Grow Orchid
Orchids can be considered to be the “Queen of Flowers”. If you have ever entered a room beautifully flanked by opulent orchids, then you will know what I mean by this statement. They are brightly coloured with remarkable shapes! Despite their fragility and delicate nature, they are not only mostly grown in greenhouses. Instead,they still thrive excellently under optimal home conditions, thereby decorating our homes with their rare colour patches!
Orchids belong to a well-diversed plant family of over 880 genera comprising of about 28,000 species.Their huge abundance is due to their successful evolution.They are also highly adapted as some Australian species can grow underground,while many tropical ones are epiphytic on tree branches, in the desert, Tundra,swamp,growing plains and mountains.
Orchid pods contain hundreds of thousands of seeds which are mostly pollinated by wind. In order to grow orchids successfully, it is best to grow orchids in potting conditions.
In their first year while it is best to grow them in pots,orchids need a symbiotic relationship with a fungus to survive. It is a form of symbiotic association because the fungus obtains water and mineral salts for the association,while the seedling shares its own sugar supply (obtained through photosynthesis) with the fungus in return.
Because of the slim chance of survival of seedling even on the perfect crevices,orchids are sown on moist sugar-rich sterile agar or growing clumps of orchid cells can be severed and placed on the agar in a culture medium.The culture medium is meant to provide nutrients and structural support.
We need to allow enough air spaces in between the medium particles in all kinds of culture media. Another kind of culture medium could consist of Osmunda fibre,a tough wiry fibre with slow decomposition rate, obtained from an Australian or Pacific Osmunda fern. Fresh pine barks may be used with Osmunda or mixed with other amendments like peat and perlite or vermiculite.
These processes can give life and maturity to hundreds of thousands of orchids.Thereby, ensuring rapid production of a plant which, 3 or 4 generations could span a person’s lifetime to get new hybrid propagation of! A process like any of these processes has been used to grow orchid for sale. We can grow orchids, but only a few species, in pebbles mixed with the pine bark mentioned above.
Finally, in order to successfully grow orchid, certain conditions need to be borne in mind. Care should be taken to ensure that their roots are well aerated and should not stay wet for more than a day or 2. At least, 4 hours of light(not direct sunlight but indirect light like fluorescent grow light about 1200 foot candle) is needed to grow orchids and make them bloom well.
The light source, which should be left with the plant for 14 hours daily, can be produced with a 48 inch grow light suspended 6-12 inches above the plant.The humidity around the orchid should be at least 50%. Misting of the foliage should be done in sufficient air and light such that the plant can dry before night through excellent cross-ventillation.
Water an orchid only once a week with water that has acquired room temperature and dissipated chemicals; when the soil becomes dry.But never clog their pots with water for a day or 2 at once. To grow orchids, we must endeavour to follow these basic measures strictly, while bearing in mind that they are uniquely beautiful but delicate plants,which are worth all the care and love in order to continue having their beauty around us. It is not enough to grow orchids but … to grow them in optimal conditions and perfectly!
Grow Orchid