Tolumnia Jarek Firm 'Big Bang'
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I've often surprised "brown-thumb" friends when they ask for advice on something rewarding to grow that doesn't take a lot of fussy care. "Orchids!!??", they cry, incredulous that I would even suggest such a stereotypically rare and delicate thing to someone know for killing every Ficus, Philodendron, and African Violet entrusted to their care.
But truth is, Orchids (at least many of them) can be among the simplest of houseplants to grow successfully. The key lies in understanding how they grow in the wild. While there are many terrestrial (soil-growing) orchid species (my native Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina are home to a couple dozen varieties), the overwhelming majority of orchids (and almost all of the least-fussy ones) grow in the wild as epiphytes (Greek epi, "upon" and phyton, "plant".) In other words, many orchids aren't used to growing in soil at all, but make their home in the wild, clinging to the bark of trees, rocks, or other seemingly inhospitable substrates. As a result, they have a very specific set of requirements, including non-soil medium (often fir bark, perlite or other inorganic media, or mounted on slabs of cork bark or tree fern.)
Air circulation around their roots is a necessity for all epiphytic orchids, which explains why grocery store Moth Orchids look wonderful when purchased, but quickly die. The fact is they're grown in the nursery in plastic liners that have large slits, to allow water to drain and air to enter the root zone...but, those liners and exposed roots aren't very attractive, so they're sold in ceramic cover pots. The trouble is, grocery stores don't want water on their floors (think lawsuits!), so the cover pots lack any means of drainage, leaving the plants' roots to sit waterlogged, resulting in inevitable rot.
I always advise people to take advantage of the cheap price on nice Moth Orchids (Phalaenopsis) in the grocery store, but be sure to ditch that cover pot immediately! We offer decorative cover pots for some plants, but we really don't recommend them for orchids, except maybe for gift-giving, with the understanding that they need to be removed in the long-term.
Since they often cling to tree trunks and limbs, it follows that most orchids are understory plants, growing in the shade of leaves and other, taller foliage. In our nursery, we grow them under 70% shade, which is ideal for most species. Our recommendation for most orchids (and for most tropical plants in general) is "bright shade"--in other words, lots of light, but never direct sun, as this will burn the leaves on almost all orchids we sell.
Another feature of jungle life in the understory is humidity, and orchids like it a lot! Our greenhouses are computer-controlled, maintaining a constant 65% minimum humidity. Since most folks don't enjoy living in a sauna 24/7, we have an easy solution! Our humidity trays are durable and leakproof, and can be lined with a variety of colorful stones, to keep the plants' roots out of water while allowing for evaporation that will provide them the humidity they crave, while leaving the rest of your home tolerable for humans!
We offer some of our orchids mounted on cork bark slabs, in wooden baskets, or mesh pots.
These are best watered by saturating the entire mount in the sink or a clean bucket, then allowing them to drain before returning to their hanging spot.
Check out our supply section for orchid bark potting mix, fertilizer, and other items to help keep your plants healthy and beautiful. And as always, we sell more than plants--we sell knowledge! Our goal is to help provide you all the information you need for your new plants to thrive and grow old with you, so please feel free to contact us with any questions. We're always happy to talk with you and offer advice based on our decades of experience growing tropical plants!
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