Growing Orchids In Your Home

In the kitchen, a wide windowsill will accommodate several orchids, but make sure that they will not be exposed to too much hot steam from the washing-up bowl or, worse, a steaming kettle. There may be more than one suitable aspect in the living or dining room, provided these are kept at a comfortable temperature.

An area for orchids can be created in the same way that space is provided to grow them indoors, except that here there is more room, and particularly more headroom, which means that larger orchids such as cymbidiums can be grown.

Place a few smaller pots of ferns or other green plants in between the orchids; these can be kept wetter than the orchids by plunging them directly into the pellets. The green plants, which may be colourful busy Lizzies (Impatiens) or any of the smallgrowing creeping plants that will not become so large as to overgrow the orchids, will do much to create a good growing environment, increasing the humidity around the orchids and generally brightening up the setting.

In addition, the bathroom is most often the worst-lit room in the house. Usually any light comes from a small, frosted window, which is insufficient for most orchids.

Bathroom-grown orchids are often distinguishable by the light coating of talcum powder covering their leaves. This, in itself, is dangerous to orchids, clogging up the leaf pores and preventing them from ventilating in the normal way. In a house, an ideal position can often be found in a window halfway up the stairwell.

Wherever there is sufficient light and warmth, orchids will grow, provided a suitable growing area is set aside for them. Cellar culture is practised in countries such as Canada, where excessively cold winters prevent the use of greenhouses.

Otherwise, it may be necessary to install an electric fan heater to heat the place in winter. This can double as a cooling fan in summer. As with greenhouses, the smaller the area, the greater the fluctuation of temperature in the shortest time, and in summer it will probably be desirable to leave the door open if that is the only source of fresh air.

Conservatories that are shaded by large trees nearby are the most suitable, and the danger of overheating in summer is greatly lessened.