This Saturday, the New York Botanical Garden will be opening its ninth-annual exhibition devoted entirely to the beautiful Orchidaceae family of plants. Two theater professionals collaborated to design “The Orchid Show: On Broadway,” and visitors to the exhibit will be amazed by the dramatic arrangements of over 300 different kinds of orchids. The show designers decided to take a “conceptual approach,” rather than a standard geographic or conservation theme, and the orchids are strategically placed to guide visitors through the show.
Orchids are extremely temperamental plants, but the horticultural team at the New York Botanical Garden knows exactly how to stage and care for them using promotional gardening tools. Want to take on the challenge of growing orchids at home? Keep reading for a few tips that will help your plants flourish…
In nature, orchids tend to be epiphytes, which means that they grow on other objects, like rough bark or stone. By creating an environment for your orchids that closely mimics the plants’ natural setting, you will be well on your way to orchid growing success. A few factors to take into account include:
-Lighting: Orchids do best when exposed to strong light, but not the direct rays of late afternoon sun.
-Humidity/Temperature: High humidity and temperatures ranging from 50 degrees to about 85 degrees are optimal.
-Air flow: Most orchids purchased for specialty stores are packaged in small plastic pots with the roots packed tightly in soaked moss. Orchids depend on turbulent airflow around the roots to prosper, so repotting is a vital part of the planting process.
-Watering: Alternate drying the roots and drenching them with water for best results.
Dana
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