AboutOrchids

Okay, so you’ve been seriously bitten by the orchid bug, and you’ve acquired so many that you’ve run out of room to grow any more. A reasonable person would maintain their hobby at a manageable level. But with orchids, why be reasonable when you have the opportunity to expand your hobby outside? Growing Orchids in Your Garden, by Robert G. M. Friend, is the guide for you. Whether you live in Puerto Rico or Canada, the UK or Australia, there are orchids you can grow outdoors for at least part of the year. This clearly written and beautifully illustrated book will show you how.

Even if you don’t plan on replacing the lawn with Cymbidiums, you can still learn a lot by understanding how orchids grow in the wild. Friend explains how epiphytic orchids grow as air plants, how lithophytic orchids grow as rock plants, and how terrestrial orchids grow in the ground. There are concise instructions for each variety, and a great extensive table of recommended orchid species in the back of the book. In case you think your climate is too cold for orchids, there are plenty of varieties from cold regions, like Bletilla and Calanthe, that are deciduous and go dormant in the winter.

You may be surprised to learn how many orchids are easy to grow in your own backyard. So if you think your garden is impressive now, just wait until you fill up that rock wall with Dendrobiums and Laelias.

Valentine’s Day means roses and chocolates for many people, but they’re not the only holiday gifts. If you received an orchid as a gift for Valentine’s Day, you may be wondering how to properly care for it. It will help to first identify it so that you can know its specific needs. It’s usually not necessary to find the exact name, but instead to know what family of orchids it comes from. That way you can understand the growing conditions that will help it thrive and bloom again.

The most common kind of orchid sold is the Phalaenopsis, or Moth Orchid. If the shape of your flower looks like the picture below, then that’s probably what you have. Remember that they come in many different colors and patterns, so it’s the shape of the flower that really helps in identification.

If you can’t identify your orchid, start with these basic care tips:

• Light – Give orchids bright light, but no direct sun.
• Water – Water them thoroughly once or twice a week — more when it’s warmer, less when it’s cooler. Make sure the water drains completely out of the holes at the bottom of the pot. Never leave the plant sitting in water!
• Fertilizer – Add diluted plant fertilizer when they are growing.
• Air movement – Provide gentle air circulation for the plant.
• Humidity – Provide some humidity for the plant; orchids do not like dry environments.
• Proper temperatures – Keep the daytime temperature between 65°- 75°F /18°- 24°C, and a few degrees cooler at nighttime.

Good luck with your Valentine’s gift! Meanwhile I’m getting back to my chocolates…

In honor of Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday today (by the way, he was born the exact same day as Abraham Lincoln!) I have some remarkable pictures of “Darwin’s Orchid.” This stunning orchid has a long scientific name, Angraecum sesquipedale. Easier to pronounce is its nickname, Darwin’s Orchid, so named since it played an important role in the development of the theory of evolution. I was thrilled to find this exquisite specimen in bloom at Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden last month. Although it was up in a tree and difficult to see, Dave’s superb photography brings us up close.

Darwin was fascinated by orchids, and tried to understand how they evolved to attract a single insect or bird species to pollinate them. This orchid presented a particular challenge for Darwin, since its flower can have a 14 inch (35 cm) nectar tube. Darwin theorized that somewhere in the jungles of Madagascar, there was a moth with a very long tongue capable of reaching the bottom of the nectar tube, and which was the pollinator of this orchid species. He was ridiculed for the outrageous suggestion, but the predicted moth species was discovered in 1903, proving him correct and adding compelling proof to evolutionary theory.

Pictured below are an open flower and an unopened bud positioned back to back. Dave worked some computer magic to make the flower and nectar tube really stand out against a black and white background.

I estimated, using the picture with my hand, that the nectar spur on this flower is a respectable 10.5 inches (27 cm) long. That’s still 3.5 inches (9 cm) short of the maximum length this species can achieve for just one segment of the flower. The final shot shows part of the Angraecum plant itself on the right, looking like a Vanda plant, while its roots hold on to a palm tree trunk. This remarkable orchid is a fitting birthday tribute to Darwin’s profound contributions to modern science.

In the town of Volcano on the road to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Akatsuka Orchid Garden has one of the aloha state’s largest orchid collections. We couldn’t resist a trip to their store and showroom, and found ourselves there with busloads of tourists who had just visited nearby Kilauea Volcano.

Many of these spectacular hybrids are award-winning varieties grown by Akatsuka. While these pictures can convey a few of the thousands of flowers, they cannot convey the wonderful smells throughout the large showroom. Some of these orchids had strong, sweet scents, and they perfumed the air during our whole visit.

Besides lots of flowers, we enjoyed seeing how this large commercial greenhouse was set up. The final 2 pictures below show orchids on greenhouse benches, and spray misters that help maintain high humidity. In addition, there’s a gift-shop with all sorts of orchid goodies, from books to t-shirts to fridge magnets, for those who want souvenirs that don’t require light and water.

We have so many great pictures from Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden that I couldn’t fit them into just one post. So here are a few more orchids photos:

And here are a few more non-orchid photos:

And here are some great examples of how orchids grow in the wild. In the tropical rainforest, orchid roots hold on to tree trunks and branches so they can take advantage of brighter light above the forest floor. In the last picture, a Phalaenopsis seems to defy gravity holding on to a vertical surface, a mossy tree trunk.

While we were visiting the Big Island of Hawaii, Dave and I took a trip to Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden. Located north of Hilo in a real tropical rainforest, the garden is a lush paradise of exotic plants from rainforests around the world, including lots of orchids.

We spent half the day soaking in the stunning floral beauty. Innumerable tropical flowers, a koi pond, waterfalls, jungle birds, and ocean vistas kept our cameras clicking away. The garden is a non-profit sanctuary for many rare plants, helping to preserve them against the threats of habitat destruction and climate change. Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden also provides educational programs, and spreads Hawaiian beauty by shipping tropical flower bouquets within the USA.

And to prove that we actually did take pictures besides orchids, below are a baby pineapple, a pink ginger flower, and a yellow heliconia flower. In the last photo, Onomea Falls rushes through the garden valley. What a paradise!

February may be the shortest month, but it’s jammed-packed with orchid shows to enjoy. Don’t miss these opportunities to see amazing flowers, meet other orchid enthusiasts, and learn lots about growing fascinating plants.

The Big Island of Hawaii has perfect growing conditions for many tropical orchids. One type frequently found there is Spathoglottis plicata, or the Philippine ground orchid. Unlike most commonly cultivated varieties, it’s a terrestrial, meaning that it grows in soil.

This orchid is native to a large area of south Asia, stretching from India through Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, northern Australia, the Philippines, Taiwan, the Japanese Ryukyus, Fiji, Samoa, and other south Pacific islands. Although not native to Hawaii, it has naturalized there, and enjoys growing where it receives full sun, regular water, regular fertilizer, and warm temperatures.  It has also naturalized in other tropical areas of the world, including the Caribbean and southern Florida.

One reason the Spathoglottis has spread around the world is due to its ability to self-pollinate. This species is one of a handful of orchids that don’t need a pollinator to carry pollen from one plant to another. Instead they can fertilize themselves with their own pollen. Many plants we saw on the Big Island were full of seedpods like those shown below, demonstrating the success of this adaptation.

I can’t think of any better way to escape the winter doldrums than to head to a warm and beautiful tropical paradise. Dave and I just returned home from such a place, the Big Island of Hawaii. We stayed at Art & Orchids Bed and Breakfast in Kea’au, south of Hilo. True to their word, the B&B has hundreds of orchids all over their beautiful gardens. Hosts Markie and Jerry provided a very comfortable garden room, delicious breakfasts with exotic tropical fruits, and lots of helpful info about enjoying the local sites. There were dozens of orchid plants blooming on their grounds while we were there, but Markie told me that most everything comes into bloom in spring, so that’s the absolute peak for orchid lovers. We took zillions of pictures around the island, and I’ll have plenty more in future posts. For now, I’ll start with a few orchid pictures from the B&B’s own gardens.

It was an extra special time to be in Hawaii, as we joined the state in celebrating the  inauguration of its native-son, President Obama. As ardent environmentalists, we are hopeful that our new President’s policies will help to heal the damage we have inflicted, and help to preserve orchids and other joys of the earth. And if you’d like to escape a cold, gray winter, we can highly recommend a stay at Art & Orchids.

While the rest of the country has been frozen, California is having a winter heatwave. Yesterday San Francisco set a new record high for the date at 74F (23C,) and there may be another record high today. Since I’m fortunate to live someplace with a mild climate, and I’m able to grow orchids outdoors all year, I won’t complain about my wintertime garden work. But I wasn’t expecting watering to become a new winter chore. Even though most orchids are dormant, they’ve needed a little drink to keep from totally drying out.

Other more typical winter chores include weeding and picking up fallen leaves and flowers. It’s best to be proactive about weeds. If they flower and set seed, your weeding tasks will multiply, so get them beforehand. Leaf and flower debris can provide hiding places for unwelcome pests, so these should be cleaned up too. They make great additions to homemade compost.

And speaking of pests, watch for aphids, scale, mealybug, and spider mites. Many natural controls work well and are safe for the environment. I go after pests by mixing a couple spoons of rubbing alcohol, a spoon of mild dish soap, and tepid water in a spray bottle. I spray the mixture on the plants, making sure to get the undersides of the leaves, too. This mixture is effective against most plant pests. Neem oil is another natural product that can be sprayed onto plants to kill most overwintering insects. You can find neem at most garden centers and plant stores.

To top off these winter chores, we’re pulling together some great new blog material in the next couple weeks, so check back again soon!