If you’ve ever killed a beautiful living orchid, you have lots of company. These exotic plants are approached with fear and trembling by most of us. Two local gardeners who have good luck with orchids advise approaching these beauties with confidence.
Gardening columnist Gaye Winter and Coast Orchid Society member Joann Bass say the culprit for lack of success is usually over watering.
“Provide the conditions they prefer, including a balance of light, air, water, food, rest, and from time to time a new pot,” Winter says. “Place orchids in an east to south-facing window or room and provide bright, indirect light. Insufficient light results in poor flowering, while too much light can lead to leaf scorch.”
Bass cautions that different types of species have different needs. There are 25,000 species distributed throughout the world. “But the instructions of three ice cubes a week for any of them is the wrong thing to do with the roots on top of the pot. Growers say that but this is the tropics” she said. “If you get them sopping wet, it kills the plant.”
A George County resident, Bass waters her orchids once a week on sunny days, not on overcast days. “Orchids do take some moisture from the air but not enough. You want to water the roots and no misting.” Additional advice from Winter, a Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College instructor, is to ensure proper temperature and provide the proper environmental conditions to ensure success. Orchids are excellent for representing the energy of growth, wealth, creativity, and expansion inside the home. In Chinese culture, orchids symbolize refinement, elegance and wealth,” she said.
Bass points out that the Coast has a large number of native orchids. A good place to see them growing wild is along the pathways of the National Sandhill Crane Preserve in Jackson County. “You also see them living in yards,” she said. “They lay flat and get cut down by lawnmowers. If you look closely, you can see the little green rosettes. Lady’s Tresses is the most prevalent type.”
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