Today we have a wonderful treat for you. Orchid expert, Stephen Van Kampen-Lewis, of the Alamo City Orchid Society, has graciously allowed us to pick his smart brain for answers to ten questions we commonly hear when customers are interested in getting started with orchids. Stephen gave us answers and so much more! This question and answer session is more like a beginner class for orchids that’s peppered with some extra expert tips. Sit back and learn some great tips for growing orchids.
Orchids: Perennials or Annuals
The Happy Gardener: Are orchids annuals or perennials, and how long can they live with proper care?
Stephen: Orchids are definitely perennials! There are jungle collected plants in people’s collections that were pulled from trees in the 1800s! They can certainly live a long time if well cared for. Many orchids will put out keikis (Hawaiian word for baby) which are just little clones of themselves.
Dividing orchids is a common way for people have these plants live in different houses well into the future. Its a great way to trade with friends and get cool new plants for free!
Growing Orchids: Best Pots and Potting Mediums
The Happy Gardener: What is the best type of pot for growing orchids, and why?
Stephen: There are 25-30,000 orchid species and at least 10x as many hybrids, so all of my answers will start out with “it depends!” However, I’ll tailor my answers to the most commonly grown orchids, which are usually Phalaenopsis hybrids and a handful of other genera. Many people really like to grow orchids in clear, plastic pots so they can see the roots and the status of the media. However, opaque plastic pots and clay pots (my preferred pot type) are commonly used as well. Plastic pots don’t breathe, so they tend to dry out more slowly than clay pots, which breathe and dry much more quickly.
The Happy Gardener: What is the best soil mix for orchids? Should beginners buy a pre-made mix or make their own?
Stephen: Most of the orchids we grow in our homes should never, ever see soil in their pot! These orchids usually grow attached to branches, much like our native ball moss. Therefore, they really need a lot airflow around their roots. Growing in potting soil will kill the plant due to lack of airflow. The most common orchid media are bark chunks (specifically made for use in orchid pots) and sphagnum moss. Both are useful for the commonly grown orchids. Bark drains and dries faster, so those with a heavy watering hand should use this type of media. Sphagnum dries more slowly, so chronic ‘underwaterers’ will want to use this. There are also pre-made mixes which can use other ingredients like perlite or charcoal. I’d recommend most folks buying bagged media rather than making their own mix until they get a good understanding of their orchid’s needs in their particular home environment.
Best Light Exposure, Temperature, and Fertilization for Growing Orchids
The Happy Gardener: What kind of light exposure do orchids need?
Stephen: It depends! The more commonly grown Phalaenopsis will do well in an east facing window or under lights. Same with commonly grown Oncidiums and some of the other genera. Cattleyas and Cymbidiums prefer brighter light; a southern facing window with some shade cloth will work well! My Cattleyas are grown outside under 50% shade cloth from early April until mid November.
The Happy Gardener: What temperature is optimal for growing orchids?
Stephen: Again, it depends! Many orchids, like Phalaenopsis, do well with typical indoor temps that range around 65-78° F. But keep in mind, standard Phalaenopsis types will need cooler temps (down to 55° F) at night in fall to initiate blooming. Same with most of the other commonly seen types. However, there are other orchids that will do better with hotter temps that get up to 85-95°F. Most of the Cattleyas and Oncidiums fall into this category.
The Happy Gardener: What are the best fertilization techniques for orchids? What products should you use, and how much and how often?
Stephen: Something that orchid growers should understand about orchids is that the ones grown most often are attached to branches in VERY low nutrient environments. Their nutrients come from slowly decaying bark, leaves, and other matter raining down from the branches above. The occasional bird or lizard poop is a big bonanza for wild orchids! So a little bit of fertilizer really goes a long way.
Orchid growers should become familiar with the fertilizing term, “weakly weekly.” Basically, you fertilize your orchids once a week with a very dilute dose and they seem to love it. Fertilizer type and brand really aren’t important, but starting out with a well balanced 20-20-20 (with micronutrients added) is a good place to start. Other orchid formulas often include the “MSU” formula and “K-lite” (my favorite) which are often used with great success.
So called bloom boosters are commonly sold, but are totally unnecessary for orchids. Way back in the day (50-100 years ago) bloom boosters were thought to promote blooming by increasing potassium during the bloom season. However, the fertilizers used on orchids back then had such strong nitrogen (typically used for terrestrial food crops) that switching over to a low N formula allowed the plant to bloom. Fertilizer formulas today are much, much weaker so we don’t often encounter high enough nitrogen formulas that would suppress blooming, as happened way back when.
About Orchid Blooms
The Happy Gardener: How long can you expect orchids to bloom, and when does that usually happen, so we can get ready for it?
Stephen: With so many different varieties, you can easily have a collection that includes blooms every day of the year! As mentioned, Phalaenopsis typically need a cool period in winter to facilitate a spring blooms. However, most other commonly grown hybrids can bloom just about any time, with spring and then early fall being the most common times. There are also many summer and winter bloomers if you search for them! Having such a large gene pool to draw from means that you can get blooms anytime!
The Happy Gardener: What type of maintenance do orchids need after they bloom? Do we need to cut the flower? If so, how much?
Stephen: It depends! Most of the commonly grown orchids will get their inflorescence cut off after blooming. But there are many types that will rebloom from the same stem, so cutting those off will reduce your flower count over time!
Disease and/or Pest Issues that can Affect Orchids
The Happy Gardener: Are there any fungal or disease issue that orchids have? And what about pests?
Stephen: Orchids in our area usually don’t suffer from fungal issues like they have in more humid areas (think Louisiana or Florida). However, root rot is typically blamed on fungus and happens when the roots don’t have enough airflow and stay perpetually wet. Seeing mold in the pot often freaks people out, but it typically doesn’t harm the plant and will usually fade away. An aggressive snow mold can choke out the roots and a clear pot definitely helps to see this in action! Snow mold starts as a typical white mold, but then gets really dense, kind of like what a spider egg sac looks and feels like.
Orchids suffer from the same common ailments that you’ll encounter in the garden, with thrips, spider mites, scale, and mealybugs being the most common enemies. The standard treatments used in gardens works for these bugs as well. Really bad infestations can require use of harsh chemicals to fully eradicate.
The Happy Gardener: Any last things you think new orchid growers need to know, Stephen?
Stephen: I would say that it’s easier to kill orchids by loving them and pampering them too much. They thrive on benign neglect!
Mature orchids that don’t bloom typically need more light. However, don’t rush to throw them in a drastically sunnier location because they will burn! They’ll need to be slowly introduced to higher sunlight. However, growing with supplemental lighting typically doesn’t require an acclimation period.
Get used to the idea that you WILL kill your first orchid, which is ok! There is a learning curve to overcome and that will include a few fatalities along the way. Start with cheap plants from HEB or a big box store and gain knowledge by growing them. Then, visit the local orchid society sales and even start buying some from reputable vendors online. There are many amazing growing across the USA and tons of really fun shows to attend!
The Happy Gardener: I’m sure you’ve left many interested in where they can learn more! Where can we find you?
Stephen: You can find us on our website: Alamo Orchid Society and we also have an active Facebook group.
The Alamo Orchid Society has monthly raffles and meets at the SA Botanical Garden at 7pm on the first Wednesday of the month. Come geek out with us about orchids!
Here is my YouTube channel where I have blooms and also tips and tricks for growing in Texas. I grow outside most of the year, with the plants being in grow tents during the cold season. I also have a year round orchid cabinet I purchased from Ikea.
The Happy Gardener: We can’t thank you enough for all your expert advice and we look forward to more collaborations with you!
