Caring for Orchids
Orchids are different! That's for sure, but it doesn't necessarily mean that they are hard to grow.
The majority of orchids grow high up in the trees of tropical Asia, with just a few small roots that they use to hang on to some dead leaves caught in the tree branches.
They have very few leaves, so they don't get too heavy and fall from the tree. Their beautiful flower branches hang down to attract pollinating insects in the dim forest light. As it rains very often, they are not short of water, and their root systems have the ability to grow hanging in the air to extract moisture from the humid air.
They get their food from bird droppings washed down the tree bark and from some leaf mould caught up in the tree canopy.
So now if we can give them the same conditions,
it should be no problem at all to grow them !
Well its not really that hard at all!
Orchids are fast becoming one of the most popular houseplants now as they flower over a really long period and are easy to mind. To mimic the conditions above, orchids are potted in small pots of very porous open structure, usually consisting of bark, moss, and sponge, to allow the water to drain away but also to hold lots of air and damp humid conditions for the roots.
They are watered very regularly and then they
are fed very sparingly with plant food during the growing season.
That's It!.
As the flowers naturally trail from the tree branches, they must be supported with some canes in a pot to show them off to best advantage, unless grown on a shelf where they can be allowed to trail downwards. Give them a try and enjoy 3-6 months flowering from these beautiful plants.
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