When it comes to being a unique flower, orchids are among the top.
Unlike many flowers orchids grow in a variety of conditions.
They can be found in tropical climates and even in the arctic areas.
With their versatility in growing environment people believe them to be simple to grow at home.
With 30,000 varieties of orchids available, finding one that works in your home should be possible.
Orchid cultivation at home can happen but is not necessarily the easy task that people assume it to be.
Despite the large number of orchids available to the grower, cultivation still takes extra work and care that people do not often realize.
Some varieties of the plant are quite difficult to grow and might not be the right plant for your garden.
If you want to succeed at home orchid cultivation you can start by asking the professionals at a local gardening center.
Since orchids can be difficult beginners should always start with a mature plant for their first experience.
When it comes to orchid cultivation, the hardest and most likely impossible way to go is to grow the plant from seeds.
This process takes up much time and is seldom successful.
Orchids require specific conditions to grow from seeds and these are often hard to meet.
Not only do they require the right environment but it must be sterile and you must provide a specific special fungus.
Without the fungus your orchids will not grow.
Even in the wild the seeds will not germinate without the fungus.
One way to handle this is to propagate the plant.
You would accomplish this by dividing the plant but it would be quite a while before any flowers began to show.
Orchid cultivation is not limited by a large amount of rules to get it right.
However the few rules there are; happen to be very important to the health of the orchids.
The plants require a lot of light to thrive but they need shade as well.
It's important that they receive both.
If your area is lacking daylight or tends to have cooler temperatures then it would be wise to invest in artificial lights if you want the orchids to grow properly.
Your particular type of plant will dictate the type of light you choose.
When you opt to buy orchids find out the lighting requirements beforehand and make sure you can uphold them.
Water is just as important to the life of orchids as the light is.
When it comes to watering your plant it is key to remember that orchids must be watered regularly.
Orchid cultivation means being able to water at least once a week without over saturating the plant.
As you go to water the orchids you will notice that the soil doesn't dry out between times.
This is good.
Your soil should not dry out completely.
Dry air is harmful to the orchids so you want to make sure to take care of that.
Winter often brings dry air so you might find a humidifier near your plants is helpful to enhance their life.
Orchids thrive in humidity so the more humid you can make it, the better.
Orchid cultivation will often include fertilization.
When the flowers bloom it is especially important to fertilize the plants.
The fertilizer will help the plants to get the nutrients they need to continue to blossom and thrive.
Orchids have been known to bloom for quite a while.
Many bloom over extended time periods during the year.
The choice of fertilizer is a personal one, but a professional from the gardening center can always give recommendations.
Never be afraid to ask a professional for advice.