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The Wonderful World of Orchids

The Wonderful World of Orchids. And how to grow just one of the 35,000 known species. Orchid Fun Facts. One of the largest plant families on earth Over 35,000 species: more than 2X the number of bird species, and about 4X the number of mammal  species

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The Wonderful World of Orchids

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  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)

  20. Problems

  21. 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)

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