Vanda Sanderiana or the Waling Waling Orchid
Orchid growing, like any other plant growing hobby, is an
addictive, self-satisfying leisure activity, especially for those who has the
passion for plants. Just like the
saying, once bitten by the orchid bug, you become addictive to orchids. This is due to the fact that the hobby
rewards one with uniquely beautiful and colorful flowers, and each plant has a
sense of exoticness, which one would presume has been sourced out from a remote tropical rain forest. Also,
orchid plants are so varied, that one can choose from a great assortment
of flower color, shape and size, plant size, and cultural requirements. So, how does someone start with the hobby?
Orchids on display at a local Orchid Show
One way of starting the hobby is by
first visiting a Garden Show or a Plant or Garden Center. There is one Garden Show coming up, which is
the Philippine Orchid Society Midyear Show which will be on August 29 to
September 8, 2014 at the Quezon Memorial Circle at Diliman, Quezon City. In a Garden Show, one can witness the variety
of flowering orchids this season, and they are beautifully arranged in a
landscape exhibits. With this, one
becomes inspired in growing orchids. Aside
from orchids, one can also see other
plants that are commonly associated with orchids like ferns, bromeliads,
tillandsia, cacti, succulents, flowering vines,
and trees. Another venue worth
visiting are Garden Centers, wherein some are located in the Farmers’ Market in
Cubao, in the Sunday Sidcor Tiangge Market along Centris, at Quezon Avenue
corner EDSA at Quezon City, or at the FTI Weekend Tiangge in Taguig City. There are also some Plant stores in shopping
Malls like that in Market-Market at the Bonifacio Global City, at Taguig City
or in the SM City Malls.
The good thing about Garden Shows
are that some orchid experts are just around the vicinity, whom you could ask
for free advice. Another way is also to
consult or get touch with your local orchid
organization, like the Philippine Orchid Society, for advice or trainings.
From there, you can start by buying
orchid plants which you can take care of,
depending on your budget and also from the environmental characteristics
of your home. For cheaper ones, which can range from
P75-P150 , you can start with Dendrobiums, Oncidiums or Vandas. Then the moderately priced ones, which range
from P300-P500 includes Phalaenopsis, some Cattleyas, and other orchid species, then for those at little bit expensive are
the vandaceous hybrids, large flowered Cattleyas, Cymbidium hybrids, and the
Waling Waling orchid.
Hybrid Cattleyas are one of the most interesting and large-flowered orchid types
The good thing is that the Philippines
has a very rich and diverse orchid flora, comprising about a thousand species,
and there has been many equally numerous imported orchid species and hybrids
nowadays. With this, most plants will
grow well in your garden without any expensive structures. Once you have plants
to start with, you can be familiar with their names and appearance, including
their growth habit.
Oncidiums or Dancing Lady are one of the most easy to grow and insect tolerant orchid type
Each
orchid is unique, and is cultured in a distinct way. However, one could group them together based
on their cultural requirements. This
will help you grow them properly. Some
orchids are grown in full sun, without any shade nets. This includes terrete Vandas, Mokaras,
Kagawaras and Oncidiums, while others prefer Partial Shade, and requires 2-3
layers of shade nets, like Phalaenopsis, Cattleyas and Dendrobiums.
For watering, orchids with pseudobulbs
or those with stems which can store water and food, requires watering only once
every 3 days. These includes Cattleyas,
Dendrobiums, and Oncidiums. On the other
hand, Vandas, Trichoglottis, Arachnis, and Phalaenopsis are usually watered
once a day. In watering, the plants have
to be thoroughly watered and soaking wet, so that all the plant parts and the
root zone of the plant are wet. Then,
let the plant dry through the gentle breeze.
Remember, it is much easier to kill an orchid by over watering. Thus, the basic rule in orchid watering,
“when in doubt, do not water.”
One have to regularly check the
plant as the weather may change and affect your plant. For plants exposed in the rain, they may need
to be sprayed with a fungicide during the rainy season to protect them from
rotting. You might be also be needing to
protect plants from insect pests as orchids are vulnerable to scales, mites,
aphids and caterpillars.
Another aspect is their temperature
requirements, as some plants are cool growing, while others are warm growing. People in the lowlands, are recommended to grown warm growing
orchids, while those in higher elevation, to grow cool growing orchids. Growing them in the wrong place or
temperature will result in non-flowering
of the plants or they tend to be slow growing and sickly. Some Phalaenopsis and
Cattleyas are cool growing, while most orchids are warm growing.
Orchid can also be classified on
the potting media they need. Most
orchids are epiphytes or air plants.
They may need only a minimum of potting media in their pot, usually just
a few charcoal or attached to driftwoods. Examples includes Vanda,
Dendrobium, Cattleyas and Oncidiums.
Terrestrial orchids, on the otherhand, needs soil, like that of
Spathoglottis. Other orchids are
lithophytes, which means they grow on rocks, like those of some Paphiopedilums,
Cymbidiums, and Grammatophyllums.
With
this few knowledge, your next step is to allocate a place in your home or
garden where you will place your plants.
A well lighted, private or secluded place in your garden can be reserved
for your orchid hobby. The place also
needs to be moist and well -ventilated. Plants
can either be hung in the wall, or a tree, or placed on a metal or wooden bench
or table. For orchid requiring shade,
one may place a 2-layered shade net over the plants, tying them with a wire or
using GI pipes or coconut lumber as frame.
The idea is to first experience how to grow your first few plants, and
to see some of the response of your plant and what are some of the problems
that might arise. As one buys plants
once a week or once a month, you collection begins to grow.
A sample Orchid Bench where orchids & plants can be placed for display or for monitored culture
Grow
your plants well. Water your plants
regularly, either everyday or twice a week.
Fertilize plants by spraying a diluted orchid foliar fertilizer, once
every week. Watch for new growths,
remove any dead or dried leaves and flowers, and remove insect pests. If there will be problems, you may ask
members of your local orchid organization to help you or ask for advice. By the way, some member s of the POS are
online with their Facebook account, and with it you can post questions from
there.
Starting to buy plants and growing
them in your home is the first step in beginning an orchid hobby, and the
learning starts. If ever you experience
problems like a dead plant, or insect problems, do not be disappointed or lose
hope, as this is part of growing orchids and there are many solutions to
prevent this. Usually, you will learn
along the way. The real objective of
this hobby is for you to enjoy your plants, meet new friends who have the same
passion as you are. Most likely you
would be enjoying the hobby, especially when your plants start
re-blooming. So, why not start growing
orchids?
