There is a lot of information on growing orchids so much so that it can become overwhelming. As a novice, I’ve put together my observations which can be summed up in three key points.
One – Find a Mentor
The best and first thing to do is to join a local orchid club, such as the Native Orchid Society of South Australia (NOSSA), and find a mentor within the group. There are many books but nothing substitutes for that personal interaction with an experienced grower who will know both the plant and the adaptions needed for the local conditions. At the monthly meetings, NOSSA has a Grower’s forum where various aspects of growing orchids are discussed and questions answered. It is well worth attending.
Two – Have an Equipment Kit
There are some things that are essential and it is good to have a basic kit to get started. Later, more equipment can be added as one’s skill develops in growing orchids. The necessary items would include:
- Secateurs
- Labels – these can be proper plant labels from a garden store or wooden lollipop sticks, so long as they are waterproof.
- Pen – indelible ink pen or pencil (there are pencils that can write on plastic) as it is pointless having a labelled plant with the details washed off.
- it may be necessary to use both current name and synonyms on the label eg Corybas/Corysanthes
- Wettable Sulphur – necessary for guarding against diseases and is available from garden centres but Tomato Dust can be a good substitute although it is half the strength.
- Sterilizing equipment
- Good nursery hygiene techniques are important
- Dilute bleach, tri-sodium phosphate (and possibly a small blow torch for metal tools)
- newspaper
- a different sheet for each orchid when dividing will help prevent transference of any disease, etc (don’t forget handwashing)
- For Epiphytes
- Ties and Stakes
- For Terrestrials
- Sieve for recovering tubers
- Sheoak or pine needles for putting on top of the pots to stop soil and fungi splashing up on the undersize of the leaves
- Pots – do not need to be fancy but the pot size will depend upon the species
- Diuris prefer deeper pots; Corysanthes prefer wider, shallower pots whilst Pterostylis doesn’t seem to mind either
Three – Work within the Plant’s Growing Condition
This will require time, research, experiment and going back to the experienced growers. Each one of us eventually needs to find what is the best setup for our individual location but some general guidelines would be:
- Start with plants that are suitable for your current climatic conditions. Obviously putting a tropical Dendrobium bigibbum under the patio in temperate Adelaide is not going to be successful. For the terrestrials it is better to start with Pterostylis curta or a Microtis than a fungi dependent Arachnorchis tentaculata.
- Research the plant you want to grow and then create the micro-climate necessary for the flourishing of the plant. This will entail separating the orchids, don’t put shade lovers such as Corysanthes with those requiring brighter light eg the Thelymitra genus.
NOSSA 