ORCHID CULTIVATION

Jeena John
1st M.Sc Botany
BAM College Thuruthicad
 ORCHIDS
 Orchids are the largest & most diverse of the flowering plant
families.
 Orchids are perennial herbs with simple leaves clustered all
along the stem.
 They usually have fleshy or swollen stems  Pseudobulbs.
 Grow in most diverse climatic zones.
 Based on growth patterns  2 types :

Monopodial & Sympodial

1) Monopodial Orchids – grow as a single upright stem with one leaf following
another on opposite sides of the center.
Eg; Phalaenopsis, Vanda

2) Sympodial Orchids – grow new pseudobulbs from the base of the previous
pseudobulb & over time develop multiple growth leaf along a single horizontal
stem. This horizontal stem called rhizome. From the rhizome root will grow.
Eg; Dendrobium, Oncidium, Cattleya
Types of orchids depending on their manner of

growth

1) Terrestrial orchids; Grow on the ground.

Eg; Spathoglottis, Cymbidium.

2) Epiphytic orchids; Grow above the ground on

another plant.

Eg; Vandas

3) Lythophyte; Grow on the rocks / stony ground.

4) Climbing orchids; are monopodial. They orginate

on the ground & move up

higher in the tree, climbing as they grow.

 GROWING OF ORCHIDS
 A polyhouse can proved to be a good & ideal place to grow many plants
including orchids. Light, Temperature & Humidity are some of the conditions
which can be maintained very easily in a polyhouse.

• Orchids need aeration, good drainage, much humus and humidity.

• The orchids are best watered by direct methods like spraying or sprinkling.
• Coconut water is very good for the growth of orchids.
 FACTORS AFFECTING ORCHID
CULTIVATION
1) Temperature

 Orchids dislike sudden change in temperature, however a difference of 10°C

– 20°C between day & night temperature is beneficial.

 The best suitable range is 18°C – 3o°C , proper ventilation is must to provide

fresh air & also helps in reducing the temperature.

 There are also orchids, which can be grown in open sun. Like Vanda,

Arachnis, Renanthera etc. can be grown in open trenches filed with bark

pieces, charcol, or coconut husk

2) Light
 Indirect light.
 Seedlings requires < adult plants.
 The optimum requirement of light varies b/w sps-sps.
 Majority of orchids are day neutral & are not influenced by day length.

3) Humidity
 Orchids require considerable humidity to grow to their max. potential.
 50% humidity is suitable for most orchids.
 Can be increased by : Watering more frequently,
 A bowl full of water should be placed b/w the orchid pots,
 Use waterfalls, indoor fountains.
 WATERING
 Large quantity.
 Room temperature, slightly acid & soft.
 Prefer weak acid water with a pH 5-6.
 If chlorinated water – allow it to stand room temp for 25-48 hrs, the use it.
 Watering depends : Type of growing media
• Pot & Media
• Temp & Humidity
 Plants in active growth require more water than dormant plants
 FERTILIZERS
Orchid media tend to not supply the nutrients required for

proper growth.

Fertilizers must supply the 6 elements of N,P,K, Mg, Ca, S.

Application according to the phase of the plant’s growth.

 For intermediate growth NPK ratio 20:20:20

 Young plants 30:10:10 – promotes stem & leaf growth

 10:30:20 – encourage flowering & tissue hardening

 ORCHID PROPAGATION
There are 6 main techniques : Division, Black bulbs, Keiki, Aerial cuttings,

Micropropagation or Tissue culture, Seed.

1) Division: means splitting the plant in to 2 / more parts each with at least

one new shoot & each will produce a fully grown mostly flowering size plant

that is capable of flowering the following season

Splitting of a plant will often encourage the plant to produce more shoots

of a better quality.
2) Back bulb: Is a method of producing a new plant from old

previously flowered or unflowered back pseudobulbs which

are usually leafless, plants grown this way may takes 2-3 or

more to reach flowering size.

3) Keikis: Are young plantlets, usually produced from old

plant stock with low yield, to be used as new seedling stock

for the next generation of nursery plants.

4) Aerial cutting: Are very common on many of the cane Dendrobium such as

Nobile.

 Aerial cutting are very easy to take as the plant is almost fully grown before

being removed from the parent plant.

 Since this type of propagation does not involve fertilization the new plant

will be the same as it’s parent.

5) Tissue culture: is done under laboratory conditions as extreme cleanliness &

sterility are required.

 This is a highly skilful & scientific method of propagation where the very

growing centre of a new growth bud is taken & grown on by agitating

constantly in a special nutrient rich liquid until the cell mass is large enough

to be split in to small sections these are then either grown on in to plants or

the process is repeated to produce even more tissue for growing on.

 This method is often used to mass produce a specific hybrid for commercial

purposes.
6) Seed: Orchid seeds are minute, dust like they are refered

as dust sees.

 Orchid seeds do not have food reserves to sustain

growing seedling. Special techniques are required to

sustain its early development.

 Orchid seedlings need to be naturally or artificially

infected by a mycorrhizal fungus, which supplies nutrients

to young growing plant until they can produce their own

food.

 Orchid seed after germination , produces undifferentiated

mass of cells called a protocorm, which further produces

 ORCHID MEDIA
When creating a media mix make sure that the media provides some natural

nutrients, aeration, & moisture control.

 Different Components of growing media

• Bark

• Coconut husk

• Perlite

• Cinder

• Sphagnum moss
POTS / CONTAINER
 POTTING OF ORCHID
1) Tie a supporting bamboo stick to the base of the pot using green plastic
thread.
2) Secure the stick in place towards one side of the pot by placing pot shards
in the bottom.
3) Next add a layer of the prepared medium.
4) Place the plant to be potted on the media & secure it to the supporting
bamboo stick.
5) Add the remaining media & tap the pot, so that smaller pieces get adjusted
within the gaps.
6) Finally mulch the pot with coconut fibres & attach the hanger to the pot &
then thoroughly water the pot.
 REPOTTING
 Plants need to be repotted main reasons:
1) If the growing media has become hard & dense.
2) The plant has outgrown the pot.
 How to repot?
 Select the desired medium for your plant, pot.
 Pre soak the the medium in boiling water & allow it to cool. Drain the
mixture.
 Fill the pot partially with drainage materials.
 Remove the plants from its current pot. Remove all old decayed medium &
dead/ broken roots. Place the plant into the new pot. Sympodial- oldest bulb
is close to the edge & new shoots are in the centre. Monopodial – should be
placed in the centre.
 USES OF ORCHID

 As cut-flowers, House plants & for Landscaping.

 Flowers- Wedding ceremonies, In honouring guests.
 Vanillin- Ice cream, Fragrance, Perfumes- Pods of an orchid Vanilla
planifolia
 Vanda roxburghii- Anti-inflammatory property- Arthritis
 Dendrobium malaysians- used this plant for affections of the brain & nerves.
Flowers - & leaves – Cholera
The powdered leaves – decreasing pimples
 Vanda tesellata – Whole plant contains an unknown glucoside which
stimulates all the organs of the body & therefore used in medical
preparations especially arthritis
THANK YOU