Growing Tips for Novices
Orchids have the reputation of being among the hardest plants to grow. For some species, that's definitely true. But there are thousands of species of orchids and some are no more difficult to care for than an African Violet. Some are even nearly as trouble-free as a cactus.
Without a doubt, one of the more difficult aspects of proper orchid care is maintaining the proper humidity. That's one of the reasons orchids are so often grown in a hothouse or greenhouse. That kind of enclosed environment allows for much finer control of many variables.
But even in an ordinary room, it's possible without too much difficulty to keep the humidity on or near the orchid at the proper level. It isn't necessary to keep the whole room at that point of moisture, just the area near the plant. A simple watering tray with an automatic humidifier can easily solve that problem.
Provided you keep the humidity in the proper range for that species, you'll have no problem. That range can be anywhere from 40-70% or greater depending on the type of plant you have. Those that evolved in tropical environments will thrive near the higher portion of the range.
Light level is almost equally important to control when trying to grow orchids. Most do well within a limited range of 'not too much, not too little'. To put numbers to that, if you have a light meter, about 1,000-2,000 foot-candles is right for most. If you see black spots on leaves near the tips, you're probably providing them too much light.
Orchids often grow in the wild in the shade of a tree to which they're attached. Especially with the tropical varieties, it's very uncommon for an orchid to enjoy full sunlight. But here again, the range is considerable since there are so many different species.
For those requiring a bit more light, it's easy to supplement any natural daylight they receive. A simple incandescent bulb, designed to be close in 'light temperature' to natural sources, will do the trick. Be very careful about any use of a heat lamp. The light frequency is lower and the infrared can easily cook your plant.
Providing the right amount of shade is usually easy, but if the plant is near a window it can be difficult to regulate the light. You can experiment with placement to get the right number of hours to provide the right mix of light and shade. Or, you can really go all out and get an automatic set of shades that close down when the sunlight gets too intense. They also open up when it gets too low.
Avoid direct sunlight for more than brief periods for just about any species of orchid. But beware the exceptions.
