Orchids Make Great Houseplants

Orchids are incredibly beautiful flowers, their color and form are lovely and interesting, and some of them are scented as well. Many people who would like to grow orchids in their home believe that their efforts would only be rewarded with failure, so they never even try. This is a mistake, as many orchids are quite easy to grow and will reward a bit of care with spectacular blooms. Reading up on the needs of whatever species in which you are interested will assure you of success.

The correct amount of light will be essential if the orchid is to grow well and produce blooms. Many orchids enjoy diffuse light similar to that found in their original habitat of the rainforest. Placing one of these orchids on an east windowsill will often provide for all their light needs. The orchid will let you know, by not blooming and by the leaves turning yellow, if the amount of light is wrong. Depending on where the orchid is growing, moving it to a situation of either more or less light will usually fix this problem. Sometimes artificial lighting can help with an orchid that is having trouble with light.

It is generally not a good idea to plant orchids in soil, even a general potting mix for houseplants. Most orchids grown as houseplants are air plants, and originate as plants that grew far above the ground. These orchids root themselves in the debris of bark and dead plant and animal parts on the limbs of rainforest trees, and never put their roots into actual soil. There are quite a few special potting mixes designed for orchids that are composed of bark, coconut fiber, or sphagnum moss that will provide the proper medium in which to grow the orchid.

Although in the wild orchids are subjected to frequent rainstorms during the tropical wet season, they nearly always dry out completely between rains. The reason for this is that the debris they are growing in is very light and airy, and this debris dries out very quickly. Orchid roots have two layers - an inner, tough core and an absorbent outer covering. This outer covering sucks up water very fast, while it is available, and is adapted to dry out quickly as well. If the orchid is watered too frequently, this outer layer will become waterlogged and rot. The orchid should only be watered about once a week, perhaps twice if the weather is very hot and dry, to mirror its natural growing conditions. A little extra humidity can be added by placing a tray filled with pebbles beneath the orchid pot and keeping the pebbles wet. Do not allow the water to touch the pot at all, however.

The tropical and subtropical regions never experience a frost, let alone a real winter. The orchids most often chosen as houseplants come from this region and will require temperatures that fall within a certain range. At no time should the orchid be subjected to temperatures below 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Nighttime temperatures can be between 60 and 65 degrees F, and daytime temperatures between 65 and 80 degrees.

Keeping in mind a few fairly simple requirements can assure anyone of successful orchid growing. Orchids are really no more difficult to grow than are African violets or gloxinia, and will reward the grower with beautiful and lasting flowers.