by Anne Schweitzer

This month we are presenting something different. Anne Schweitzer has an extensive collection of orchids and has agreed to give us a brief introduction on them. As I formatted her article for printing, I realized how similar growing orchids are to growing bonsai. I hope you find this article as interesting as I did. Perhaps we can get Anne to give us more information in future newsletters - ED.

I have been growing orchids for about 8 years. I wanted something that lasted longer than a dozen roses. Ken and I bought my first 2 in late November. They are both Cattleya (KAT-lee-ah) and always bloom in November and December. Usually when you buy an orchid in bloom, it will bloom that same time next year. However, there are orchids that bloom 2 or 3 times a year and ones that bloom for a year or more without stopping. It's really nice to have them blooming during the holiday season, and some of them smell so good the whole house has a faint smell of orchids. I purchased them from a local orchid grower who died a few years ago. I think the best place to buy is from a grower who can. of course, answer all your questions about whether you have the right conditions to grow that particular one.

One of the first things I did after buying my first 2 orchids was to buy a book on raising them. There are so many good ones that tell about culture that cost less than $10.00. You can also get very good books at the library. I have received expensive books as gifts, but the main difference is the gorgeous pictures.

It is a common misconception that all orchids are tropical. There are Cool, Intermediate, and Warm Orchids. I have a Cymbidium (the ones you see in the grocery in the little boxes at Easter), which is a cool orchid. I leave it outside in the summer in full sun until the temperature drops to 33 degrees. When I bring it in, I put it in a room that has the heat shut off. It would be ideal if my night temperature in this room could be 50 degrees and the day temperature only 60. However, this is hard to do.

Some growers that love the cool orchids have cool cases, like you see in the florist to preserve cut flowers longer. They can set the temperature at whatever they like. Regardless of the type of orchids you grow, they all want at least a 10 degree difference in night and day time temperature.

The Cattleya is an intermediate orchid which means it likes 70 to 80 degree day temperature and 55 to 65 degree at night. I have never lost a Cattleya, and I love them. They are easy and also come in miniatures if space is a problem. I think the reason I have such good luck with Cattleyas is because we set our thermostat at 60 during the night and 70 during the day, and this is what it and we like. We also have a humidifier on our furnace that keeps our air from being dry during the winter which is also what they like. I don't know how many people told me I couldn't grow Cattleyas in my home but I sure do. I give all of my orchids the most light possible. I have five- 6 foot windows and they are all full.

Most people think Phalaenopsis are the easiest orchids to grow. They are the ones you see for sale in almost every store from Kroger to Home Depot. They usually have only three to five flat leaves about 2 or 3 inches wide and 5 to 7 inches long and then one or two bloom spikes that could have ten or more flower buds on each. They are very showy and some last a long time if handled properly. I killed several until I realized I was watering them too much. They like the same temperature you do year round, but need that 10-degree night and day temperature difference. They do not like the extreme heat outside in summer so they are the only ones I do not put outside. If water gets in their crown, as it would from rain (unless you have them on their sides), they will rot and die. They do not require as much light as some orchids so they get the back row if room is a problem. They do need repotting about every 9 months to a year or as soon as they finish blooming. Once they get new soil they start trying to bloom again, and some bloom for more than a year at a time. Almost all of my other orchids get divided when I repot them, but it is a rare thing for a Phalaenopsis to make a division possible.

I love a Vanda Orchid, which is a Warm orchid requiring 80 to 90 degree day temperatures and 65 to 70 degree nights. It also takes more light than I can give so I have to just admire it at the shows.

I grow most of my orchids in bark. If you think soil is a big thing in bonsai, you just wouldn't believe all the different things people put orchids in; after all, most of them were originally just hanging in trees somewhere and not potted at all. For this reason they need good quick drainage, with no standing in water. It is very important not to overfeed. I use Orchid fertilizer, ¼ teaspoon to the gallon of (preferably) rain water, every time I water. Some of my big orchids only get watered every two weeks, whereas some of the small ones are watered every 3 or 4 days. I finally realized if I just misted my Phalaenopsis every day or two instead of watering them, they didn't die.

Orchids love air movement, but not drafts. I have ceiling fans in the rooms where most of my orchids are. The ones that like the most heat are on the top shelves and the cooler ones on the bottom. If you go to a grower, they will have a moving air system going full force. It may be one of the hardest and most necessary conditions for a home grower. However, don't say no to growing orchids if you can't give them ideal growing conditions because some manage to make it, but they can hardly wait to get outside in the summer breeze.

It is very hard for me to tell you what to grow. If I don't like the flower, it's not worth the space. If I don't have the right conditions, I wouldn't buy it just to let it die. My one cool orchid gives me more to worry about and sometimes no blooms, but it is really gorgeous when it does. I guess some are worth the trouble if you can possibly manage and love the flower.

I belong to the Kentucky Orchid Society which meets at Lyndon City Hall on the second Wednesday of each month from 7:30 to about 8:45. We have very good speakers who specialize in everything from growing under lights to fertilizer, greenhouses, trips all over the world to see what other growers are doing, potting demo's, water, and you never know what they will come up with next. I have won at least 80 of my orchids (sometimes 4 or 5 in one night) at the meetings. When you repot some orchids, they have to be divided into 3 or 4 pieces; and so growers bring their extras in for the raffle, especially if space is one of their problems, or they only want one of each kind. Six tickets sell for $5.00. Where can you get 4 orchids for $5.00.! Someone will love it. We also have three "show and tell" tables each night. They are beginners, advanced, and miniatures. If you have something blooming on a meeting night, you bring it to your appropriate table. Then all of the plants are introduced and voted on by all the attendees, and the person with the most winning plants for the year is given an award at the Christmas Party. The grower of each plant on display tells how and where he grows it and whatever anyone might want to know about it. Some plants are so beautiful, they take your breath away. There are so many learning experiences in one night, I always feel my time has been well spent. Our annual dues are $20.00 per family.

We also publish a monthly newsletter and have an annual flower show. We sometime host or co-host a district show.

My best advice for someone who wants to grow beautiful orchids in their home is GET A BOOK!!! Look in the book till you see the flower you like and then see if you can give it the growing conditions it needs. If not, keep looking. There are over 35,000 different orchids, and surely some of those will be the right ones for you. P.S. I don't think they are as hard or demanding as Bonsai.