Orchids For Dummies

Steven A. Frowine is a noted professional horticulturist and a longtime avid gardener and communicator.The National Gardening Association is the leading garden-based educational organization in the United States. Visit https://garden.org.

• Introduction 1About This Book 1Foolish Assumptions 3Icons Used in This Book 3Beyond This Book 4Where to Go from Here 4Part 1: Welcoming Orchids into Your Life 5Chapter 1: Discovering the World of Orchids 7Understanding What Makes an Orchid an Orchid 8Knowing Where Orchids Come From 9Seeing Why You Should Grow Orchids 10Deciding Which Orchids to Bring into Your Home 11Identifying Orchids by Name 12Species orchid names 13Hybrid orchid names 13Recognizing What Makes an Orchid an Award Winner 16Growing Orchids Easy As One, Two, Three 17January 17February 18March 18April 19May 19June, July, and August 20September 20October 21November and December 21Chapter 2: Choosing the Right Orchid for You 23Figuring Out Where to Shop 23Specialist orchid growers or suppliers 24Your local garden center 24Orchid shows 24Online orchid suppliers 25Home centers and discount stores 26Considering Your Environment 26Taking temperature readings 27Measuring your light intensity 29Asking yourself these questions 33Growing Tropical Orchids Outdoors 33Knowing What to Look for in an Orchid 34Choosing a healthy plant 34Deciding between a blooming plant and a young plant 36Choosing seed-grown orchids or orchid clones 36Selecting orchids with a sweet scent 36Isolating Your New Orchid after You Bring It Home 37Chapter 3: Having the Right Tools on Hand 39Focusing on Cutting and Pruning Tools 39Pruners 39Knives and blades 41Considering Potting Tools and Supplies 41Potting tools 41Potting supplies 43Identifying Watering Accessories 45Water breakers 45Water-flow regulators 46Hoses 46Watering cans 46Sprayers and misters 47Fertilizer injectors 47Deionization and reverse osmosis units 48Looking At Humidifiers, Heaters, and Ventilation Equipment 49Humidifiers 49Ventilation 51Heating 51Thermometers and hygrometers 51Chapter 4: How I Love Thy Orchid: Enjoying the Orchid’s Beauty 53Caring for Orchids in Their New Home 53If the plant is in bloom 54If the plant is not in bloom 54Staking and Grooming Your Blooming Orchids 55Figuring out how to stake 55Helping your orchids look their best 57Displaying orchid plants in your home 58Arranging orchid flowers 60Part 2: The Basics of Orchid Parenthood 67Chapter 5: Providing the Right Growing Environment 69Let There Be Light! Recognizing Natural Light Sources 69Exploring the ins and outs of light 70Listening to your orchids 72Comprehending Some Basic Light Terminology 76Considering Artificial Light Sources 77Fluorescent lights 77High-intensity-discharge lights and high-intensity commercial LED lights 80LEDs — The new kids on the block 80Figuring Out Which Type of Lights Are Your Best Option 82Knowing How Much Light Your Orchids Need 83Growing Orchids Under Lights — Tips and Tricks to Remember 84Humidity: Orchids’ Favorite Condition 85Providing Ventilation — Fresh Air, Please! 88Ceiling fans 88Oscillating fans 88Muffin fans 89Looking Closer at Orchid Temperature Requirements 89Too-low temperatures 89Too-high temperatures 90Giving Your Orchids a Summer Vacation 90A shade house 91A portable greenhouse 92Some orchids enjoy hanging out 93Chapter 6: Watering and Fertilizing Orchids 95Understanding the Art of Watering Orchids — Water, Water Everywhere 95The type of pot 96The type of potting material 96The age of the potting material 97Whether the orchid is pot-bound 97The growing environment 97The temperature 97The amount of ventilation 97Whether the orchids are growing or dormant 98The type of orchid 98Knowing What Works — Watering Your Orchid 98Using the pot-weighting method 98Watering your orchids — Tips and tricks 99Over- or Underwatering: Roots Tell the Story 100Figuring out whether watering is the problem 100Rescuing and resuscitating your orchid 102Considering Fertilizers — Not Magic Potions 104Knowing what to look for in orchid fertilizers 104Identifying types of fertilizers and how to use them 107Chapter 7: The ABCs of Potting Materials, Containers, and Repotting 111Choosing Potting Materials 111Knowing your potting material options 112Figuring out which potting materials are best 113Getting your hands on some not-so-secret recipes 114If mixing your own isn’t your thing 115Getting your potting material ready to use 116Giving Your Orchids a Home: Potting Containers 116Repotting Orchids without Fear 118Knowing when you should repot 118Orchid potting — step by step 118Chapter 8: Two, Four, Six, Eight, Let Your Orchids Propagate: Multiplying Your Orchids 123Dividing Your Orchids 123Giving Babies a New Home 125Producing New Plants from Cuttings 127Growing Orchids from Back Bulbs 128Chapter 9: Keeping Your Orchids Pest- and Disease-Free 131Preventing Problems Before They Start 131Besting the Bugs 133Identifying common orchid pests 133Finding safe and effective pest-control measures 137Identifying Fungal and Bacterial Infections 140Noticing when your orchid is sick 141Handling a sick plant 141Part 3: The Best Orchids for Rookies 143Chapter 10: Moth Orchids: The Best Choice for Beginners 145Examining Why People Grow Moth Orchids 146Understanding why they’re so popular 146Making them even more appealing: Hybrid moth orchids 147Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: The Beauty of Moth Orchids 148The Leaves 148The flowers’ shapes 148Flower colors 149Scents 157Size — Small is beautiful 160Answering the call of the wild 162Oh, Give Me a Home : Cultural Requirements 164Chapter 11: The Quintessential Orchids: Cattleyas and Their Relatives 167From the Jungles to Your Home 168Focusing on some selected cattleya species 169Recognizing some selected species that used to be called Laelias 171Looking at other cattleya relatives 173The Queens of the Ball: Cattleya Hybrids 178Pristine whites 179Purples, pinks, lavenders, and blues 179Hot reds and oranges 180Sunny yellows 181Cool greens 183Bring out the clowns: Splash petals and flares 184Fashionable art shades 185Exploring the Miniatures: The Minicatts 186Identifying the key players 186Naming some of their prized children 188Chapter 12: Lovely from Flower to Root: Lady’s Slipper Orchids 191Slipping into a Lady’s Slipper 192Seeing what lady’s slippers have to offer 192Giving your lady’s slipper a good home 193Getting lady’s slippers to bloom 193Straight from Nature: Bumps, Warts, Hairs, and All 193Paphiopedilum bellatulum 194Paphiopedilum callosum 194Paphiopedilum delenatii 195Paphiopedilum dianthum 196Paphiopedilum fairrieanum 197Paphiopedilum glaucophyllum 197Paphiopedilum hirsutissimum 198Paphiopedilum spicerianum 199Paphiopedilum sukhakulii 199Paphiopedilum venustum 199One Step Removed from Nature: Primary Hybrids 200Some superior primary hybrids 201Marvelous Maudiaes 204Huge and round: Modern hybrid lady’s slippers 208A different kind of slipper orchid 209Chapter 13: Dancing Ladies: Oncidiums and Their Relatives 213Taking a Closer Look at the Ladies 214Oncidiums from the wild 214Hybrid oncidiums 216Miniature oncidiums or tolumnias 218Pansy Orchids: Miltonias and Miltoniopsis 219Growing them with success 220Miltonias 221Miltoniopsis 222Other Members of the Club: The Oncidium Alliance 224Orchid spiders: Brassias 224Butterfly orchids: Psychopsis 225Sigmatostalix 226Trichopilias 226Mixing It Up 227Trying to make sense of these orchids 228Identifying a few popular ones 229Chapter 14: Considering Some Significant Others 235A Huge and Interesting Lot: Dendrobiums 235Naming the most popular dendrobiums 236Considering some other Dendrobiums 238Listing some popular hybrids 240Weird and Wonderful Relatives: Bulbophyllum 241Orchid Miscellanea: All the Rest 243Angraecoids 243Catasetums 246Cochleanthes 247Coelogynes 248Cymbidiums 248Lycastes 250Vandas and some of their close cousins 250The small-growing vandas 251Zygopetalums 254Chapter 15: Hardy Orchids That Laugh at the Cold 257Focusing on Exotic and Easy Terrestrial Orchids 258Chinese ground orchids 258Calanthes 259Spiranthes 260Identifying Hardy Slipper Orchids — Not Easy, But So Worth It 261Easy-to-grow North American natives 262More adventuresome hardy slippers 264Dipping Your Toe In — A Few Others to Try 265Part 4: The Part of Tens 267Chapter 16: The Ten (or So) Easiest Orchids to Grow 269Moth Orchids 269Lady of the Night 270Maudiae Type Lady’s Slipper Orchid 270Cockleshell Orchid 270Sharry Baby Oncidium 271Twinkles Oncidium 271Mari’s Song Cattleya 271Fan-Shape Orchid 271Phalaenopsis Dendrobium 272Chapter 17: Ten Common Reasons That Orchids Die (and How to Avoid ’em) 273Overwatering 273Underwatering 274Too Much Light or Heat 274Leaving Orchid Foliage Wet Overnight 275Too Much Fertilizer 275Improper Use of Pesticides 275Insect Infestation 276Purchase of Sick Plants 276Poor Water Quality 276Inadequate Ventilation 277Chapter 18: The Ten Most Frequently Asked Questions about Orchids 279Are Orchids Difficult to Grow? 279Why Should I Grow Orchids? 280Do I Need a Greenhouse to Grow Orchids? 280Are Orchids Expensive? 280How Long and How Often Will Orchids Bloom? 281What Makes an Orchid an Orchid? 281Are Orchids Fragrant? 281Where Can I See the Best Collections of Orchids? 282Are Any Orchids Hardy? 283Are Orchids Parasites? 283Chapter 19: The Ten Most Common Reasons Why Orchids Don’t Bloom 285Not Enough Difference between Day and Night Temperatures 285Too Moist during the Winter 286Too Little Light 286Excessively High or Low Temperatures 286Not Using a Fertilizer or Using One with Too Much Nitrogen 287Immature Plants 287Too Low Humidity 287Disease, Insects, or Mice 288Not Enough Water 288Recently Transplanted and Divided 288Appendix A: Additional Orchid Resources 289Appendix B: English-Metric Conversion Tables 295Index 297