For the past year, most of the topics I've covered in my monthly orchid care tips have come from questions I've received at my classes and presentations. I would now like to open this up to anyone who may have a question on orchid care. Send your question to my email address listed at the bottom of this page. I will go through the questions I receive each month and pick one to address here.
April Orchid Care Tip
How Do I Grow Hardy Orchids?
In the botanical sense, a “hardy” plant is one that can survive outside winter conditions. Therefore, the term “hardy orchid” is relative to the area in which you live and the type of winter conditions it would encounter there. Vanda orchids would be hardy orchids in southern Florida, but not in Pennsylvania where I live. Luckily, orchids are native to every continent, except Antarctica, so just about everyone can find an orchid that is hardy in their area.
If you are interested in growing hardy orchids, the first thing I would suggest is to find a plant hardiness zone map for your area. If you live in the United States, you can go to the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/. This tells you the “average annual extreme minimum temperatures” for your area. If you intend to grow your orchid as a perennial outdoors, make sure it is hardy in your growing zone. The other option is to wait until the orchid goes dormant in the fall and bring it indoors to a cool location for the winter. Another temperature consideration is to make sure that the orchid can also tolerate any extreme heat that may occur in your area in the summer months.
The second suggestion for growing hardy orchids as perennial plants outdoors is to make sure you prepare their growing area properly. Many of these types of orchids need a loamy, well-drained soil. When I created the growing area for my Bletillas and Cypripediums, I dug out a 3’ by 3’ area about a foot deep. Then, I mixed equal parts of soil, peat, and sand and put that back in the hole.
Finally, make sure you are giving your hardy orchid the correct amount of sunlight. Both Bletillas and Cypripediums prefer a shadier location, with some dappled sunlight. I planted mine at the edge of a row of deciduous maple trees. In the early spring, this area gets direct sunlight which warms the soil for the orchids. By the time the orchids have begun to grow, leaves are appearing on the trees which shade the mature plants.
In the botanical sense, a “hardy” plant is one that can survive outside winter conditions. Therefore, the term “hardy orchid” is relative to the area in which you live and the type of winter conditions it would encounter there. Vanda orchids would be hardy orchids in southern Florida, but not in Pennsylvania where I live. Luckily, orchids are native to every continent, except Antarctica, so just about everyone can find an orchid that is hardy in their area.
If you are interested in growing hardy orchids, the first thing I would suggest is to find a plant hardiness zone map for your area. If you live in the United States, you can go to the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/. This tells you the “average annual extreme minimum temperatures” for your area. If you intend to grow your orchid as a perennial outdoors, make sure it is hardy in your growing zone. The other option is to wait until the orchid goes dormant in the fall and bring it indoors to a cool location for the winter. Another temperature consideration is to make sure that the orchid can also tolerate any extreme heat that may occur in your area in the summer months.
The second suggestion for growing hardy orchids as perennial plants outdoors is to make sure you prepare their growing area properly. Many of these types of orchids need a loamy, well-drained soil. When I created the growing area for my Bletillas and Cypripediums, I dug out a 3’ by 3’ area about a foot deep. Then, I mixed equal parts of soil, peat, and sand and put that back in the hole.
Finally, make sure you are giving your hardy orchid the correct amount of sunlight. Both Bletillas and Cypripediums prefer a shadier location, with some dappled sunlight. I planted mine at the edge of a row of deciduous maple trees. In the early spring, this area gets direct sunlight which warms the soil for the orchids. By the time the orchids have begun to grow, leaves are appearing on the trees which shade the mature plants.
