Gardening 101: Caring for your orchids
NORTH TEXAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) – Orchids first started on this planet about 120 million years ago. They showed up in Chinese culture as an herb around 3,000 years ago. If you like the flavor of vanilla, then you have enjoyed the fruits from an orchid (Vanilla planifolia is the only orchid that produces something edible).
Perhaps you have been gifted an orchid plant – they are one of the most gifted plants. With proper care, these plants can easily live 10-15 years in a pot. Just keep in mind these are growing plants and will need re-potting every two years or so.
The plant will signal to you a desire for a bigger home. Roots start leaving the pot looking for a place to go. Resist the temptation to put it in a container twice the size of the old one. Select one just a little bigger, the roots need to stay close together for the plant to enjoy optimal health.
There are a few tricks to giving an old orchid a new home. The roots systems are usually tightly packed together, and the dirt needs to be gently removed before you put it in its new soil. I highly recommend that you carefully prune away any damaged or dead roots with some sanitized scissors or small pruners. Then when you give your orchid its new home, make sure to tuck all the established roots into the pot and into the soil.
During the summer months I put my orchids outside in a completely shaded spot. I make sure to give them several cubes of ice once a week to keep them hydrated (the ice slowly melts and drips into the soil). I return them indoors at end of summer, making sure they never see temperatures below 60°F. Also, make sure to feed them every other month or so, it's difficult for them to get all the food they need when growing in a pot.
The "World of Orchids" exhibit at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden shows the incredible variety of orchids there are. There is also an accompanying art display showing the long love affair humans have had for the plant. The exhibit runs through April 9.
Besides poinsettia, orchids have the dubious distinction of being one of the most thrown away plants. If gifted on, give it the rudimentary care it needs, and you'll have a long-lasting flower show up at least once a year for a decade. Orchids earn their keep.
