How to Care for Your Orchids

Based on cultural instructions originally generated by McBeans Orchids.

Incorporating BMOS Members Suggestions.

ODONTOGLOSSUM

Arguably the most beautiful of the orchid family having a very wide range and combinations of colours together with, generally, long lasting flowers. The vast majority of today’s hybrids have been bred from the Colombian Species Odontoglossum Crispum that has beautifully frilled petals. Most, but not all, Odontoglossum species are found in the countries of North West South America, Colombia and its neighbours and grow up in the Andes Mountains at between 4,000 to 12,000 feet. Hybridisation and selected cultivation has been going on for over 90 years. Flowers are produced normally on a single spike though sometimes a well-matured specimen may produce several. You can expect your flowers to last between 5 to 7 weeks though to get the best from both flower and length of flowering time provide cooler growing conditions than normal. The usual flowering times, depending on variety, is either late autumn into winter or late spring. Cut the flower stem down to about 3 centimetres of the base once flowering is over.

CULTIVATION

TEMPERATURE

Cooler growing conditions than some varieties with a night temperature throughout the year of between 10 and 15 degrees C. Daytime temperatures of between 15 and 23 degrees C yearlong would be ideal.

LIGHT

Odont’s are a group of orchids along with many others that require good but not direct sunlight, indoors a west facing window would be ideal though a south facing one a little back from the glass where direct rays don’t reach the plant would work.

WATERING

Like the majority of orchids Odont’s must not be aloud to stand in water and the compost should be aloud to almost dry out between watering. Obviously the time of year influences how often you need to water, as will your own provided microclimate and growing medium.

HUMIDITY

As with many orchid varieties good to high humidity is needed and the general suggestion of standing the pot on gravel or pebbles that are kept wet but with the pot base above the top of the water applies. Misting early in the morning can help but this isn’t always practicable in the home.

FEEDING

Indoor plant feeds are too strong for most orchids BUT with a little care any liquid type of houseplant feed will work. Most types of liquid houseplant feed give the instruction of around 10 drops of the fertiliser to one litre of water, to feed your Odon’t use 3 to 5 drops per litre and leave out the feed every fourth water to allow excess minerals and salts to flush through. High potash feed while the plant is in flower "spike" will help but if using something like a liquid tomato feed use quarter to a third strength.

COMPOST

A mixture of fine and course grade bark is fine and usually obtainable but if you desire to mix your own growing medium then try one part general purpose compost, one part bark and one part Perlite with a pinch of charcoal added. Some growers use rock wool and horticultural foam but this medium has a difficulty in retaining water if it is aloud to completely dry out and is extremely difficult to re-dampen once it has become dry.

POTTING

Odontoglossums are less fussy than some about being repotted but even so the less disturbance the better, therefore it is probably politic to repot only once the plant has filled to pot and / or the growing medium has deteriorated to the point where once wet it smells as if rotting. If the plant is too small to flower then spring is the best time to repot, as it is for those varieties that flower in the late autumn or winter. For those tat flower in the spring repot immediately the flowers have finished.

OTHER POINTS

All plants lose leaves from time to time as they age so don’t get worried if a lower leaf or two become brown and then drop off. Common sense will tell you to never stand the plant next to a heat source such as a radiator or heater.

ONCIDIUM

These orchids require very much the same conditions as Odontoglossums though the lowest night temperature is better at no lower than 13 degrees C. They prefer, perhaps, slightly brighter conditions and can take early or late direct sunlight though it is perhaps best to avoid any possibility of leaf scorch.