Growing Orchids Indoors Is Fun

Growing orchids indoors is considered by some to be the supreme gardening achievement. Some think that raising orchids in the home is the province of master gardeners. But this is not true.

These orchids are for sale in the gift shop at Selby Gardens in Sarasota, FL.

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In fact, many of the more common orchids make nearly perfect houseplants and require less care than plants grown in soil. They have no rival in the plant kingdom when it comes to their striking, exotic blooms. Add fragrance to the contest and orchids leave other houseplants in the weeds.

There are two sides to growing orchids indoors: growing them and staging them.

You want to provide proper care to your plants so that they will remain beautiful once you bring them home. You want to stage them well so that they will enhance the beauty of your home. A well-grown orchid in full bloom is a powerful decorative accent.

How to Care for Orchids Indoors

White Orchid
Etienne, Nicole
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This is simple. Orchids need 6 things to thrive:

1. Plenty of fresh air. Orchid roots need more air than the roots of soil-grown plants. Let the pots become almost dry between waterings. Keep this one caveat in mind. Orchids with water storage organs (pseudo bulbs) can be allowed to dry more than monopodial (growing from 1 central stem) orchids like phalaenopsis which have no such organs.

   The top growth of an orchid also requires good ventilation so do whatever you need to do to keep the air in the staging area fresh. Crack a window or turn on a ceiling fan. You could also use a small, table-top fan placed near the orchids. Just avoid placing them directly in a draft.

2. The proper amount of light. Some varieties like a brighter exposure than others. Dendrobiums, epidendrums and oncidiums prefer brighter light than phalaenopsis, phaius and miltonias which will bloom well in a shady spot. Consider the available light when deciding where to place your plants.

3. Temperature. Orchids love warmth. They grow best between 60 and 85 degrees F.

4. Humidity. Hailing from the rainforests of the world, orchids enjoy higher humidity than most other houseplants. This is why they thrive in on a bathroom windowsill where the homeowner takes steamy showers. Or in the kitchen window not far from pots of boiling water.

   The dry air inside most American homes in winter can pose a problem for your orchid collection. This is easily rectified by running a humidifier or vaporizer for part of each day. An added benefit is that doing this will also make the house more comfortable for you.

5. Food. Orchids do not like to go hungry, especially while they are blooming. The general consensus among growers is to feed them "weakly weekly" with any proprietary liquid plant food. Adjust this schedule to fit your lighting situation. The more often you feed an orchid, the more light it will require.

6. A comfortable pot. If you provide the other 5 requirements, your plant will eventually outgrow its current accommodations. When lots of roots are climbing out of the container (a few is normal) it's time to repot your orchid.

Staging Orchids in the Home

Orchid
Rios, Susan
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The best displays consist of one large plant or an odd-numbered grouping of smaller plants. They will need tables or stands to hold them. When growing orchids indoors on pieces of furniture which could be marred by moisture, slip the plants into cachepots. Coordinate the colors and styles of cachepots which will be placed in the same room. Also, choose orchid pots that match the décor of the room.

Orchids that are going to be grouped together look best if the flowers are the same color. Orchids blooming in one of the accent colors in the room look fantastic! They add an elegance and richness to the décor that no other accent can match.

Finally, when growing orchids indoors you'll want to prepare an out-of-the-way place to rotate the plants into when they go out of bloom. The flowers are what make these plants special. They are not so attractive when out of bloom so you may want to have only blooming plants in the display areas.

White Orchid Select White Phalaenopsis This white Phalaenopsis orchid comes with up to 6 blooms and is sure to be enjoyed by anyone who receives it. We include the name of the orchid and easy care instructions so the orchid will be appreciated for a very long time. This is the perfect indoor flowering orchid for the beginner. Arrives in flower and bud.

Growing Orchids for Beninners

New to orchids? Growing orchids for beginners will show you how to care for orchids so that they flourish.

Nun Orchid

The nun orchid is unusual in that it grows in soil. This makes it easier to care for than its cousins that grow in bark or moss.

Go back to Caring for Orchids

Caring for orchids offers instruction on how to grow orchids to beginners as well as experienced gardeners. Includes growing orchids indoors, orchid propagation, raising, pruning and repotting various types of orchids.

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