Growing Phalaenopsis Orchids when they are not in bloom

The Phalaenopsis orchid (AKA moth orchid) needs to have care while not in bloom to produce those fantastic blooms that you want to sell. You can't neglect them thinking they have gone dormant.

I meet a woman the other day whom had gotten several Phalaenopsis orchids as gifts and they had just stopped blooming. I asked why the roots were dried out. She told me that the plants were "resting" and was told they did not need much care. I told her she was misinformed and they do need water and fertilizer so they can bloom again.

Don't fall for those same misconceptions. Below is a video that has some very good advice on how to care for your Phalaenopsis orchids when not in bloom.

Growing orchids in colder climates

Orchid growing can be tricky under ideal climates, so add into the mix the fact you live in a colder than temperate climate the year round and you will have a harder time growing orchids. If you live where there is frost or hard freezes in the winter you will have to either grow your orchids inside your home or have a heated greenhouse.

There are several things you can do to be able to grow orchids in colder climate. First thing you should do is pick an orchid that is known for growing in the wild in colder climates. You might think that would be impossible but you will be amazed at how many orchid species can grow in cold surroundings. The cymbidium orchid for example has some members of its group growing in the Himalayan mountains, where is freezes briefly at night but is warm during the day. They can tolerate short bursts of frost but not prolonged periods of hard freezing. There are also several terrain species of orchid that will do well in colder climates. This website page lists many hardy orchids that you can try.

If you don’t have access to a commercial heated greenhouse, don’t despair you can create something similar that can accommodate at least a dozen plants. The easiest way would be to have a greenhouse window installed in a south facing window. Make sure it is tall enough to accommodate tall plants in full bloom. Keep in mind that the flower spikes are often taller than the plant. Other ideas would be to enclose a porch with greenhouse panels and insulate where you can. Try to keep the heat source emanating from you home so as to not run up energy costs. For spot heating you can use shelf heating pads made specifically for greenhouse shelves. The pads roll out on the shelves and pug into an outlet. You place the pots on them. The pads will keep the pots and roots from freezing. They are also great to use when starting off small plants, to encourage root growth. Here is a link so you can find out more about this Greenhouse Warming Heat Mat

Since the sun moves south during the winter in the northern hemisphere (the opposite in the southern hemisphere) keep your light source facing that winter sun. South or south-western facing windows are best. Orchids will still need as much light as you can provide in the short days to force the formation of bloom spikes and flowering.

Blue Orchids and how you can grow them

I was in my local Safeway grocery store and happen to see the blue moth orchids in the florist section. I was so taken by their beauty that I took the photo above. In fact I took several photos of them. 

Yes they were charging $29.99 for them. I was so enthralled by them that I asked the woman behind the counter more about them. You see, true blue orchids are RARE and I thought that there had been a break through in genetics. Here is what she told me -

The blue orchids are the result of food coloring. The food coloring is put in the water of the white orchids and the results are the blue color of the petals. The next blooming cycle, the orchids will revert to their normal white color. 

So if that truly works (I have yet to try it) then you can make any color orchid (moth orchid at least) from the color food dye you want. Give it a try and see the results you get. It would also make a fascinating science project for kids.

-->

Orchid care, cutting a spike to encourage more blooms

Video below on how to cut a Phalaenopsis spike properly.

Continued below



Video

Selling orchids to high school kids

The new school year has started and that means that high school dances are close by. Not only are teenage girls looking for the right dress and shoes to wear but teenage boys will be looking for a way to impress that girl.

Orchid corsages are the answer and you can make money growing, designing, making and selling them. ...............continued below



Selling the orchid corsages will be the easy part. You can contact the local high school and ask if you can set up a small table at the dance or just outside the entrance. You can sell your creations there. Below are some books on designing corsages. You can be elaborate or simple in making them, the choice is yours just make sure you make a profit on them.

Orchid wedding bouquet

There is nothing more elegant than a wedding bouquet made with fresh orchid flowers. If you plan on growing orchids for weddings then learn how to make wedding bouquets and sell them directly to brides to be. If you drop down to the bottom of this post you will see some great suggestions on how to make wedding bouquets.

Marketing them is easy. Here is how you go about doing that



You need to network with professional wedding planners. They are your way "in" to the wedding marketplace. They have the connections you need to sell orchids in the wedding industry.

Below are some great books that will help you make very elegant and desirable wedding bouquets.

Consider growing rare orchids for profit

Large commercial orchid growers usually grow the common easy to find orchid types. That leaves the rare orchid market wide open. Consider growing those hard to find orchids instead of the common Cattleyas or Phalaenopsis. So where do you find them? That part is simple just



go to the tab above called "Orchid Plants for sale". The page has a live feed of what orchid plants are selling on eBay right at this moment. Listed among them are several rare specimens. Finding something rarer than normal should be fairly easy.

What you need to look for is color, shape and size of the flowers. If the plant is shown in bloom you need to look for flowers that are constant. They must all look alike otherwise you cannot count on what the plant will produce each time it blooms so you can't guarantee a flower shape or color to your customers.

Keep in mind that rarer orchids are often trickier to grow so don't attempt them unless you are fairly experienced and successful at growing orchids to blooming stage already.

Preventing rot and fungus in the orchid

Orchid growing during the winter months has its drawbacks. One of them is the problem of rot and mold. Both are caused by cooler temperatures and allowing water to pool around the plant for long periods of time. During the warmer months that water has a chance to evaporate before problems cause damage to the plants but in the winter

-->
cooler temperatures must be watched. You will want to water your orchids early in the day to allow as much of the water to evaporate before nightfall. Water will accumulate in the axis of the leaves and cause rotting of entire stems.

The best long term solution is to allow a longer period of time between waterings than during the warmer months. Let the plants dry out more during the cooler months and keep the air circulating around the plants, as it is done in their native habitat.

By following my advice you should have lower instances of rot or fungus problems with your orchids this winter.

Basic orchid care - a short video

The video below shows the care of the moth orchid which makes a great cut flower as well as a nice house plant. I have found that the moth orchid is just about the easiest orchid to grow.

Where to sell your orchids

The one great thing about orchids is that they are always in demand. Almost every season has a special occasion that orchids are known for. Because they are in demand the year round, many florists do not have them and that is where YOU come in. Florists need a second source of orchids should their regular wholesale source run dry.

You can approach local florists and let them know that you are a hobbyist that has orchid flowers for sale. Tell them the colors and seasons you have orchids available as well as showing them a few photos of what you have. You don't have to negotiate prices at that point since prices will be determined by market demand.

Have calling cards made with your contact information on them and leave the florist with a card. Don't forget to get their name and contact information should they sound interested. Call them back in a few weeks just to touch bases with them and keep your name fresh in their minds.

The best orchids for wedding flowers

There is no doubt that orchids make the most exotic flowers for weddings. So what orchids are the best ones for weddings? The ruffled Cattleya orchid makes a great wedding flower either as a single flower in a wedding bouquet or paired with another one. Since they are a large flower, measuring almost 6" across for some of them and some of the extremely large ones measuring almost the size of a dinner plate. Another nice orchid for weddings is the phalaenopsis. Unlike the Cattleya, the phalaenopis is best added to the bouquet as a spray of flowers rather than as singular flowers.

Both of the photos above are good examples of the Cattleya orchids. Below is how the phalaenopsis can be used as a center piece at a wedding. You can see the possibilities of the flower sprays used in a bouquet.

As a grower what should you look out for? Here is a list of what you should be doing.

• white flowers are a must
• look for flower species or strains that have long lasting flowers
• timing is everything so look for plants that will be in full bloom during the popular wedding months
• for extra cash have a few plants that are in full bloom during the non-peak wedding months so you can be the only supplier with those flowers for a wedding.
• learn to force bloom your orchids so that the timing matches your customers needs

You can make money growing orchids

Just imagine making money doing what you love doing - growing orchids. It can be done and it doesn't have to be on a large commercial scale. Orchid growing can be done in a small greenhouse or mid-sized garden room. The real money is made not by producing plants but by producing blooms. The BIG money is in selling the flowers.