South Florida Orchid Society

A Short History of Orchids

Apr 232009

The orchid family is not only the largest but one of the most diverse plant flowering families in the world. The orchid was one of the first plants to evolve on earth, it was around in the time of the dinosaur, over 120 million years ago. Given the length of time they have been around it shouldn’t be surprising that there are over 35,000 species with hundreds of thousands of hybrids.

The most famous orchid in the world is the vanilla orchid (planifolia). Coca Cola is the largest customer of vanilla, they use the seed for flavoring. Madagascar is the world’s largest producer. Orchids are very beautiful plants and that is why so much time and care is put into growing them. Vanilla on the other hand is grown for its commercial value rather than for its appearance but it is labor intensive. The vanilla crop is the main source of income for many independent farmers in less developed countries.

World’s Tallest Orchid

Curiosity

Apr 012009

by Susan Taylor
Originally published in BellaOnline

The tallest freestanding orchid is Sobralia altissma from the high forests of Peru. It is reported to grow up to 44 feet or 13.5 meters high in optimum conditions. The bright reddish-purple flowers are up to 6 inches or 15 centimeters across and are displayed in spectacular groups of up to 8 flowers per stem.

World’s Worst Smeling Orchid

Curiosity

Apr 012009

by Susan Taylor
Originally published in BellaOnline

The worst smelling orchid is Bulbophyllum phalaenopsis. We picked this particular Bulbophyllum due to the sheer size of the plant and flower and
therefore the amount of scent it produces. Many other Bulbophyllums produce the same carrion scent as this one, but are much smaller.
Native to New Guinea, the pollinator is a fly which is attracted by the unpleasant odor. Last year, I found a live webcam of an opening
flower — the grower couldn’t stand the smell but wanted to see the flowers opening!

Orchid Growing Tips #15

Caring

Apr 012009

by Susan Taylor
Originally published in BellaOnline

Ground cinnamon paste for wounds

Use a paste made of ground cinnamon and a common household glue, such as Elmer’s, to cover and protect wounds on plants so that they will not become infected with fungi. This remedy is for badly damaged plants that you truly want to save after being damaged. The glue will form a protective barrier and the cinnamon acts as a fungicide.

All purpose cinnamon spray

Cinnamon can also be used in spray formula. Made a mixture of 30 ml of ground cinnamon with 500 ml of alcohol and mix it well. Allow the alcohol mix to steep overnight and then filter to remove the sediment. A coffee filter will do this admirably. Mix 250 ml of the resulting liquid with a liter of water and 10 ml of liquid detergent. Use this as a spray for insects as well as a fungicide.

Always follow the instructions on insecticides

Protect yourself and your plants when applying any kind of product. Some of these products are poisonous to humans or pets as well as to the pests you’re trying to kill. Be especially careful if there are children around and only apply when they are not going to be in the vicinity. It is a good idea to wear protective gloves such as the latex gloves for dishwashing while applying insecticides even if the directions don’t call for them.

Always throw away old potting materials

When repotting, always maintain a clear distinction between old and new potting materials. Throw away any old potting medium which may contain pests or eggs of pests. One good idea is to spread out old newspaper and fold up and dispose of old medium after it is removed as well as the top layers of paper. You will then have a good sterile environment to put the next plant on. Dip plants in insecticide as well as fungicide before repotting in clean medium and pots.

When you cannot spray plants

An interesting idea I came across the other day was instead of spraying plants, take a plant with insect problems and tie it up in a plastic bag with a new dog or cat flea collar. Leave unsealed in the shade for a day to kill
insects.

To get rid of fungus gnats

To get rid of those annoying little fungus gnats put one of those mosquito larvae killing wafers in water in a bucket. Use this water for your normal watering. The insecticide in the water will take care of the larvae of the
gnats which eat decaying matter in the medium.

Rotate Vandas and sympodials

In order to get your Vandas and Ascocendas to grow upward rather than to one side, rotate them a half turn once a month. This will encourage nice upright growth as well as give the inflorescence a nice presentation.

Color Coded Spray Bottles

Use different colored spray bottles for different kinds of sprays—one for plain water, one for fungicide, one for an insecticide, etc. Using different colors makes it more difficult to spray with the wrong thing. Most garden centers today offer different shape, size and color bottles.

How to Make an Orchid Tree

Caring

Mar 012009

An orchid tree is a variation on mounting orchids, except you’re putting many orchids on a branch or branches to give it a completely natural look. The concept can be used in those areas of the country where orchids can be grown outdoors most of the year, but must be protected from a few frosts during the winter months; or if you are lucky enough to have a large enough greenhouse, brought inside during the colder winter months. It would also work wonderfully under lights in an alcove or under stairs area that proves to be a difficult place to decorate.
To start out, you must select the base for your tree, or build a wire mesh and cover it with cork. Remember that if you’re going to be moving the structure it cannot be too heavy. And you will need to make sure that it will not topple over when planted. Generally a tripod arrangement will ensure enough stability.

Attach the larger plants to the bottom for aesthetic reasons and the smallest on the upper portions. Think of the size of the branches on a tree, the largest are at the bottom and the smallest at the top. This will also provide extra weight at the bottom to balance the weight of the structure.

When choosing plants, be sure to try to pick out plants that will require similar light, temperature and humidity conditions. Depending on how you place your orchid tree, some will obviously get more light than others. Be aware of this when you start arranging the plants you wish to mount. Another factor to consider is flowering times. Do you want all your plants flowering at the same time, or several flowering at the same time throughout the year? And of course, the most fun of all, how are you going to arrange the different colors on the tree?

If possible soak the structure overnight before adding plants, otherwise wet it thoroughly with a hose. Take your plants from their pots, clip off any dead or brown roots and clean up the plants by removing dead sheaths, and back bulbs. Position the plants around the tree and if you want tie them on with a string until you’re satisfied with the arrangement. Then mount as you would any orchid on a mount with sphagnum moss attached with fishing wire against the structure. Then tie on your plant being careful not to cut into the pseudobulbs or roots. I prefer putting a bit of sphagnum on top of the roots too to provide extra moisture to the plants during hot periods. Continue mounting until all your plants are situated as you want them.

Mist thoroughly and place in a humid shaded area for two weeks to a month in order to allow the plants to accustom themselves to their new home. Mist every other day and water as you would any other mounted plant. Gradually move into a sunnier area over the course of about a week as you would for any other orchid.

Ionopsis

Species

Mar 012009

by Susan Taylor
Originally published in BellaOnline

These cute little miniatures are found from Florida through Bolivia and most of the Caribbean Islands. There are currently about ten species listed and most of them are twig epiphytes or tree growing orchids which need higher light and very quick drying conditions. It is listed as endangered by the USDA so if you ever see one in the wild you are very lucky.

They are similar in growth habit to Tolumnia and need much the same conditions. In general they are warm to hot growing and need year round water and fertilizer to encourage blooming in late spring and during the summer months. As you could see from the pictures, this little plant will put on a spectacular show from a mature plant when well grown. Most people grow it mounted on tree fern or cork so that he flowers can be well displayed as the branched inflorescences fall with the weight of the flowers. As with others that grow in this manner, watch out for spider mites and scale insects as they can hide in the crevasse and can kill the plants quickly.

The three main species grown are Ionopsis utricularioides, Ionopsis satyrioide and Ionopsis paniculata. There is some disagreement as to whether the last is a synonym (or the same species) as utricularioides but the flowering habit is different enough that we’ll address them separately here.

The most spectacular, without doubt, is Ionopsis utricularioides . It can be found from Mexico through Central America and occasionally on the Caribbean Islands and in South Florida. The flowers range from white to dark purple depending upon the cultivar. The branched inflorescence can reach three feet (or approximately 90 centimeters) with a hundred flowers. They are generally grown on small mounts and needs somewhat more shade than the Tolumnias. They need very good air circulation and high humidity year round. Intermediate temperature conditions of 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit, or 26-29 Centigrade, are recommended with a cooling at night of approximately 15 degrees Fahrenheit, or 9.5 Centigrade. The flowers are considered to be long blooming and will provide you with a great show. This is a plant that can be grown in Wardian cases since it remains in the 6 inch or 15 centimeter size range.

Ionopsis satyrioide has a smaller and less spectacular flowering habit, but you can easily see where the name “Violet Orchid” came from when you see it flowering. The flower is generally white with pink or purple striping. Culture is similar to utricularioides.

Goodyera daibuzanensis

Species

Mar 012009

by Susan Taylor
Originally published in BellaOnline

Goodyera daibuzanensis is one of the popularly called Jewel Orchids known for their lovely foliage rather than for their flowers which are generally not very interesting, picture of flower. Terrarium enthusiasts use this and many other Jewel Orchid plants to add leaf color and variety to their generally plain green environments much as gardeners use outdoor plants for the same purpose.

Jewel orchids are distributed widely throughout Southeast Asia, North and South America, and Australia. They are generally terrestrial in nature, growing in leaf mold in forested areas. They are spreading plants so can be placed directly in medium in a terrarium and they will quickly spread to provide a great show. Many jewel orchids will grow when just one piece is broken off and placed in appropriate medium and these babies can be given to friends for them to enjoy.

The various sp species are found around the world, some even in the northern US where they are known to as “Rattlesnake Plantain.” Most species are native to India, Sri Lanka, Japan, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Goodyera daibuzanensis is found only on Taiwan, where it is quite common in mountainous forests between 800 and 2,000 meters where it will receive a good deal of rain. It is one of the smallest of the Jewel Orchids, with leaves only 2 inches, or 5 centimeters, long. The leaves grow in a really pretty rosette fashion which shows the silver and green striping and mottling to advantage. The flower inflorescences will grow to 10 inches, or 25 centimeters, high with small white flowers which are presented with a spiral around the stem.

Grow this little orchid in a terrarium with high humidity among other similar plants. Provide good air circulation to combat the formation of mold or bacterial problems. They require low light conditions which make them very easy to maintain in a home environment. Too much light will bleach their leaves to dull colors and you will lose the lovely contrast and velvety texture for which these plants are so prized. Many terrarium growers will simply cut off any inflorescences since they are often too big for a small container and are not at all showy.

To learn more about growing in a terrarium, Growing Orchids in a Terrarium or Wardian Case. This is a form of growing that is becoming more and more popular today. An excellent source for Jewel Orchids is Hoosier Orchids.

The How and Why of Water

Caring

Mar 012009

By Ron McHatton
AOS Director of Education January 2009
Copyright 2008 American Orchid Society

More or chids are killed by incorrect watering than by any other reason. There are two separate components to proper watering; when and how. The vast majority of orchids grown by hobby growers are epiphytes, growing on trees above the ground where the light is more plentiful. These plants are adapted to having their roots exposed to light and air so in addition to water, orchid roots need air. The central core of an epiphytic orchid root is covered with a spongy material called velamen designed to store water. When this spongy material remains wet too long, the central core suffocates and begins to rot. Once the roots begin to rot, the plant can no longer take up water properly and a whole host of problems begin. At worst, root rot will spread upward into the rhizome and cause the death of the plant. In other cases, the loss of roots prevents the plant from absorbing sufficient water to maintain the plant in good condition and the leaves will take on a wrinkled appearance. Unfortunately, the symptoms of over-watering and under-watering are superficially similar and the tendency is to increase watering rather than inspect the roots. Overwatered roots will be brown and mushy while those on under-watered plants will be white or gray and obviously dry. Let’s look first at when to water.

When do I water?
Orchids should be watered just as they dry out. This rule applies to all orchids with slight variations depending on whether your plant has pseudobulbs (thickened stems that are designed to store water) or not. Orchids such as cattleyas and oncidiums should be allowed to just dry completely between waterings while orchids such as phalaenopsis and vandas that have no water storage organs should be watered just before dryness occurs. For vandas, this may mean daily watering during the warm summer months. Vandas and ascocendas that are properly
watered will have actively growing root tips at all times. If the root tips on your plants dry up and seal over, you are not watering often enough. There’s unfortunately no magic formula; i.e., water a plant in a 6” pot every 7 days and you’ll be trouble free. This is because your growing area is different from anyone else’s. Humidity, air movement, potting medium (type and age) and light levels all play a role. There are several ways to determine when a potted orchid is almost dry: 1) the surface of the potting mix will appear dry; 2) dry pots will feel lighter when lifted; 3) clay pots feel dry; 4) a wooden stake or skewer inserted into the potting mix will come out almost dry. If in doubt, a finger inserted into the potting mix is perhaps the best tool to determine the moisture content of the potting mix. It will cause no harm to the plant. And remember, fresh potting mix will always dry out faster than the old medium.

How do I water?
How to water is just as important to proper culture as when to water. When orchids are watered, they should be watered copiously. Water should be provided until it runs freely from the drainage holes. This serves several functions. First, thorough, copious watering is necessary to soak the potting medium. In addition, thorough watering helps to flush away the salts that naturally accumulate in the potting medium from the dissolved salts in our water supplies and the fertilizers applied for good growth. Also, this is your opportunity to examine how the potting mix behaves. If you cannot pour water rapidly through the pot, the potting mix is too dense and you run the risk of starving the roots for air. If you see finely divided material that looks like coffee grounds in the water coming from the drainage holes, your potting mix is breaking down and it’s time to repot into fresh medium. At a minimum, try to thoroughly water your plants at least once a month. Finally a couple of notes about mounted plants and those like vandas that are grown in baskets without additional potting medium. First, avoid dunking these plants in buckets of water. This practice very easily spreads diseases. If one plant has a disease, all those dunked in the same bucket of water will have been exposed as well. Also, two short waterings a few minutes apart are much more effective than one long watering. Once water runs off the plant, the roots will have absorbed essentially all they can at that time and excess water simply runs off to the ground. The proper technique is to water your plants and then a few minutes later water them again, always beginning with the first plant you watered. This allows time for the roots of the last plant watered to finish absorbing water before you wet them again. Roots that are completely saturated will be a solid color while those that are not will appear mottled.

Make Your Blooms Last

Caring

Feb 012009

The blooms of your orchids will stay fresh longer if you follow these simple steps…..

Do not let water stagnate in between their leaves as it promotes bacterial rot that may kill plants (Phalaenopsis). Do not let plants sit in water as their roots will rot and the plats will die.

Do not water them too often. Most orchid plants need watering on a regular basis, depending upon the climate. When placed in decorative containers such as baskets and china, they take longer to dry out so stretch your watering intervals by a few days. Water your plants properly.

Do not expose them to drafts, however faint, or forced air heat, or air conditioners. Such drafts will dry buds and flowers in no time.

Do not place them next to or on top of heat sources (radiators, refrigerators, etc.) at these heat sources continuously dry the air around them and this will desiccate your plants.

Do not expose them to direct sun in the middle of the day. Leaves will burn and flowers will wilt. Maintain reasonable temperatures: daytime temperatures from 65 degrees to 85 degrees at nighttime temperatures from 50 degrees to 65 degrees. If your air is dry, mist leaves and buds once or twice a day.

Native Orchid Conservation

Conservation

Feb 012009

by Susan Taylor
Originally published in BellaOnline

Native orchids around the world are in trouble as a result of collection from the wild, habitat destruction, and increasingly climate change. Orchid societies and conservation groups are working to slow this by reintroducing seedling orchids back into the wild where they previously grew. This work has been aided due to the fact that it is now possible to germinate seeds in flasks. It is illegal to take any orchid seed without permissions since most of them are considered endangered, but with proper paperwork and help from local governmental conservation agencies some good work is being done.

Growing orchid seed in flasks has allowed conservationists to start returning wild orchids to areas where they used to grow, but have virtually disappeared. In the wild perhaps one of every 100,000 orchid seeds will germinate, grow and live long enough to produce seed. The seeds are like dust and can be carried by the wind great distances. But, since they are so small they do not contain food to sustain the growth of the nucleus and require specific fungi to sustain them in a delicate balance between the two. If the fungi grow too fast they kill the seed and eat it; if the seed grows too fast and there are not enough fungi
to sustain it, the seed dies. It is an amazing natural process!

When grown in a flask in the proper medium, up to 90% germination can be achieved. The plants are then treated like any other orchid and grown to planting size in flasks and then transplanted into community pots and then individual pots. There are a number of organizations such as the Native Orchid Conference which promote orchid conservation and provide a forum for those interested in the subject to gather.

Orchid societies around the world are using their expertise to help re-introduce native orchids by growing seedlings and then placing them back into areas where they once grew. Since these efforts are still new, the results have been mixed. But with more and more people trying different ways to do it we are hopeful that trial and error will produce some success stories that others can emulate.

There are some really interesting stories, both on conservation and habitat destruction – which is one of the main causes of the loss of native orchids around the world – at the Orchid Conservation Coalition website.

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