Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Orchid Habitat and How it Relates to Their Care

The classifications of plant species is an exact science and no short article can thoroughly explain how Orchids relate to the world's vegetation. This is, in part, due to the amount of misinformation that exists. What we can attempt, however is to familiarize you with Orchid habitat, diversity and other factors that will help you better understand and enjoy them.

One thing we know about the classification of plants, is that the botanical division known as species is where nature supposedly draws the line. When speaking about the Dendrobium, for example, we learn that there are 800 to 1200 species, (depending upon which expert you consult). According to plant classification definitions, no hybridization should occur among parent species. Nonetheless, within this genre, hybridized or cross-bred varieties number around 25,000. Many therein are labeled (correctly or incorrectly), species. It is no wonder that when we research Orchids, we become confused by the cross-talk. If you peruse internet sources, books or publications, you will observe that the term species is commonly interchanged with what others may call a variety.

Perhaps then, we should begin from another direction. We know that orchids have existed since the time of the dinosaur, or approximately 80 million years. Everything was large in those days, including plants and insects. Early on, Orchids devised artful means of presenting their wares to pollinating insects. Rather than competing with the myriads of flowers that offered pollen, they began to develop clever shapes and phonemes (odors) that attracted insects for other reasons, often sexual ones. These apparatus were so successful that today there are well over 300,000 varieties of Orchid.

Orchids remain a species that can evolve to survive all but the most severe changes to their environment. It may take a few generations, but if any plant can find a way, the Orchid will. For one thing, they aren't just ground dwellers. Among the first plants to house themselves in trees, (epiphytes), they also grow by attaching themselves to rocks (lithophytes) and in soil, (terrestrial). A few even seek subterranean shelter in underground waterways, (throughout the arid regions of Australia).

Orchids prefer three types of growing regions - temperate, tropical and sub-tropical. We envision a tropical environment as one with rainforests, a hot and humid climate and a canopy of overhead plants. What is temperate? It is an environment with decidedly hot days and cool nights. Note: With the exception of only a few, most Orchids cannot grow in climates that suffer hard freezes during winter months. Having said that, there are species that grow in the Arctic, but frost-hardy orchids are not the norm. Neither can they grow in arid climates. With the exception of the afore-mentioned subterranean plants, deserts do not have an Orchid population.

It now follows that we determine the geographical locale of said specimens. Enthusiasts suggest there are only two. Old World, (from Europe to Australia, respectively), and New World, (from Mexico to the tip of South America, including the Hawaiian and Japanese Islands.)

When it comes to the successful domestication of Orchids, it behooves us to understand these regions. Many Orchid grower efforts have been thwarted because of two main errors in care. First, they did not realize that most Orchids have a normal resting or dormancy period. Second, they did not know the origin of the plant, and therefore misinterpreted the loss of leaves as indication the plant was dying. Fearing the worst, they increased watering, when in fact, during this resting period Orchids require little to no water as long as they are misted. Our next set of information will help us understand why some Orchids are dormant when others are blooming.

Orchids grown in the southern hemisphere will bloom sometime between October and February, while those native to the northern hemisphere, bloom between March and September. (There are, of course, a few exceptions - these are Orchids, after all!) Observation is key to determining what your orchid's natural season of growth/flowering is.

Observation is important with regard to another issue, as well. If you have an orchid and you don't know its origin, you have to carefully determine what a healthy Orchid looks like during both seasons. If it seems never to flourish, perhaps you should know about the kinds of Orchids.

Cool Orchids come from climates that are sometimes uncomfortably hot during the daytime, but have cool evenings. In some of these environments, temperatures drop to just above freezing. Evening fog and mists keep cool orchids moist - a requirement for nearly every Orchid. If you have been providing your orchid a location where the temperature varies little and it is not thriving, try moving it to a cool porch. Make sure it is misted frequently and see if it responds.

If you want an Orchid that can grace the inside of your home year-round, try a hot Orchid. These orchids like heat and light, (albeit, not direct sunlight). Most of us keep our homes around 70 degrees, day and night. As long as the Orchid is kept hydrated (misted, or bedded on a pebble-filled tray of water), hot orchids do well in our homes.

The most temperamental of all Orchids is the warm variety. They need a minimum temperature of 60 degrees when growing, and 55 degrees when dormant. However, and this is the most difficult requirement for most home owners, during the resting period they cannot tolerate temperatures warmer than 60 degrees. This means two things to an Orchid grower who does not yet know the type of orchid they have. First, that you must determine what months of the year it becomes dormant and second, you must experiment with its temperature requirements.

So there we have it. Orchids grow on trees, on rocks or in well-drained soil. There are three main geographic areas of growth - tropical, subtropical and temperate. There are two regions that comprise Orchid habitat, Old World and New World. Northern hemisphere Orchids bloom from March to September while southern hemisphere Orchids bloom from October to February. Finally, there are three types of orchid - cool, warm and hot.

Armed with this knowledge and a keen sense of observation, we can successfully grow these willing plants in our gardens or homes. For your convenience I am including sample locations of Old and New World growers in both the northern and southern hemispheres:

Old World: NORTHERN HEMISPHERE - (Thailand), SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE - (Australia)

New World: NORTHERN HEMISPHERE - (Japan), SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE - (Brazil)
Article written for Orchid Forest of Thailand, by Chris Mayree. You may reprint this article pro gratis by including the credits and tips information.

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