Ground Orchid Grapette Care

Temperature Considerations

• Grapette is a hybrid ground orchid, developed from species native to the warm, humid tropics from Southeast Asia and northern Australia. It grows well in containers or in the ground where temperatures never drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, correlating to U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 11 and warmer. From spring to fall, a warm room or outdoor setting with daytime highs around 75 to 80 degrees and nighttime lows 10 to 15 degrees cooler help keep the leaves looking nice and flowering to continue beyond spring and summer.

Soil

• Ground orchids need an evenly moist, humus-rich soil that is acidic to neutral in pH. Avoid soggy or dry soils, as each leads to leaf yellowing and browning. Adding compost to potting mixes and garden soil improves texture, drainage and fertility of the soil. Decaying leaf matter from throughout the year diminishes the need for heavy fertilization. From spring to fall, apply diluted solutions of well-balanced liquid fertilizers. Leaf growth becomes denser and deeper green with fertilization and flowering becomes more abundant. Expect sporadic reflowering into fall, but the Grapette typically doesn't flower often in the cooler, shorter days of winter.

Watering Guidelines

• Monitor the soil around Grapette ground orchids to ensure a consistently moist soil from spring to fall. In winter, soil should become slightly drier but remain moist enough to sustain leaves without yellowing. Avoid using cold water on leaves and roots. Allow well water or tap water to come to room temperature before using. In settings where plants receive lots of direct sunlight, more than six hours daily, water more often to keep leaves from yellowing, but never create a soggy, flooded soil condition. High ambient humidity from spring to fall prevents brown leaf edges and flowers that dry prematurely and drop.

Routine Maintenance

• Examine leaves, especially undersides, for signs of scale, mealybugs or spider mites. Wipe away and crush these sap-sucking pests with a warm, wet, soapy rag. The Grapette ground orchid produces new leaves from the underground roots primarily from mid-spring to midsummer. Avoid pruning away too many old leaves in fall and winter as it creates a scrawnier plant clump. Cut away dead leaves at soil level at any time. Re-pot container-grown plants every other year in late winter, adding fresh, coarse-textured compost and soil to encourage healthy growth in spring.