When Yuma's hot weather comes, think orchids

Soon the hot temperatures will force most of us to stay inside and forget about outdoor gardening for a few months. If you aren’t a snowbird who can fly away to nicer weather, you can still enjoy gardening inside. What to grow? Think orchids. They are rather mundane-looking plants which produce some of the most exotic blooms found in nature. Their blooms can last from six to 10 weeks, giving you ample time to enjoy their incredible beauty. With a little knowledge about orchid care, you can garden indoors during our hot summer weather.

At one time, the cost of an orchid plant was high, and growing orchids was considered a “rich man’s hobby.” Today, orchids are affordable and are sold everywhere, even at your local grocery store. When you purchase an orchid, you are taking a chance, however. If the plant was left in a cold draft, was kept too cold or hot, or was not watered regularly, it may look healthy when you purchase it, but a few days later it could begin dropping its flowers and leaves. Dealing with a reputable grower, who is intent upon producing the best possible orchids for sale under the best conditions, will help insure a healthy orchid plant.

Once your beautiful orchid enters your home, you are responsible for maintaining its growth. The three most important factors for growing orchids are temperature, light and moisture. Your home’s temperature should be between 70 and 80 degrees during the day and 60 degrees at night. There needs to be at least a 10 degree difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures to keep your orchid happy. Light is also an important factor, and a little research is needed to find orchids that like your home’s light conditions. If you are going to place your orchid in a room with little light, an orchid whose natural home is shady will do best. If you are going to place your orchid where it will receive indirect sunlight, such as a window with sheer drapes, choose an orchid whose natural environment matches those light conditions. Most orchids require 10-15 hours of indirect sunlight daily in order to bloom and grow properly. Generally, orchids with few leaves or leather-like leaves require more indirect sunlight than those with soft, limp leaves.

Cattleya, Dendrobium, Oncidium, and Vanda orchids grow nicely with indirect sunlight. Mitonia, Paphiopedilum, and Phalaenopsis orchids like a shadier location. Finding the correct light for your particular orchid is an important factor. Your orchid’s leaves should have a grass-green color. If they turn yellow, more shade is needed; and if they turn a dark-green color, more indirect light is required. The correct amount of light is necessary for your orchid to bloom.

Water your orchid when the container’s bark feels dry. Lifting your container to feel its weight is a good method of determining how dry the medium is. If the container feels very light, it’s time to water. On the other hand, if the container feels fairly heavy, there is still moisture in the pot and no extra water is needed. Too much water or too little will harm your orchid. Usually, once a week is adequate for watering.

Adding diluted fertilizer to the water will insure a good supply of nutrients for the orchid. During the winter months and right after repotting, no fertilizer is necessary. An orchid planted in bark requires a high-nitrogen fertilizer, such as 30-10-10. Orchids planted in other media need a balanced fertilizer, 10-10-10 or 18-18-18. Don’t use tap water when watering, as it may have too many minerals or salts which will build up on the roots and eventually kill the plant. Bottled drinking water is best.

Orchids using the least amount of water are the Cattleyas, Laeliocattleyas, Brassolaeliocattleyas, Oncidiums, Miltonias and Odontoglossums. These orchids have a pseudobulb which stores water. The Phalaenopsis is a moderate water user, with no pseudobulb, and the Paphiopedilums and Haemeria orchids are high water users, requiring a mix of bark, peat moss, and perlite to help retain moisture longer.

The medium used to grow orchids provides support for the plant and air spaces between roots so they don’t rot from too much moisture. Many orchids are grown in Osmunda fiber, coming from the roots of the Osmunda fern found in Australia and the Pacific. Fresh pine bark mixed with peat moss and perlite is popular for orchids needing more moisture. Redwood bark chips, coconut fiber, charcoal, and fir bark chips are other planting materials used by orchid growers. The size of the medium affects water retention; the smaller the bark, the longer it will retain moisture.

Did you know orchids are the second largest order in botany and grow on every continent except Antarctica? The tundra, rainforests, mountains, plains, deserts, and swamps all contain orchids. Some Australian orchids grow underground, while many tropical orchids grow in the upper branches of rainforest trees.

Orchids belong to the Orchid Family, Orchidaceae, and can be divided into two basic growth types: monopodial and sympodial. Monopodial orchids have a central stem which grows continuously from the tip. Flowers are produced alternately along the stem. Phalaenopsis orchids belong to this variety. Sympodial orchids possess a rhizome which sends out a shoot, developing into the stem, leaves, and flowers. Cattleyas, Laelias, and Paphiopedilums belong to this group.

There are thousands of different orchid species, classified into Terrestrial Orchids, which grow in wet, marshy areas, Epiphytic Orchids, which grow mainly in crevices of rocks and trees, and Saprophytic Orchids, which don’t have green leaves and survive on decayed vegetation. Orchids are one of the most adaptable plants on earth and can even adapt to Yuma’s dry climate.

Orchids come in a variety of colors, except blue and black. Their flower size can range from extremely small to the size of a pie plate; and the plants, themselves, can be diminutive to over fifteen-feet tall.

Orchids have both male and female organs located in each bloom, allowing for self-pollination. Thousands of microscopic seeds are produced and scattered by the wind. The seeds must land on a special fungus, which gathers water and minerals to feed the seedling. The seedling, in return, shares sugars from photosynthesis with the fungus. From the thousands of seeds, only one or two seedlings will grow into a mature plant.

One of the easiest orchids for a beginner to grow is the Phalaenopsis orchid, commonly called the “moth orchid”. Its petals form the shape of a moth, and the blooms last over three months. Depending upon the variety of Phalaenopsis you choose, the blooms will be white, pink, purple, colorfully veined, or yellow. The blooms open sequentially, between two and five days apart, along a slender stem. They come from a tropical environment and like sitting on a tray filled with gravel and water, which adds humidity to the air. Misting around the plant, not directly on the leaves, will also make this orchid happy. Any diluted, balanced fertilizer can be used to keep a Phalaenopsis orchid growing well. Protect your plant from drafts and direct sunlight to ensure a healthy orchid. A temperature between 65 degrees at night and 80 degrees during the day will encourage good plant growth. A spot in your home with indirect sunlight will be perfect. In three to four months, your Phalaenopsis will reward you with beautiful blooms.

In the wild, orchids usually have a breeze to keep the air circulating. In your home, a small fan, on low, can create the same effect. However, don’t aim the fan directly at the orchid. Cold air from an air conditioner blowing directly on an orchid is also not good.

When you divide an orchid or repot it, there will be no blooms for at least one year. Most orchids don’t like to be repotted, so wait until the roots are crowding outside the pot before you change its container.

If you saw the beautiful orchids on exhibit at the Yuma County Fair, you know orchids can be grown successfully in Yuma. If you have any questions concerning orchids, the Yuma Orchid Society meets the second Monday of each month, 10 a.m., at the Fortuna Del Oro Restaurant in the foothills.

Their next meeting will be in September.