moonboy87
11-07-2009, 02:49 PM
Today I took a class on the basics of orchid care, history, and culture at one of my favorite garden centers in CO, Paulino Gardens. The majority of the class was a lesson on caring for orchids indoors as it pertains specifically to Colorado, but I learned a few things that I thought I could share (I imagine most of you already know this stuff, anyway :P ) So here are some of the more interesting bits of info that I learned today!
- There are around 30 species of native orchids in Colorado, although none of them have been successfully transplanted and grown indoors or in greenhouses. This is due to the fact that all of the orchids found in this specific climate have created symbiotic relationships with bacterium and fungi to survive.
- The Vanilla bean is the reproductive system of an orchid ( I never knew vanilla was an orchid!), and although you can easily buy a vanilla plant, the conditions have to be near perfect for it to stem, bloom, and for the beans themselves to mature. Even if you successfully grow a vanilla bean, you have to go through an entirely different process to cure the bean for use in food.
- The root system of an orchid is absolutely VITAL. Because most orchids are epipythic, meaning they do not need a potting medium (they live on trees with exposed roots), their roots must be strong and efficient at collecting nutrients and water. The roots appear white due to velamen, a 'furry' layer of dead cell material that protects the root system from damage, prevents the plant from drying out too quickly, and regulates the amount of water that enters the plant. Pretty awesome.
- Nifty way to tell if you are watering the plant properly: the velamen becomes transparent and you can see the green roots below it.
- Certain orchids contain 'pseudo bulbs' which act as a reservoir for water, and with some plants, the blubs appear to be very tall and stemish, and with others it is very bulbous and round.
There is much more, and if I think of anything else that struck my fancy, I'll definitely add it, I just thought I would share with you what I have learned. I am not much of a picture taker, so my camera did not make an appearance at the class, but I was able to get a Dendrobium 'Salaya Lai' Orchid, and repot it. Currently it has THREE flower stems getting ready to grow and bloom for me, and according to the instructor, the flowers can change dramatically in color depending on the plant. I researched the specific plant and came up with this pretty picture:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=26309 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=25905&ppuser=6283)
And here is mine as of right now:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=26310&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=26310&ppuser=6283)
So there you have it! ^_^:woohoonaner:
- There are around 30 species of native orchids in Colorado, although none of them have been successfully transplanted and grown indoors or in greenhouses. This is due to the fact that all of the orchids found in this specific climate have created symbiotic relationships with bacterium and fungi to survive.
- The Vanilla bean is the reproductive system of an orchid ( I never knew vanilla was an orchid!), and although you can easily buy a vanilla plant, the conditions have to be near perfect for it to stem, bloom, and for the beans themselves to mature. Even if you successfully grow a vanilla bean, you have to go through an entirely different process to cure the bean for use in food.
- The root system of an orchid is absolutely VITAL. Because most orchids are epipythic, meaning they do not need a potting medium (they live on trees with exposed roots), their roots must be strong and efficient at collecting nutrients and water. The roots appear white due to velamen, a 'furry' layer of dead cell material that protects the root system from damage, prevents the plant from drying out too quickly, and regulates the amount of water that enters the plant. Pretty awesome.
- Nifty way to tell if you are watering the plant properly: the velamen becomes transparent and you can see the green roots below it.
- Certain orchids contain 'pseudo bulbs' which act as a reservoir for water, and with some plants, the blubs appear to be very tall and stemish, and with others it is very bulbous and round.
There is much more, and if I think of anything else that struck my fancy, I'll definitely add it, I just thought I would share with you what I have learned. I am not much of a picture taker, so my camera did not make an appearance at the class, but I was able to get a Dendrobium 'Salaya Lai' Orchid, and repot it. Currently it has THREE flower stems getting ready to grow and bloom for me, and according to the instructor, the flowers can change dramatically in color depending on the plant. I researched the specific plant and came up with this pretty picture:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=26309 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=25905&ppuser=6283)
And here is mine as of right now:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=26310&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=26310&ppuser=6283)
So there you have it! ^_^:woohoonaner: