Years ago, most people associated orchids with corsages. Maybe they thought that all orchids grew in only tropical rain forests. Certainly, it was not considered a house plant but better yet the kind of thing you would only find in greenhouses or some far-away country.
Not anymore.
Orchids have exploded to the mainstream market in the past few years. The most commonly seen orchid, the Phalaenopsis, can be viewed in commercials, movies, catalogs, and even on the shelf of your local Wal-Mart or Target store.
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There is good reason why the Phalaenopsis (pictured left) was chosen as the ambassador of the orchid genus. It’s largely considered the easiest to grow in less-than-optimal conditions, the blooms can last for weeks to months and for a blooming orchid, it’s definitely the least expensive. |
I should rephrase that. It should be the least expensive. But with the onslaught of the popularity of these beauties, orchid sellers are taking people for a ride. I’ve seen a flower nursery selling a medium sized Phalaenopsis with one spike of flowers priced between $45.00 to $65.00. I’ve also seen the exact same orchid being sold less than a mile away at a health food store for $12.00.
Just like anything else, the potential orchid grower will benefit greatly from a little education on what types of orchids there are, what kind of care they are going to need, and where you can buy them without sticker shock. And because I’ve done just that, I wanted to share what I’ve learned with you. The following is considered a “FAQ”. That is, Frequently Asked Questions.
This FAQ is intended as basic information to help the new orchid hobbyist. I understand that to an experienced orchid grower, this information will seem very generalized. I have gathered this information from books I have purchased and websites I’ve visited. If you have any suggestions or corrections, please feel free to email me.
But first, a word about orchid pests.
If you have more than one orchid, you WILL get some kind of pest sooner or later. It’s just a fact of life. Some of these pests include spider mites, mealy bugs, and scale insects - all of which I have dealt with over the years.
Here is my message to you: STEP AWAY FROM THE CHEMICAL PESTICIDES
It is irresponsible and lazy to reach for chemicals, every time you see something that needs eradicating. There are alternatives! And guess what… They work just as well, and are less dangerous to your orchids and to you.
I learned my lesson years ago when I found mealy bugs on my coleus plant. I bought Malathion (eek!) and it killed the mealy bugs alright. But it also killed my coleus plant. I have treated my patients on the ambulance who were poisoned by exposure to pesticides like this one. It’s not pretty. And the effects can be long-lasting. Just a glance at the warnings on the back label (that is a mile long) should be enough to dissuade you.
My natural, no chemical alternatives: Dawn dish soap, ground cinnamon, listerine, and neem oil.
Dawn dish soap is an amazing thing and I have a great respect for this product and the company that makes it. Ever see those commercials of them cleaning oil off of penguins and birds? It’s the real deal, and it can be used at home for not just orchids, but numerous plants.
I start with a spray bottle and fill it 3/4 of the way with water. I have a big 2 gallon jug that always has water in it. I let sit for at least 24 hours before using it to let the chlorine in the tap water burn off. Rainwater is best but I don’t know anyone who collects rainwater.
So I take my spray bottle with water and put in two squeezes of Dawn soap. Probably about 2 tablespoons. Dawn soap contains fatty acids that kills the bugs, so it is an insecticide. I say Dawn and not other soaps because Dawn is biodegradable, and they’re really taking a hand in protecting the environment and wildlife so I like to commend them. Plus, chances are, you can find them in every store that sells soap.
Then I add a capful or two of Neem oil. Neem oil comes from the Neem tree, again a natural product that can actually be ingested safely. It is effective in that it helps coat the leaves and suffocates pests by depriving them of oxygen. Dawn soap actually increases the effectiveness of the Neem oil also, so they work well together. But with most oils - be careful not to expose the plant to too much light or sun afterwards because you can wind up with burnt leaves. It kind of smells like garlic but the smell dissipates and is only overpowering in it’s undiluted form. Mixing it with Dawn helps a lot too.
So that is my typical concoction that I have used on everything from my indoor orchids to my outside potted plants like coleus, ornamental grass, daisies, lilies, even my lilac bush. There are some plants that don’t respond well to this mix, so do an internet search for Dawn + Neem + the name of your plant before using it. You could also test a small area with it first, leave it for a day, and then check it the next day.
These two also do the job without harming beneficial insects like honey bees and ladybugs (which eat aphid bugs!). I have lots of praying mantis and dragonflies in the summer, and wanted to make sure I didn’t hurt them in the process.
Listerine contains denatured alcohol which can be used to rub on orchid leaves when trying to get rid of mealy bugs or scale. Since these bugs (at least the adults) have shells around them, you need to actually get them off first. I use my fingernail but you can use a toothbrush (very lightly) or a Q-tip even.
Cinnamon is a natural fungicide. When you need to cut a leaf, or a pseudobulb off your orchid, sprinkle some cinnamon on the cut to help ensure it won’t get attacked by a fungus.
One thing that I try not to forget… If you have bugs on one plant, get it away from the others. Put the plant in quarantine, but you have to quarantine yourself too. If you touch the bugs with a watering can, or your hands, or cutting shears or a spray bottle and then you go using those things with other orchids, you could effectively transfer those pests to the rest of them!
Last update: March 12th, 2007
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