ORCHIDS
Orchids keep Gardeners sane during the winter months. There are plenty of things to do when the garden is resting under the snow (including letting your hands heal and fingernails grow (when you didn't wear gloves). But for those of us who like to meander and putter with plants non-stop, orchids are the ultimate indoor 'garden' (green and pretty when not in bloom), and worthy of throwing a party for them when they present their gorgeous flowers!
Interestingly, gardeners who don't fear dividing their perennials, prune their bushes with abandonment, and move plants boldly from one spot to another, lose their nerve when it conies to orchids. It doesn't take much to successfully grow the 'easy' orchid. I have done it for 25 years on my windowsills, and have only lost a few along the way. But, my 60 others are doing wonderfully. No misting, no air movement fans, no fussing.
Like most things in life, once you get into the project, you wish you'd started sooner! First, select an orchid that is amenable to home growing (for me, it's not dendrobiums).Two orchids that love windowsill conditions are the phalaenopsis (spike with large, flat pink or white 'moth' flowers) and the oncidium (many yellow 'dancing ladies' on the flower spikes). You can find a good selection of these reasonably-priced orchids at Safeway, Lowe's, Home Depot, and local plant nurseries.
In the beginning, water your orchid every week with tepid water. To allow any wet leaves to dry before nightfall, take it to the kitchen sink early in the day and allow the water to run freely through the planting mixture for one minute. Set it aside for 10 minutes and water again. This way, the roots and potting medium get good and soaked. Avoid getting the phal's leaves wet.
I say "in the beginning" because over a period of months, you can aclimate these two types of orchid plants to less frequent waterings (say, every 12 days). Orchids that are small plants will need to be watered weekly, but most of the commercial orchids come large enough. Pouch-like ladyslipper orchids (paphiopedilums), however, need also to be watered weekly.
Phals and oncidiums like direct sun on their leaves (preferably before 1pm); the latter likes a little more sun. Introduce your store-bought orchids to the sun gradually over a period of two weeks. You don't know what their sun conditions have been for the last month and you don't want to burn their leaves. Rotate your plants to control the growing direction of the leaves. Phals can also be happy growing on a living room table under a 100 to 200 watt lamp light left on for 14-16 hours.
Repotting isn't difficult. You do it every three years.
First buy "seedling" orchid bark which is smaller and will hold more water (hence reducing the time you need to water).
Then soak it for 24 hours to make sure the bark has taken in enough water and is not as hard as a stone.
Take the orchid out of the pot, shake off all the old bark and throw it away. Remove any dead roots.
Put an inch of the new bark in the bottom of the old pot or one that is slightly larger (orchids don't require big pots). I use plastic pots because they keep the potting mix wetter than with the more porous clay pots. If you want weight for stability, put some fishing sinkers or rocks in the bottom of the pot. Keep any foam peanuts you might find in the old mix and reuse them at the bottom for aeration.
Position the orchid where you want it in the pot and fill around it with the new bark. Done!
Buy orchid fertilizer. It's sold anywhere you buy the plants. Use it at one-fourth the recommended strength every watering; that way you don't have to remember when you fertilized last. Once every two months at watering time, just use clear water to flush out the pots of any fertilizer salts.
After you realize how simple it is to keep these lovelies happy, you will lust to acquire some other types of orchids. Attend the NCOS 29th Annual Orchid Auction on Saturday, March 3, at the US National Arboretum, and the NCOS 60th Fall Show and Sale on October 6, 7 and 8, 2007, also at the Arboretum.
Keeping sane during the winter months is very important because what the DC area doesn't need are insane gardeners heating up the scene with misdirected energy!
Nancy A. Burns
Note: Portions of this article appeared in the spring issue of the District II newsletter as well as the October 20, 2005 issue of the Alexandria Times. Nancy is a gardening columnist for the Alexandria Times, writing A Gardener's Garden.
