How to Landscape With Orchids

Pre-select the best trees to hold epiphytic orchids, the ones that live in air. Look for trees that are the same or similar to the ones the plants would live on in their native habitat. Choose a spring date when the weather is beginning to turn warm to attach the orchids to trees. Even in the tropics, this takes advantage of their natural growing cycle.

Position the orchid on the tree in a sunny spot where it is partly shaded from intense, direct sun, protected and able to get enough water. Horizontal branches at visibility height are best, but a vertical branch or trunk near a fork may be a better choice for mounting several orchids with drip irrigation. Rough bark holds more moisture than smooth bark.

Install simple drip irrigation. Use ¼-inch brown flexible tubing that will blend into the trunk. Tie it to the tree with clear monofilament line. Attach the type of nozzle appropriate for your orchids -- you might use a mister or a drip nozzle. Check orchid growers in your area to see what works best.

Attach orchids firmly but carefully. Place a clump of moss padding between the orchid and the tree to protect the flower and hold more moisture for the roots. Tie the plants securely so they don't move and disturb newly attaching roots. But don't tie them so tightly that they cut off the plant's growth. You can remove the ties as soon as the roots have developed enough to hold the plant on the tree. Monofilament line is fine for tying the orchids.

Place any very large orchid plants in tree forks so they will be adequately supported as they grow. Stacking several orchids on a vertical branch allows a single drip irrigation source to reach all of them at once.

If your growing zone only allows for orchids outdoors during several months of the year, root the epiphytes to a sold bark base that can be hung in the tree and moved to a greenhouse or indoor microclimate for the colder seasons.