Orchid Nature

Orchid habit and orchid care

Before you begin reading on orchid care it is very helpful to understand the habit or nature of orchids. This will help you gain a better understanding of it's needs and make it thrive.

Firstly, most orchids are epiphytes, as in they grow on top of other plants. Most orchids are found growing on the bark of trees in wet regions. Their roots are specilized and used to grip onto surfaces. The roots are also covered in a fine layer of material that helps absorb and retain water from humid air or brief showers. Along with catching water, the roots also abosrb nutriets from the air and deacying leaf detritus that builds up near the plant which do not provide a lot of nutriets. The plant itself usually consists of a column of leaves (monopodial like vandas and phals) or several seperate psuedobulbs (sympodial like oncidiums and cattleyas) with leaves coming out of the top. The psuedobulbs act to store water and food for periods of no rain, those without psuedobulbs have very succulent leaves capable of holding lots of water (this is why it is ok to let the media dry out between waterings!). Most orchids can actually survive more than a month without watering because of this. Because they live amongst the branches of trees, they have not much protection to UV radiation. In their natural habitat, most light is blocked out by the trees leaves yearound. That is why orchids require indirect sunlight and should have a shade directly above them at all times. The flowering is usually initiated in winter, in anticipation of spring. Flowering is specialized, and most orchids have their own unique pollinator that they have evolved to accept. Flowers are often very hardy to withstand sudden downpours and winds, which is why they last so long indoors. Seed pods often take months to mature and most produce seeds by the millions the size of dust particles. These seeds require a symbiotic fungus found in their native habitats to initiate germination. This is often done in the lab via nutrient cultures.

So now that you know how orchids grow in the wild you can apply it to growing in the home! Remember orchids occur naturally and conditions outside your home are much more harsh. Most cultivated orchids are very hardy and require little care, in fact the more you fret and mess with your orchids, often the worse it does. Letting an orchid become adjusted to it's location and not overwatering or feeding will allow it to thrive. So let's get started!