The excitement of the moment can completely win over rational plant selection. Few beginning orchid growers take the time to consider their environment before they buy. Unfortunately, if you don’t think this through before you shop, you may end up bringing home a gorgeous orchid that’s completely wrong for you.
In the following sections, I help you assess your environment so you can be confident that you’ll pick out a stunning orchid that is right for you and that will thrive where you live.
Taking temperature readings
Before you bring home an orchid, you need to consider the average daytime and nighttime temperatures in summer and winter where you live.
© John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
FIGURE 2-1: Maximum-minimum thermometer.
For an idea of what your minimum temperatures are outdoors where you live, check out the USDA hardiness map online at https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/pages/view-maps. If you’re a weather geek like I am, you can use a recording weather station that reads and records the maximum and minimum temperature, humidity, wind speed, rainfall, and barometric pressure every hour and stores this information so it can be charted. Mine has remote sensors and a wireless connection to my computer.
When you’ve determined the average summer and winter temperatures in your area, turn to Table 2-1, which lists some of the most common types of orchids by temperature requirements. Notice that some orchids are adaptable enough to fit into more than one temperature range. This information is merely a guideline; if you’re off by a few degrees, especially the high degrees during the day during the summer, don’t worry about it. Orchids are adaptable.
TABLE 2-1 Orchid Temperature Preferences
| Temperature (Nighttime Minimum) | Genus |
|---|---|
| Cool (45°F–55°F/7.2°C–12.8°C) | Cymbidium Dendrobium Odontoglossum |
| Cool (45°F–55°F/7.2°C–12.8°C) to Intermediate (55°F–60°F/12.8°C–15.6°C) | Cymbidium Dendrobium Encyclia Masdevallia Miltoniopsis Zygopetalum |
| Intermediate (55°F–60°F/12.8°C–15.6°C) | Aerangis Cattleya and hybrids Cymbidium Dendrobium Encyclia Epidendrum Laelia Maxillaria Miltonia Oncidium Paphiopedilum Phragmipedium Vanda Zygopetalum |
| Intermediate (55°F–60°F/12.8°C–15.6°C) to Warm (65°F/18.3°C or higher) | Aerangis Amesiella Angraecum Brassavola Cattleya Dendrobium Encyclia Epidendrum Neofinetia Neostylis Oncidium Rhynchostylis Vanda Vascostylis |
| Warm (65°F/18.3°C or higher) | Angraecum Phalaenopsis Vanda |
Measuring your light intensity
Just as important as temperature is the amount of light your orchid will get. Orchids that thrive in high light need several hours of direct sunlight (preferably in the morning to early afternoon), or bright artificial light whereas those that thrive in lower light will perform with less direct and more diffused light in a windowsill or under less intense lights.
Will you be growing the plants under artificial lights? Most light setups consist of multiple florescent high-output lamps and LEDs, and they can provide adequate illumination to most orchids. High-intensity-discharge lamps are capable of much more light output but can be expensive to operate and generate quite a bit of heat. For most folks the best option is going to be LED or various fluorescent bulb units. For much more details about lighting, see Chapter 5.
©
