- Fertilise epiphytic native orchids from October to April with a dedicated orchid fertiliser or slow release fertiliser in pellet form.
- During summer you should water native orchids daily, but in winter try to only water them once every couple of weeks.
- Don’t overwater them! Make sure they avoid getting too much rain during winter, otherwise their newly forming buds may drown.
- Spray your orchids with aphicide to keep aphids from eating your flower buds. Also spray them with scale control spray to prevent scale from taking over.
What is the best orchid for beginners?
- Beginner Species – Phalaenopsis amabilis, P. equestris and P. amboinensis and their numerous hybrids.
- Distribution – Across Asia and India, the Philippines, Borneo, and Malaysia
- Care Card – To learn more about caring for Phalaenopsis care requirements, CLICK HERE.
How to repot an orchid?
Part 3 Part 3 of 3: Repotting the Orchid
- Place the orchid in its new pot. The older growth should go toward the bottom of the pot, with the newer growth toward the sides, where it will have ...
- Press the potting mix into the pot. Pour some in around the roots. ...
- Make sure the plant is able to stand upright when you're finished. ...
- Continue caring for your orchid as before. ...
Do you need to repot an orchid?
When an orchid plant starts to grow over the edge of the pot, it is time to repot it! Orchid plants need repotting for one or a combination of two main factors: Potting mix breaks down, often evidenced by dead roots, or the plant outgrowing the container. In the first case, a larger pot may not be required, simply replace the growing medium.
How do you care for an indoor orchid?
- Get a slotted pot that is not too big or too small for your orchid.
- Put a layer of a fresh medium into the bottom of the pot and position your orchid in the center. ...
- Keep the crown of your orchid just a little below the top portion of the pot. ...
How do you prune native orchids?
If so they can be removed but don't tear them off. Tease the roots out a little and remove any dead material too. If you really need to you can divide the plant. This can often be done just by just gently teasing the root/bulb mass apart with your hands.
How do you keep orchids alive in Australia?
Here's how to care for orchids:Give them a good position. The best place to keep an orchid in your house is in a position with bright, filtered natural light. ... The right temperature. ... Air flow. ... Trim spent flowers. ... The right amount of water. ... Feed and fertilise. ... Repot occasionally.
Do rock orchids need sun?
They are huge growers, so in time they may require a giant tub or preferment position in the garden. Very bright, open, breezy positions seem to be the key to mass blooming. Speciosums can be acclimatised to take 100% full-sun if slowly positioned into brighter and brighter light from late winter onwards.
How do you transplant native orchids?
3:014:08Burke's Backyard, Australian Native Orchids - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIf you wrap the wire around the branch you would probably kill the branch this is a good way ofMoreIf you wrap the wire around the branch you would probably kill the branch this is a good way of keeping the branch alive and the orchids.
What do you do with an orchid after the blooms fall off?
Don't throw it away just yet. Here's how to properly take care of your orchids after they bloom....Post-bloom orchid careWater copiously whenever the potting material is dry.Give it ample amount of bright, indirect light.Fertilize weakly, weekly with a high-quality urea-free orchid fertilizer after watering sessions.
What to do with orchid after flowering?
Let the soil dry slightly between waterings but never allow your orchid to become completely dried out. Caring for orchids after they bloom may mean repotting. Orchids like to be in cramped quarters and really only need their soil changed when it begins to break down.
How do you propagate Australian orchids?
Growing Native Orchids You can push them into a crack in a rock or you can just slide a few large rocks together, leaving the odd gap here and there for planting. Place about 30mm of your orchid mix in the gap, then place your orchid roots on top of that, then build up more of the orchid mix around your orchid roots.
What soil do wild orchids like?
You should use a very well drained compost mix of 2 parts potting compost, 2 parts perlite, 1 part grit, 1 part sieved garden soil. For alkaline loving plants the potting compost should be peat free and you may also add a sprinkling of dolomite.
How do you grow Australian dendrobium orchids?
Give your dendrobium plenty of light, water, fertiliser and humidity. Keep it out of draughts and away from heating vents, and place it so it gets at least six hours of light a day. Because it doesn't naturally grow in soil, plant your dendrobium in a good-quality, free-draining orchid potting mix.
How often do you water native orchids?
In summer they may need daily watering but in winter once every 1-2 weeks is enough.
What month do you repot orchids?
Orchids generally need to be repotted once a year. The best time to repot is just after flowering, or when new growth appears.
When should I repot my orchid Australia?
The best time to repot an orchid is when the flowers are beginning to look spent and wilted. In Australia, this usually happens sometime between October and November. When blooms reach maturity, ensure you give them a small clip at the stem, just below where the last flower grew.
Can you use snail pellets on flowers?
You can use organic methods like beer or you can use snail pellets. It has to be done because snails and slugs will destroy the spikes. Little slugs go inside the flowers and eat the flowers when the buds are forming and when the flower opens, you have little eaten spots on the lip and they have ruined the flower.
Can you get scale off orchids?
If you have a nice airy position, you shouldn't get scale, so Daniel makes sure to space his orchids out a bit. If they do get scale, he either wipes it off or uses white oil. But be careful with white oil in the hot weather as it can burn the plants.
How to keep orchids from drowning in the winter?
Make sure they avoid getting too much rain during winter, otherwise their newly forming buds may drown. Spray your orchids with aphicide to keep aphids from eating your flower buds. Also spray them with scale control spray to prevent scale from taking over.
Why are orchids so popular in Australia?
Orchids are much loved because of their beautiful assortment of colours and scents. Australian native orchids are a perfect addition to any Australian garden. There are registered hybrids to choose from and whole garden nurseries dedicated to offering plants and advice.
What orchids grow on anything?
When choosing epiphytic orchids take a look at the Dendrobium Bardo Rose. It has pink and mauve flowers with a beautiful perfume. It grows on almost anything and works well in temperate climates.
What is the most common orchid in Australia?
Terrestrials are the most common type of Australian native orchids and make up 75 per cent of our native orchids.
How to grow epiphytic orchids?
Tie the orchids onto rocks and trees that don’t shed too much bark. You can even grow your epiphytic orchids on wood slabs and they will root themselves onto the host.
What is the color of the tongue orchid?
The Tongue Orchid (Dockinillia Linguuformis) has white and cream flowers. It isn’t suited to pots and grows best on a wood slab or cork.
Do orchids grow in colder climates?
While a lot of orchids prefer the tropical environments, there are many that will grow in a colder climate.
How to get orchids to grow in a tree?
Simply find a fork in a tree or stump, pack it out with sphagnum moss, press the base of the orchid into it and tie it with soft twine or old, cut-up pantyhose. After a couple of months, once the orchid's roots have 'taken', remove tie.
How to mount orchids on a tree?
When mounting an orchid on a tree or rock, wrap roots in sphagnum moss, attach to a board of untreated material - such as driftwood or a strip of paperbark - with plastic-coated wire, and secure the board to the branch or trunk with stronger wire.
How long do orchids bloom?
As orchids start to produce their exotic, sometimes quixotic, blooms in our homes and gardens, you can have them flowering for months, year after year, if you treat them right.
What is a lady slipper orchid?
Lady slipper orchids (Paphiopedilium sp) These are enchanting in your garden or home - and you can probably get a slipper with colours and patterns to suit our interior decor, coming in freckles and stripes and a spectacularly wide range of colours. Most are terrestrial, so put in a pot of orchid mix.
How to remove a flower spike from an orchid?
Remove the flower spike entirely by clipping it off at the base of the plant. This is definitely the route to take if the existing stem starts to turn brown or yellow. Withered stems won’t produce flowers. Removing the stem will direct the +plant’s energy toward root development, which makes for a healthier plant and increased chances for new bloom spikes.
Where do orchids grow?
How to care for orchids. Orchids grow all over the world, except Antarctica - but the most dazzling are in Asia and Australia. In the wild, many orchids are epiphytes or lithophytes and grow attached to trees or in rock crevices where they will absorb water and nutrients from the rain, air and plant litter.
When do Australian ferns bloom?
Large sprays of big, bold, waxy flowers emerge from long strappy leaves in winter or early spring .Many are Australian natives so are quite cold tolerant and often flower in summer. As they are semi-terrestrial they thrive best in containers with an orchid mix, or a rich but very loose organic mix. They're best grown outdoors but, if you're prone to frosts, bring them indoors in winter where they can get indirect light form the north or west.
How to look after native orchids in Australia?
When it comes to propagating these exquisite plants, you need to understand that there are two main types of orchids: Terrestrials and Epiphytes.
What do orchid growers surround their plants with?
Because of this, many orchid growers surround their plants in shade cloth and roofing.
What is the most popular orchid in Australia?
Epiphytic orchids only account for about a quarter of Australian orchids but they are by far the most popular type with gardening enthusiasts.
How to propagate Dendrobiums?
The easiest way to propagate Dendrobiums is to divide the root clumps with your hands. Keep at least 4-5 stems in each clump.
What is the aphid that eats new flower buds?
Look out for aphids, or plant lice, which like to eat the new flower buds.
Where do orchids grow?
In general, orchids grow around the coastline and as a rule, like humid conditions.
Can you use potting mix for orchids?
You can’t use your average potting mixes for epiphytic orchids.
Where to put orchids on a tree?
You could also tuck native orchids on a tree trunk or in the crook of a branch. Again, do this with fresh orchid mix.
How to grow orchids in a rock?
You can push them into a crack in a rock or you can just slide a few large rocks together, leaving the odd gap here and there for planting. Place about 30mm of your orchid mix in the gap, then place your orchid roots on top of that, then build up more of the orchid mix around your orchid roots. Job done.
What is the name of the orchid in Australia?
Australian Native Orchids. These plants are wonderful plants for semi-shaded areas. Commonly known as Dendrobiums although there has been a recent name change to Thelychitons (which is being largely ignore). Sadly, while the more common orchids such as cymbidiums are very well known, the native orchid is one of the greatest horticultural treasures ...
When do orchids bloom?
They produce masses of small orchid flowers from August to October each year and 2009 has been one of the best flowering years ever. Some of them are very sweetly perfumed &, if looked at closely in strong light sparkles can be seen in the petals. In spite of their delicate appearance & perfume they are tough as nails.
What does a garnish do to dead trees?
As a ‘garnish’ – they will turn dead stumps from an unattractive part of the backyard into an attractive feature and create a similar affect if tucked into the trunks of living trees.
Is an Australian orchid a native plant?
Australian native orchids are not as available as most other native plants but the following nurseries are worth contacting:
What is the best orchid in Australia?
The best known Australian orchids in cultivation are undoubtedly the Dendrobium orchids. The spectacular purple flower sprays of the Cooktown orchid (D. bigibbum) provides Queensland with its floral emblem, however, being from the Cape York area limits its potential for outdoor cultivation in southern areas of the continent.
Where do orchids grow?
Native orchids range from the spectacular epiphytic (growing on trees) such as Cymbidium suave, and lithophytic (growing on rocks) species of the tropical jungles and warmer areas of Australia, to the intricately subtle terrestrial (growing in the ground) species found throughout the dry eucalypts forests throughout the continent.
What is the name of the orchid that grows in shadehouses?
The miniature rock orchid (D. kingianum) and it’s bigger cousin the rock lily (D. speciosum) are both widely grown lithophytes that are easily cultivated under outdoor conditions in all but the coldest climates. In addition there are numerous hybrids that broaden the colour palette for orchid enthusiasts, which are often grown in shadehouses or under trees in temperate to sub tropical areas.
How many orchids are there in the world?
World-wide there are approximately 30,000 species in 600 odd genera that comprise roughly 10% of all flowering plants with Australia being home to a more than 1200 species in about 100 genera.
What color are fairy orchids?
Some of the hybrid fairy orchids are beautifully patterned in pinks and purples (eg ‘Bobby-Dazzler’ and ‘Velvet’) and oranges (eg ‘Armstrong’) and are well worth the extra effort they require to thrive. Australia has a rich flora of terrestrial orchids which are generally rather petite but incredibly beautiful.
Do Australian orchids have flowers?
Generally speaking Australian orchids have smaller, more subtle flowers than their exotic counterparts. Nonetheless the subtleties of form and colour over the range of species has excited many gardeners to collect and breed native orchids with genera such as Dendrobium and Sarcochilus having numerous named hybrids that combine the best features of the wild species.
Can orchids grow in a greenhouse?
It is very important to choose orchids that will suit the conditions you are able to provide as some will grow quite happily under normal garden conditions such as a protected spot amongst trees while orchids of tropical origin will not thrive in cooler areas unless a heated greenhouse can be provided.
Where are Australian orchids native to?
These challenging and highly attractive orchids are unique to Eastern and South eastern Australia. As such they in most cases do not require the demanding temperatures and high humidity that most other exotic orchids require.
How often to water?
If in pots, check the drain holes to see if damp, you will soon learn how often to water. It may be daily in summer but only fortnightly in winter.
What kind of bark should I use for a pine tree?
I recommend chipped pine bark that has been professionally composted or aged, preferably also laced with Dolomite lime. Each capital city has it’s own supplier. In Victoria I recommend Debco 5-10mm bark straight.
Do Australian orchids bloom in hot weather?
Australian epiphytic orchids enjoy bright but definitely not hot positions. A gentle shadow should be seen when placing your hand over the top of the plant. Dark wet conditions will allow rots to occur and blooms to become spotty with fungal infections.
Do orchids grow on cliffs?
In the wild most grow as either Epiphytes (growing on the outside of other trees and shrubs on their bark) or as Lithophytes (Growing on wet cliff faces and boulders). In most cases the roots of the orchids are covered with the ferns and mosses that also inhabit these spots so they rarely if ever dry out completely.
What is the name of the orchids that grow in Australia?
Australian Terrestrial Orchids. Australian Terrestrial Orchids – Pterostylis baptistii. Australia has many terrestrial orchids, and a number of these are very easy to grow given the right conditions. These are ground dwelling orchids and include types such as Pterostylis baptistii (pictured right) which is one of the ‘Greenhoods’, ...
When do Australian orchids bloom?
Australian Terrestrial Orchids – Varieties and species. These little wonders usually flower in winter and spring, and in the lightly forested areas of the southern states the observant bushwalker can usually find a range of species . Look for the well known Greenhoods (pterostyis species) with their hooded flowers.
When do potato orchids spring?
Most are dormant over summer, which is the dry period, and are therefore fairly drought tolerant. They spring into life in autumn when the first rains encourage them to shoot. Some sending up leaves, some a single leaf and then the flower shoot.
Can orchids grow in containers?
Most collectors of Australian terrestrial orchids choose to grow them in containers where they not only have control over the growing conditions but also can bring the containers into view when flowering. Container growing offers a number of advantages and few problems as well. Australia has a wide range of terrestrial orchids, ...
Is it hard to grow orchids in Australia?
Australia has a wide range of terrestrial orchids, many are easy to grow and some are very difficult. Given the right conditions you should be able to grow a good range in the home garden. Most of these orchids are dormant during the drier months of the year, they also have interesting relationships with the soil fungi.
Do orchids have dormant stages?
All of these orchids have have a dormant stage, and this is during the dryer months of the year. These orchids also have a relationship with specific soil fungo from which they obtain minerals and nutrients.
What is orchid cultivation?
Basically, native orchid cultivation (certainly as far as the beginner is concerned) is, almost exclusively, the cultivation of the epiphytic species and hybrids in the genera Dendrobiumand Dockrillia. And it's those two that are the focus here.
What is a rock orchid?
Dendrobium speciosum...a magnificent species generally called the "Rock Orchid" or "Rock Lily" but some forms grow on trees. It can form large clumps over 2 metres in diameter if left to its own devices. White to pale yellow flowers occur on long racemes which may each contain over 100 individual blooms.
What is the name of the orchid that grows on the tongue?
The well known "tongue orchid", Dockrillia linguiformiswas previously known as Dendrobium linguiforme.
How does Dendrobium/Dockrilliainvolves propagate?
For the beginner, propagation of Dendrobium/Dockrilliainvolves either dividing the clumps or removing (and potting up) the aerial growths that occur on some species and hybrids of Dendrobium
How to propagate aerial growth?
The propagation of aerial growths (called "keikeis") is also quite simple. The aerial growth is removed from the parent plant and placed in a small pot of pine bark or other medium so that the level of the medium just covers the roots of the small plant. It's a good idea to support the small plant with a short stake until the roots have become firmly established, as shown in the photographs at right. Place the pot in a protected position and water occasionally.
Where do orchid hybrids occur?
Many natural hybrids between orchid species occur both in Australia and overseas. But in hybridisation, nature is no match for the enthusiastic orchid grower. Among the exotic orchids there are literally thousands of registered hybrids, many being complex crosses between different genera or between previously developed hybrids.
Is orchid a life form?
Orchid growing has become such a specialised field and has accumulated so much mythology that the uninitiated could be excused for thinking that they are some extraterrestrial life form.
