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FrontRangeLiving.com -> Garden -> Orchids
WINTER EXOTICS: For the Colorado gardener, try orchids
By Niki Hayden
 For most of us, orchids are exotic and extravagant: the ruffled corsage of
prom night, the perfumed leis from Hawaii and the taste of the
vanilla orchid bean. So it may come as a surprise to realize that Colorado is
home to native orchids, too.
They can be found at several mountain lakes or many of the hiking trails in
the foothills. These are not the showy, familiar prom orchids. "There are
about 27 terrestrial orchids that grow in moist and shady areas. You probably
wouldn’t recognize them as orchids, they look more like field flowers,"
says Ken Slump, president of the Denver Orchid Society.
Experts say that orchids number between 800 to 1,400 genera, with up to
35,000 species. And that doesn’t include hybrids. They make up the largest and
most adaptable family of plants to be found. They aren’t parasites, like
mistletoe, but epiphytes that co-exist and tangle themselves around others. Many
of the most striking tropical orchids adapt well to our home environment.
"It’s our abundance of sunshine," says Paul Lembeck, general
manager of Fantasy Orchids in Louisville, a wholesale grower. "That’s why
Colorado once was the world’s greatest producer of carnations."
BEST ORCHIDS FOR COLORADO
 Carnations no longer captivate the American public as they once did, and much
of the cut flower industry has moved to countries with a similar abundance of
sunshine and cheaper labor. But Lembeck’s 10,000 square-feet of greenhouse
supplies moth orchids, lady slippers, prom orchids and other extravagant
beauties that flourish under filtered Colorado light.
Most of the big orchid hybridizing factories are located in Thailand, Taiwan,
Hawaii or the Netherlands. The trend, Lembeck says, is to hybridize orchids that
will bloom more frequently. Growers believe they’ve found that prospect in the
complex hybrid Oncidiums.
 But for beginners, he recommends a Phalaenopsis, the moth orchid.
Light needs are medium, they prefer a house temperature of about 65 degrees or
warmer. They like consistent watering. You’ll be rewarded with long-lived
blooms of well over a month. After the bloom fades, cut the spike at the second
or third node from the bottom and a new spike will form.
 The Oncidiums, sometimes called dancing ladies, Paphiopedilums
(lady’s slipper), Dendrobiums, Cattleyas (prom orchid) and Miltoniopsis
hybrids (pansy orchid) are recommended for Colorado indoor gardeners.
ADVICE FOR COLORADO GARDENERS
If you’d like to dabble in growing orchids, keep in mind that many of the
books available will give you basic information, but often that advice isn't
right for Colorado. We offer more light than does the East, for example. Our
homes are drier. These differences are likely to skew results.
"People grow orchids differently in the Midwest and the Northeast,"
Lembeck warns. "Orchids barely make it through the winter, then they put
them outside on a little bench under a tree. It’s humid and the light isn’t
strong."
 In Colorado, putting orchids outside in the summer usually scorches the
plants, even if they’re under a tree. The dry winds desiccate foliage and
squirrels gnaw on syrupy pseudobulbs. Exposing them to the out of doors also
invites pests such as mealy bugs, scale or spider mites. In our climate, it’s
best to keep orchids indoors throughout the year.
But that’s the blessing of Colorado’s high altitude. Placed in a
southeast corner, the light is nearly perfect for contributing to the bloom of
most popular orchids. Orchids bloom at least once each year. If yours hasn’t,
look closely at the light levels. If the leaves are dark green, that’s not a
sign of thriving. That means that the plant is putting all its energy into
manufacturing chlorophyll to survive. The color should be closer to olive.
Also, lower the night temperatures in your home to the upper 50s. A drop in
temperature often will set bloom. That’s why most orchids bloom in winter.
When orchids do flower, take them out of the light, keep them a little more
moist than usual and the bloom will last longer. Many orchids stay in bloom from
six weeks to nearly three months.
SUPPLY HUMIDITY
 What you must supply is humidity. Although Lembeck believes that orchids will
adapt somewhat to our drier environment, most orchid growers group plants
together and perch the pots on trays lined with clean rocks or gravel. They’ll
keep the rocks barely moist so that the water evaporates slowly, while never
touching the roots of the orchids.
That’s because orchids are killed from kindness. Over watering is the chief
cause of death. Each orchid’s requirements vary, but most require water every
five to seven days. With each watering, Lembeck advocates flushing the pot with
clean, tepid tap water, then weakly fertilizing. He adds one-fourth teaspoon,
half the strength the package may suggest, of a 3-12-6 orchid fertilizer to a
gallon of water. He also likes to add root growth hormone once a month.
 Keep in mind that in their natural environment, water gushes by the orchids,
never lingering. As a green root arches into the air in an orchid like the Phalaenopsis,
it will eventually be covered by a white skin that captures and holds water.
POTTING
 While orchid books may tout orchid pots with their side holes and slits,
Lembeck disagrees. Repotting an orchid requires either breaking the pot or
breaking the roots. And in the arid Colorado environment, Lembeck doubts that
the drainage an orchid pot provides is necessary. He prefers ordinary plastic or
terracotta pots.
Orchids may need to be repotted after flowering. A general potting mixture
consists of six parts of chipped fir bark, one part perlite, one part peat moss
and one part horticultural charcoal. It can be found in any garden center as
orchid potting mixture. At Fantasy Orchids, they don’t add peat moss, which
may hold too much water. If you consistently over water orchids, use a mixture
of six parts of chipped fir bark, one part perlite and one part horticultural
charcoal.
Helpful websites: for the Denver Orchid Society: www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Lab/7870/
Also the American Orchid Society is www.orchidweb.org
Fantasy Orchids is at: www.fantasyorchids.com
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