Growing Instructions

INDOOR GROWING

For Windowsill Growing:

Finding the right place for the right orchid plant is an ongoing challenge for all growers, beginners and experienced alike.  A little perseverance and looking for positive and negative results is the key to success.  Be willing to experiment, the effects of light are generally easy to detect and occur rather quickly.  As a general rule of thumb, yellowing and dark spots on leaves are an indication of too much light (the effects of too much light are most often far more detrimental to the plants health than not enough light.)

Most plants like some direct sunlight, four or five hours are ideal - morning sunlight is best as afternoon sun is usually very hot and can easily burn your plants.  Where direct sun is not available, bright indirect light for the entire day is usually sufficient.  For west and southern exposures, moving the plants away from the windowsill or the addition of a sheer curtain to diffuse the sun should do the trick.  In warmer months, a breeze is beneficial for growth, so open windows are essential.  In very cold areas, protect your plants, a plastic "vapor barrier" covering the window will keep freezing air away from the plants.

Temperature range for growing orchids is not as specific as one might think.  Most plants can grow perfectly well in a temperature range of 50°F to 90°F.  The addition of a small fan, on the low setting blowing through the plants, gives better growth (you've likely noticed them blowing in the greenhouses you've visited).

Humidity is also, with a few exceptions, not critical to the growth of most orchids, in fact, some actually thrive under drier conditions.  Misting is generally not advised as it tends to promote fungal rot, but if you must, always mist in the morning so that plants will dry before cool evening temperatures.  If the home tends to be excessively dry, the use of humidity trays (see below under Artificial Light Growing) can be beneficial.  Your plants will receive humidity normally as the media dries.

For Artificial Light Growing:

There are many manufactured "light carts" especially for plant growing, but if you're into "DIY" you can easily create your own very inexpensively!  For best results a 4 tube fluorescent light fixture is best, but for most orchid plants even a two tube "Shop Light" fixture is sufficient.  The lights must be on for a minimum of 18 hours a day and we recommend using cool white bulbs for best results.  YOU DO NOT NEED WIDE SPECTRUM BULBS TO GROW OR HAVE YOUR ORCHIDS BLOOM.  Fluorescent bulbs are better than incandescent bulbs because they give more even light and are cooler burning.  In addition, a small fan turned on to the low setting 24 hours a day will help give better growth.  Humidity trays (low trays filled with a layer of aquarium gravel with water just below the surface of the gravel) can also be helpful in indoor culture, however, it is important that plant pot bottoms never sit in water.  For plants that like very high humidity or moisture you can make an orchid terrarium with an old fish aquarium, a small bun fan and a fluorescent light fixture above the tank.

Fertilizer: 

Our own experience, through trial and error, has proven that equal number fertilizers (ie: 10-10-10, 14-14-14, etc.) that are commonly used in the greenhouse environment, provide poor results for the home orchid grower.  The relationship between sunlight and nitrogen is key to orchid blooming success.  One needs to keep in mind that the available light on the windowsill or under lights is nowhere in comparison to the optimum light received in the greenhouse environment, and it is impossible for orchid plants to break down the amounts of nitrogen in order to produce blooms.  There is an easy solution to this dilemma!  By using a low nitrogen formulation of "Blossom Booster" fertilizers with low first numbers, the plant is allowed sufficient nitrogen for healthy growth while allowing it to reach its flowering stage.  Ignore the package labeling and use the following in your regular orchid care regime.

Use a BLOSSOM BOOSTER fertilizer (ie. 10-30-20) at 1/4 tsp. per gallon of water every week, along with Superthrive™.  (Weak applications allow the plant to absorb the nutrients far better than heavy monthly applications.)  DO NOT USE ANY HIGH NITROGEN FERTILIZERS AT ANY TIME, by doing so you will have large green plants with very few or no flowers (bark does not leach out nitrogen).

GREENHOUSE & OUTDOOR GROWING

If you grow in a greenhouse or outdoors, we recommend that you use a combination of high and low nitrogen fertilizers on alternate weeks at a rate of 1/4 tsp. per gallon of water.  Along with this, we add several drops of Superthrive™, this will give you better growth and nicer flowers.

WATERING

Always water your plants thoroughly, completely saturating the media.  It is best to water in the morning hours so plant foliage can dry before evening.  Allow media to dry somewhat before watering again and never have plants sitting in puddles of water.  How often to water depends on the environment, but generally once or twice a week is sufficient.  It is much easier to kill a plant with too much water than not enough.

PEST CONTROL

Ants are the major insect problem because they bring in aphids, scale and mealybugs.  Indoors, use household ant controls.  Outdoors or in a greenhouse, you can use liquid Telstar or liquid Sevin, both kill a variety of insects.

Use caution whenever you use any chemicals.  Protect yourself completely from any contact.  To kill aphids and mealybugs in the home, you can use rubbing alcohol full strength and wash the plant and flowers clean.  For other insects, you can use Horticultural oils as a non-toxic form of eradication.


Click here for instructions on how to grow specie and hybrid orchids.