Granted, care must be taken when growing orchids at home. However, they are no more difficult to grow than most other houseplants when their particular growth requirements are met. In fact, some orchids are as easy to grow as cacti.

Although there are more than 25,000 species growing in climates ranging from the arctic tundra to the tropical rain forest, the orchids most often cultivated are species from tropical climates.

They are commonly grouped by cool, intermediate, and warm temperature requirements based on the plants’ optimum night requirements (45 to 50 degrees F, 55 to 65 degrees F, and above 65 degrees F, respectively).

The beginning grower should consider starting with established plants which should bloom within a year. Seedlings are less expensive but may take up to five years to flower. Natural species may be grown, but the hybrids are often more vigorous and less demanding in their cultural requirements.

Light is often a factor limiting the growth of orchids. Most orchids require relatively high light intensities and should be grown in an east or south window. However, a few will grow well under low intensity fluorescent lights.

Orchids vary in their water requirements. Many tropical orchids are epiphytes, growing on the side of trees, and will not do well if their roots stay wet. Epiphytes should be grown in a very porous potting medium such as coarse fir bark, lava rock, or coarse perlite. Terrestrial types rooted in soil require a well-drained, finer textured growth medium.

Watering frequency depends on the medium in which they are potted. Most orchids cannot survive prolonged drought and should be watered often. However, some require a “dry season” of six to eight weeks during which watering is reduced but not stopped. This “dry season” must occur immediately after maturation of the current season’s growth and is often necessary to initiate flowering.

Nutrients must be provided in dilute concentrations when orchids are grown on inert media. Moderate air circulation is required for best growth.

Be aware that many factors may prevent flowering in orchids. Insufficient light is the most common reason. If there is too little light, the leaves become a deep, lush green. With too much light the leaves turn yellow-green.

For proper flowering, the leaves should have only a slight yellow tint. Some orchids may not bloom if the nighttime and daytime temperatures are the same. Consistently warm temperatures are good for vegetative growth, but may suppress flower development.

A 10 to 15 degree reduction in the night temperature for two weeks in the fall or spring is needed to initiate flower development. Dry air may result in failure of flower buds to open and death of plants in extreme cases. A relative humidity of 60 percent will alleviate the problem.

Orchids are affected by many of the same pests and diseases as other houseplants. Insects such as mealybugs and aphids can be controlled with the proper insecticide. Good cultural practices and the purchase of healthy plants will reduce the chance of disease although most fungal and bacterial diseases may be controlled using commercially available fungicides and bactericides.

Each type of orchid is dependent on a particular pollinating agent. The orchids use variety of tricks to insure pollination. Some of them attract pollinating agents with the help of fragrance or scent of food.

While the others manage to fool the male insects, by imitating the ‘female insect look’ or appearance. Because of this, future of the orchids growing in the wild, depends heavily on conservation of the entire ecosystem.

Extinction of a species of insect or bird, may mean extinction of the orchid depending on it. The following are some interesting facts about orchids:

• The orchids have a unique identification signature, in the form of a structure, which harbors its male and female reproductive organs. This structure is referred to as ‘column’.
• Orchid flowers are famous for their colors and one can find every imaginable color and shade in orchids.
• Some of the orchids have sweet fragrance, while few others, smell like stinking or rotting meat.
• Orchid flowers come in varying sizes. The flowers of Platystele stenostachya are small enough to fit on the head of a nail. On the other hand, those of Cattleya gigas orchid are eight to eleven inches across.
• The giant in the orchid family is Renanthera storei. It can grow to a height of 20 feet.
• An orchid can live as long as 100 years, whilst the orchid flowers can last for few weeks. However, the blossoms wilt quickly, after fertilization.
• There are very few species of the orchid family that can be used as food or to obtain medicine from it. In China, some of the orchid types are used as aphrodisiacs.
• In tropics, different types of orchids are found in the cloud forests in mountainous regions, while they are less in numbers, at lower elevations, in the rain forests.
• Orchids from the temperate areas, like Indiana, grow on the ground. On the other hand, orchids in the tropics, grow on trees or rocks.
• The orchids are not parasites; but use decaying organic matter collected on the bark of trees or in fissures of rocks for their nourishment.
• In the past, the roots of the orchids found in Europe, were used as aphrodisiacs.
• The main commercial source of natural vanilla, is an orchid named as Vanilla planifolia.
• Orchid blooms are used in Asian recipes as ingredients, and in Hawaii, they are used to dress the food and drinks.
• The male bowerbirds of New Guinea are known to present orchid flowers to female bowerbirds, in an attempt to win their heart.

Orchids are loved for their colors, sizes, shapes and are maintained as potted houseplants in flower gardens or greenhouses.

In spite of the many varieties of orchids, these delicate, exotic plants, the world over, are being threatened with extinction. Though, 42 different orchid types are found in Indiana, many of them are endangered for one or the other reason.