There are some features common to all species of the "orchidaceae family". The flower has the feminine and masculine organ of reproduction fusing in only one body called the column or gynostemium.
The flower segment has 3 sepals and 3 petals. The medium petal is modified and is called the labellum or lip. In general it is intensively colored and is the part from where the scent is exhaled in order to attract the agents of pollination.
Orchids are not parasites but are epiphytic, living on trees or on rocks in tropical zones or terrestrial in temperate zones
Orchids are found all around the world except in the deserts, although are found at the sea-level, they are more numerous at higher altitudes.
Some orchid species are among the world's smallest flowering plant like Eurystyles or many Pleurothallidinae plants. Others can reach a 4m height like Selenipedium that grow in tropical America or Grammatophyllum papuanum from Papua-New Guinea.
The genera is numbered at about 600, the number of species between 25 and 30 thousand and the hybrids number more than 100 thousand currently registered.
The geographical distribution around the world is not regular.
Bulbophyllum: North, South and Central America, Africa, Asia and Australia
Cattleya, Epidendrum, Laelia, Masdevallia, Maxilaria, Odontoglossum, Oncidium,
Pleurothallis: North (Mexico), South and Central America.
Coelogyne: Asia
Cymbidium: Africa, Asia , Australia
Cypripedium: North America, Europe, Asia and Australia
Dendrobium: Tropical and sub tropical Asia and Australia
Habenaria: North, Central and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia
Paphiopedilum: Asia and Australia
Phalaenopsis: Vanda, Renanthera: Asia
Vanilla: North, Central and South America, Equatorial Africa and Southeast Asia.
These days most of the species are spread around the world as they are so adaptable that they thrive anywhere where the necessary conditions exist. Angreacum, Cymbidium, Dendrobium, Paphiopedilum, Phaius, Phalaenopsis, Renanthera, Vanda and their relatives, Cattleya and Oncidium and their relatives can be cultivated in every continent
There are two Australian species which are subterranean. One of them, Rhizanthella gardneri, thrives and blooms underground.
Caring for orchids: There are 5 factors which influence the growth and development of orchids:
1.Watering and humidity
2.Light
3.Temperature
4.Ventilation
5.Feeding
Change in only one factor will modify the relationship between the others.
Orchids have a growth period, a rest period and a blooming period. During the active growth period the plants need to not only to be watered often but also require a high humidity environment. When the plant's growth begins to slow the orchid starts the rest period and its needs for water and a humid environment decreases. After the rest period, the orchid is mature and will flower or not depending on the conditions under which it has been cultivated.
Allow the container compost to dry out before watering. Water until the water flows freely out of the containers drain holes. It is easy to kill orchids by over watering.
The species of Cattleya, need this type of watering, however micro-orchids, the species of the genus Phalaenopsis, Miltoniopsis and terrestrial orchids like Cymbidium and Paphiopedilum require the compost to be always moist but not soggy.
Depending on the orchid species, they can be grown in shade or half shade with plenty of light but, even though there are a few exceptions, they should not receive full sun during the day except for the very first hours of the morning. In the shade you can grow micro-orchids and also Bulbophyllum, Cirrhaea, Cochleanthes, Comparettia, Gongora, Liparis, Malaxis, Miltoniopsis, Paphiopedilum, Restrepia and Pleurothallis.
In half shade you can grow most species of Cattleya, Coelogyne, Dendobrium, Encyclia, Epidendrum, Odontoglossum, Oncidium, and Laelia in general.
Where there is plenty of light, Catasetum, Epidendrum, Laelia which grows on rocks, Cattleya walkeriana and nobilior and Dendobrium nobile will do well. Three of the exceptions that thrive in full sun are Vanda teres, Renanthera bella and Brassavola tuberculata.
Orchids suitable to cultivation in a hot climate are those which are able to tolerate temperatures of 35 degrees or more during summer. Some examples are Aerides, Angraecum, Ascocenda, some Cattleyas species and hybrids, Dendrobium (phalaenopsis or biggibum), Miltonia flavescens and spectabilis, Oncidium baueri, cebolleta, flexuosum, jonesianum, morenoi, pumilum or sarcodes, Phalaenopsis (species and hybrids) and Rhynchostylis. Some of these orchids, however, like Vanda (except coerulea), Phalaenopsis and Dendrobium phalaenopsis and bigibbum, will not tolerate temperatures less than 15 degrees.
Orchids that like temperatures between 15 and 28 degrees are Bifrenaria, Cattleya, Laelia, some species of Coelogyne, Oncidium, Stanhopea and Zygopetalum.
Some orchids that can be cultivated in places where the temperature generally is between 0 and 20 degrees during the summer are Anguloa, Cymbidium, Dracula, Dryadella, Lycaste, Masdevallia, Miltoniopsis, Odontoglossum, Paphiopedilum in general, some species of Encyclia, Oncidium, Coelogyne and Dendobrium.
In their natural habitat orchids never grow where the air is stagnant. Where orchids are kept indoors, ventilation is very important as they wont thrive without adequate ventilation. Leave the windows open when possible but keep the plants out of the wind.
During the growth period orchids should be fed weekly using a 30-10-10 NPK formula fertilizer for Cattleyas, Dendrobium, Epidendrum, Encyclia, Laelias, Sophronitis or a 10-10-10 NPK formula fertilizer for Vandaceous and Oncidioides in general.
After blooming orchids enter their dormant period no fertilizer should be applied. The formula numbers indicating the fertilizer's proportions of the three indispensable elements are nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K).
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