BASIC ORCHID CULTURE

1. Orchids need air movement.  Put them in a place where you walk past them, have a ceiling fan or even a tiny desk fan, etc. – not in a corner.  Do not put an orchid plant in a ceramic container for more than a day or two. Re-pot most orchids each 1-2 years since potting mix collapses & does not allow air to move around roots.
2. Orchids like bright but indirect light.  An east, south, or west window is best.  Do not put too close to glass. Fluorescent and/or halogen lights can be used in place of or in addition to sunlight.
3. Orchids like humidity but cannot sit in water.  Fill a shallow tray or dish with rocks to the top and keep it  nearly full with water.  Set the pots on top of the rocks above the water to give them the humidity they need.  A cold water humidifier can be used to help both plants and humans.  Water your plants as directed.
4. Water plants thoroughly and allow them to drain.  Every few months it helps to water each pot several minutes to keep city water salts from building up in the pots.  Any plant fertilizer is ok, but use it at ½ recommended strength once or twice a month since orchids are light feeders.
5.  Most orchids need to be re-potted every one to two years. 

ORCHIDS TO GROW AT HOME

	Mini-cattleyas:  These are small versions of the Dolly Parton-style corsage orchids.  Most “regular” large cattleyas bloom only once a year.  Mini-catts bloom several times a year, like bright windowsill light. Dry between waterings
	Phalaenopsis:  Moth orchids (pronounced “Fales”) have long spikes of numerous flowers and bloom once a year.  Flowers last for months and finished bloom spikes sometimes branch to give more blooms after the regular blooming season.  Leaves are large and flat.  They grow well in a windowsill but do not need quite as much light as the mini-catts.  Different potting mixes require different watering schedules:  Bark mix-Keep moist, not sopping wet.  Sphagnum moss-Do not dry totally since sphagnum is difficult to re-wet. Potting soil (e.g. Fafard mix)-Dry between waterings.
	Paphiopedilums:  These are “Lady’s Slipper” orchids, e.g. from Southeast Asia and the Pacific.  The foliage can be exceptionally beautiful.  Flowers last for 2-3 months.  Species bloom once a year and many hybrids bloom more than once a year.  Paphs require the least amount of light – the same or less than African violets.  When these orchids are grown in a bark mix; water thoroughly to keep moist but not sopping wet.  When grown in sphagnum moss, do not allow plants to dry totally since sphagnum is very difficult to re-wet.
	Oncidiums and Dendrobiums:  Roughly the same light and watering as mini-catts; need to dry out between waterings.
	.Miltonias:  About the same light as phalaenopsis, but water thoroughly to keep moist.* Mist bottom leaves daily.

 
Other Orchids:  There are hundreds more orchid species & hybrids.  Listed above are a few basic types.  Be sure to ask how to take care of an orchid plant when you buy it or ask at NCPOS:  how to grow, conditions, difficulty to re-bloom, etc.*

*NOTE: Try not to allow plants in sphagnum moss to dry totally since sphagnum is very difficult to re-wet.