Buying Orchids and Making Your Own Potting Arrangement

Site Conditions

• Before buying an orchid for potting, determine the amount of light the pot site receives each day. Low-light orchids may grow best in north-facing sites, while sun-loving species may do well in south- or west-facing windows. Note the temperature and average humidity levels inside your home, and choose orchids that thrive within that range.

Purchasing Plants

• Choose mature plants, not seedlings, as they tend to bloom sooner and be more tolerant. Look for specimens with firm, green to light-green foliage and bulbs; white roots with green tips; with mostly unopened buds; and that sit without wobbling in moist -- rather than wet or dry -- potting media. Finally, purchase orchids from a reputable source. Though orchids may be available at the local deli or other nonspecialized retailers, the Oregon Orchid Society notes that orchids sold in this manner tend to be “mass produced,” or grown under less-than-optimal conditions that can include stress to induce blooming and low-quality potting mix. Such orchids should be potted immediately after purchase. Better options include buying plants directly from an orchid grower or from an orchid reseller, both of which tend to produce healthier, less-stressed specimens planted in better media.

Potting

• When making your own potting arrangement, note that each orchid species has different potting needs. Epiphytes, or orchids that grow naturally on tree bark with their roots exposed to the air, require potting media that allows for excellent circulation. Options include coarse peat moss, coconut bark, fir bark chunks, hardwood charcoal, medium-grade redwood bark chips, osmunda fiber, perlite, spaghnum moss and tree fern fiber. You may want to add lava rock to improve drainage. Epiphytic species commonly sold as houseplants include cattleya, dendrobium, epidendrum, laelia, oncidium, phalaenopsis and vanda. In contrast, terrestrial or soil-dwelling orchids grow in soil-based potting mixes designed for houseplants. Like epiphytic orchids, most terrestrial orchids require well-draining media. Terrestrial orchids include arundina, paphiopedilum and spathoglottis.

Other Potting Options

• Other potting options, as suggested by Western Michigan University, include mounted arrangements in which orchid roots are gently drawn through holes drilled in a cork base. Affix the plant with fishing line and cover the roots with moss. Water-loving orchid species can be grown in soilless containers made from slats, while sun-loving orchids may thrive in hanging baskets lined with coconut fiber.