide variety of sizes, colors, and patterns.

Moth orchids like east sun or bright indirect light, with a temperature of 65-85 degrees Fahrenheit.  They should be grown in a well-draining pot with an orchid bark mixture (not soil).  They’ll need a good watering about once/week, generally with a weak orchid fertilizer for a few waterings, then once with clear water to flush out any residues.  The horticulturist recommended putting the orchid in the sink and using lukewarm water to give it a good drink.   He was told by an “expert-expert” (someone who focuses on orchids 100% of the time) that despite what you may have read, don’t use ice cubes as they can damage the roots.  Orchids like humidity, so hit it with a spray bottle a few times per week if you are keeping it in a low-humidity location.

Phalaenopsis will bloom about once a year, and the blooms last quite awhile.  After the blooms have finished,  you can force it to grow a second flower spike from the first by cutting the spike right above a node.  Once a spike has finished blooming, it will turn brown and you can cut it off at the base.  Force a rebloom anytime of year with a 20-degree drop in temperature, or just wait for it to bloom again next year.

Repot the moth orchid after it blooms when roots are growing out of the pot or the growing medium has really started to break down.  If you repot it while it is blooming, you may stress the plant, causing it to drop its blooms.  (To avoid a longer post than this already is, I wrote a separate post about repotting moth orchids.)

Leaves on the moth orchid should be short and fat.  If they get long and droopy like the picture below, they need water or fertilizer.

The leaves of moth orchids are a little bit like Goldilocks — they should be not too dark, not too light, just the right color of green.  If the leaves are too dark, they’re probably not getting enough light.  If they’re too light, they’re probably getting too much sunlight.  If the leaves don’t look healthy, don’t chill to try to force a rebloom.  Get the plant healthy first.

Paphiopedilum (Lady Slipper Orchid)

Another common orchid is the Lady Slipper Orchid — and you can see how it got it’s name:

Lady Slipper orchids are native to Southeast Asia and bloom November to May with 1-2 blooms per spike.  These orchids need medium to low indirect lighting and should be watered about once/week like the moth orchid. They must be repotted every spring to keep them blooming.  There are two types of these orchids: green leaf strap and molted leaf.  Green leaf strap need temperatures of 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit at night and 70-80 degrees during the day.  Molted leaf need temperatures of 60-65 degrees at night and 70 to 85 degrees during the day.  The molted leaf (variegated) tend to do better than green leaf strap in our typical home environments.

Oncidium (The Dancing Doll Orchid)

Pronunciation help on this one: “on-sid-ee-um.”  Oncidiums are native to South Central America with spectacular groups of flowers on long spikes.

Blooms have a wide range of colors and shapes.  Dancing Doll orchids need medium to bright light; either an east window or west/south window if it has protection from the afternoon sun.  This orchid has bulbs at the base of the plants to hold water, and should be allowed to dry between waterings.  The bulbs should be smooth and firm, though, so if they are wrinkly, the plant needs more water. Ideal temperatures are 50-65 degrees F at night and 70-85 degrees during the day.  An oncidium will need to be repotted every 1-2 years when the media breaks down or roots grow outside of the pot.

Dendrobium

The dendrobium orchid is native to Asia and Australia.  It blooms on new and old growth, year-round, and the blooms can last for up to 6 months.  Some varieties are deciduous and some are evergreen, so don’t assume you’ve killed it if it drops its leaves.

You’ll notice this orchid looks quite different, as it grows off stalks.  Dendrobiums adapt well to high and low light, and of the orchids I’ve profiled, it’s the one that can handle the brightest light.  Put it in a south or west window to make it happy.  It needs warm days in the spring and summer (75-95 degrees F), and cooler days in the fall and winter (45-65 degrees).  Allow a dendrobium orchid to dry out before watering.  Repot every two years, as this baby likes to be root bound.

Common Orchid Problems

Over and under-watering of orchids are two common problems, so make sure to follow the recommendations above.

In addition, I learned a few tips from the horticulturist on other common orchid problems: fungus, bugs, and viruses.

To get rid of mealy bugs and scale on leaves, mix up a tablespoon of mineral oil with a quart of water.  Wipe this on the leaves to clean them off, then rinse so that the mineral oil doesn’t burn the leaves.

If you have bugs in the potting medium, mix up a little Dawn dish soap in water and pour it on the potting medium.  It should kill the bugs but not harm the plant.

To help with fungus problems, sprinkle cinnamon!

If your orchid has a virus, it’s a sad day, because the horticulturist said there’s not much you can do and recommended disposing of it.

Repotting

After covering the basics of orchid care, we honed our orchid-repotting skills by helping to repot their collection.  One of the reasons I had avoided growing orchids was the whole repotting thing; orchids just seemed so different from other houseplants.  I mean, they look so delicate, and those roots are something else, right?   Well, ends up it’s pretty easy.  You just need new growing medium, a pair of pruners, and a new pot if the orchid has outgrown its current one.  I detailed the steps in a separate post if you’d like to learn how to repot orchids.

While we were repotting, the horticulturist told us that if we came across one we liked, set it aside to take home.

Wait, what?

The workshop description mentioned that I got to bring home an “orchid start” — but you’re saying I get to choose any moth orchid I want?  A whole plant?   SCORE!

After changing my mind on which orchid I wanted a few times, I finally settled on this one:

The picture doesn’t do this orchid’s color justice: it is an absolutely stunning violet hue.  And, yes, I drove home with it strapped in to the seat next to me and a giant grin on my face.

If you have an opportunity to attend a workshop like this in your area, GO!  The confidence I gained from learning the basics of orchid care, being able to ask three thousand questions, and practicing repotting under the watchful eye of a expert orchid-grower was amazing.  If you’re not able to attend a workshop, don’t let that stop you: take a chance on orchids.  They’re beautiful and easier to grow than you think!

Do you grow orchids?  Tell me about them in the comments!