Orchid plants and how to grow and take care of orchids at home.

Learn about Orchids plants and how to grow and take care of Orchid in a simple way.

Orchids are more than just a beautiful flower. There are several health benefits of orchids. Read the following article so that you can grow orchids in your home.

Introduction

Orchidaceae commonly known as Orchid plant is a family of flowering plants that has blossoms that are very colorful and fragrant. There are more than 22000 different species of orchid plants. Generally, Orchid plants are found to be non-woody perennial and are terrestrial or epiphytic herbs. From a horticulture point of view, Orchid plants are probably one of the important plants. Various Orchids are used to make different medicines and cures. Orchids represent fertility, elegance and love due to which it is given as gifts to new parents. The Commercial production of Orchid has greatly expanded and become a very profitable industry all over the world. 

Climatic Conditions

Orchid plants have wide ecological distribution. Orchid plants are native to tropical climates but some of them are found in Northern and Southern temperate zones. Generally, Orchids are found to be grown in sea level to 4600 meters in elevation. They grow at their full potential within an environment that has temperature 16 – 24 degrees celsius. Moderate temperature with a little air circulation can help orchids to grow bigger. When it comes to watering orchid plants, they need to be watered every few days. They also require a lot of light to grow properly.

Specialties

• Flowers are used to distinguish different species of Orchid plants.
• Several types of nectaries can be found in Orchid.
• In some of the orchids, Self-pollination occurs.
• Orchids generally grow in two patterns i.e Monopodial and Sympodial.
• Orchid plants have simple leaves with parallel veins.
• Orchids can have one or more flowers in their plant.

Soil Composition 

The orchid plants need loose, well-draining soil for growth. They do not grow in normal soil. Even in nature they’re found growing on tree barks. You can use Miracle-Gro’s Orchid Potting Mix in combination with loose soil for the healthy growth of the orchid plants. This mix makes the soil coarse, dry, looser which makes it perfect soil composition for growing orchids. You can also throw in some peat moss, cocopeat, barks, and small rocks which work wonders for growing orchid plants.

Recommended variety

Moth Orchids (White orchids or Phalaenopsis Orchids) are a recommended variety for planting. They bloom consistently and easier to maintain than the other varieties of orchid plants.

Planting Technique

Planting orchids is easy, just get a plastic pot(invisible), pour the soil mixture or composition and get a young orchid plant and plant it. Spray a little of bit of water, so the soil isn’t that dry. We use a plastic pot, so we can monitor how the root system of the orchid plant, and check if it needs to be repotted.

Care and maintenance

Orchid plants generally need a lot of air and should be potted in a location where it receives the most amount of sunlight. You can make sure by checking out the number of leaves it has, if the count is less, that means they need more light. If the leaves are soft that means they should not receive much light that they are used to.

The orchid plants need to be repotted every other year. Repotting situations depends upon the plant size and condition of its root system.

 Healthy orchid plant root

Orchid plants need high humidity. They need around 55% to 75% humidity requirement to sustain its healthy growth.

Orchid plants often need not be watered regularly. Too much water can kill the plant, so make sure to water these very sparingly. 

Health Benefits

• Orchid plants can help improve the air quality of our home environment.
• The presence of Orchid plants can help in stress relief.
• The fertility of both males and females can be assisted with Orchid plants.
• These plants can gradually reduce fever in the human body.
• Different bone-related diseases like arthritis can be treated with Orchids.
• Orchids can be considered as a remedy for Bronchitis.
• Orchids can help improve a human’s sleep quality.

Interesting Fun Facts

• Orchids are one of the oldest plants all over the world.
• The number of Orchids on the planet is four times the number of mammals and birds.
• Generally, Orchids can be grown on any continent.
• Seeds of Orchids are found to be tiniest in the world.
• Orchid plants can live up to 100 years.
• There is a large variation in the size of Orchids i.e from the size of a dime to several hundred pounds.
• Orchids can be used in industry, spices and some traditional medicine.