The Wonderful World of Orchids

1. The Wonderful World of Orchids And how to grow just one of the 35,000 known species

2. Orchid Fun Facts • One of the largest plant families on earth • Over 35,000 species: more than 2Xthe number of bird species, and about 4X the number of mammal species • On all continents except for Antarctica • May have arisen 76–84 million years ago and coexisted with dinosaurs • Earliest human evidence in Chinese and Japanese drawings and literature, ca. 700 BC

3. Expert Adapters Uniquely designed to survive in various climates and conditions • Live on trees, rocks, in the ground or under it, in tropical rainforests, grasslands, high mountains, and bogs • A majority are perennial epiphytes, which grow anchored to trees or shrubs in the tropics and subtropics

4. Amazing Pollinators • Very specific • Moths, insects, bees, ants, butterflies, hummingbirds, wind • Lures, color, smells, mimicry, tricks, stealth • Ensures purity of the species – only one pollinator can successfully gain sustenance from its chosen specie host

5. “Darwin’s Orchid” AngreacumSesquipidales • Waxy white star-like flowers • Heavy perfume at night • Spur ~12 inches long at the back of the flower, with nectar at the bottom Darwin reasoned that the pollinator must be a moth and have a tongue (proboscis) at least 18 inches long After his death, the Predicta Moth was discovered

6. “Darwin’s Orchid”

7. Lady Slippers • Lure the insect: Drink from its pouch? Scent? • Pouch is very slippery and polished • Pollinator gets stuck at the bottom, either too wet to fly, or the shape of the pouch stops it • Only one way out, which the insect eventually finds, is to crawl through a tight doorway so that it rubs against the pollen

8. Michigan Lady Slippers

9. Bee Orchids • A small, pretty orchid that mimics a receptive female bumblebee visiting a flower • The dark brown "bee" is also hairy • During a frustrating attempt to mate, the male bee becomes an unwitting carrier of pollen

10. Bee Orchids

11. Vanilla Orchid

12. Growing Orchids THEN • Hobby of the rich—very expensive • Very difficult to breed—most were harvested from the wild • Seeds: millions, microscopic,no reservoir of food in the seeds, dependent on fungus to survive • Environments difficult to maintain

13. Growing Orchids NOW • Affordable: $10 at Kroger • Tissue propagation/cloning • Hybridization: bigger, better, • longer-lasting blooms

14. Moth Orchid

15. Moth Orchid Phalaenopsis • Over 75% of all orchids sold are Phalaenopsis • Epiphyte • Long-lasting blooms, up to 4 months • Hardy, adaptable, easy to grow in our homes • Temperatures common to our homes: 50-95 °F • High humidity (60-70%) • Low light (south- and east-facing windows)

16. Planting Mediums • Sand-peat • Bark mixture • Moss (from Chile) • Pots that allow air flow • Larger drainage holes

17. Humidity/Watering Humidity • Moisture trays • Pebbles • Mist/shower Watering • Once a week • Let the plant dry out a bit between waterings

18. Fertilizer • Weakly, weekly • 20-10-12 February-August (green) • 6-30-30 August-February (bloom) • Nitrogen: green • Phosphorus: roots and flowers • Potassium: overall health

19. Repotting • Once a year • When a lot of roots are outside the pot • Clean up the roots Healthy roots: white Cut off the black, dead roots • Use clippers you’ve • dipped in a water/bleach mixture (~9:1)

22. Problems

23. Problems • Over/under watering • Humidity • Bud blast • Exhaustion • Viruses (hence, the bleach) • Light—not enough or too much • Temperature extremes (air conditioning and heating vents nearby)