Orchid Talk

Phalaenopsis

I went to an Orchid talk at my local garden centre recently. The talk was given by Ian Parsons, the Vice Chairman of the British Orchid Council. As a beginner I was lucky to be present at a talk by such a knowledgable person, so thought I'd quickly post some of the notes I took during the short talk.

Ian told us that Orchids came into being around 80 million years ago, with early fossils found on Antarctica.

The general advice given for Symbidians (the coolest growing orchids) was to try any get shoots early in the year, around January-February. They can then be placed outside in a light place, as long as it's not direct light. Feed it with an orchid feed, ensure that there's no ammonia.

Phalaenopsis are the easiest to look after and contrary to our practice of growing them upright, in the wild they actually grow on their sides. This allows the rain to be shed from the leaves and not accumulate around the crown, which would rot the orchid. Therefore we must make sure not to water into the plant's crown, but around it and along the roots. Try to get used to feeling the weight of the plant in your hand, this will become a guide for when to water it. If you're not sure, don't water it! Most of the time moss is placed in the container, which can be a good guide for when the orchid needs watering.Where possible, Ian advised, instead of watering the plant, use a spray. If possible, use rain water that is warmed to room temperature, this will maintain humidity around the plant, which the aerial roots will enjoy. The roots need to be kept green as much as possible (lower right photo). White roots are dry (lower left photo). Brown roots are dead!

Many orchids, like the dendrobium, flower once a year. The Phalaenopsis can flower two to three times a year. Some orchids have developed a swollen stem which holds water, which is an adaptation to having a rainy season followed by a dry season.

Sometimes flower buds are aborted, this can be due to cold and should be cut off. Try not to water log any potted roots as they need air. It was quite funny to hear the reason for clear pots for orchids. The real reason is because they're cheap! Official reasons are that it gives the roots light, but we tend to hide the roots away in a nice container (as the red one in the photos above), which reduce the amount of light greatly, if not totally.

It's also possible to grow orchids with totally aerial roots - no pot. Also on cork bark slates. But this requires high humidity for the plant to be successful. This can mean spraying 5 or 6 times a day, meaning that I'll be sticking to pots!

After flowering we need to pop the orchid in a fairly cold place and not water it for two to three months. Cut off dead roots and re-pot if necessary. If there are any spotty leaves, you may have an infestation - spray with the aerosol version of provado. To ensure that you remove the infestation spray 4 times giving 4 days inbetween, this should cover the whole lifecycle of the insects. Cut flowered stem just above the lowest node. Any damage on the leaves should be cut out. Ensure that you steralise tools, either with a mix from a garden centre, or with a mix of 10% to 90% water.

The final bit of advice from Ian was to not be afraid to take the orchid out of the pot to check the roots or to re-pot the plant.

As a beginner, the only advice I can give is: Enjoy your orchid.

Ian was an excellent speaker and really knew his stuff - my post hasn't done his vast knowledge justice. If you see the name Ian Parsons and the words 'Orchid talk', do try and get along to it - it'll be worth it, especially as Ian normally does Orchid health checks before or after the talks.