Growing and Caring for Blue Orchids
Orchids are an incredibly popular variety of plant, both for their overall beauty and for the many different varieties available, and blue orchids are a real favorite. There are more than eight hundred genuses of orchids, and over twenty-five thousand species. Each of these flowering plants has a different appearance, with colors, shapes and sizes varying significantly. If you don’t know much about orchids, maybe it’s time you learned.
Versatile and beautiful in any environment, orchids can be grown in all climates. They’re decorative, and also serve as a source of oils and perfumes for industry. Most of the orchids that we see, however, are in florist shops and garden centers. These plants have a reputation for being hard to take care of, but it’s not one that they deserve. If you take the time to learn what your orchid really needs, you’ll be able to keep it alive and growing well without a lot of trouble.
Blue orchids come in all kinds of different shades, with most tending toward purplish shades. You can find blue orchids in blue violet, dark purple, and even rare royal blue shades. Vanda blue orchids are the most common, and are native to tropical regions in southeast Asia. These orchids can be found in shades anywhere from a pale sky blue to reddish violet, and there are many different species. Singapore’s national flower is a Vanda orchid.
This kind of orchid isn’t a beginner plant, but if you have the right information and enough patience, you can keep one healthy. Well kept blue orchids may bloom up to three times every year, with the blooms lasting over a month each time. However, you need to care for them correctly. Poorly treated orchids may survive, but may not bloom. They need to be given careful attention and kept appropriately moist if you want to get the most out of these fascinating plants. Careful orchid care is a must.
That means avoiding regular potting soil and pots. Blue orchids normally grow with their roots dangling, on tree bark. They can be grown in baskets or on cork bark to simulate this natural arrangement. The roots will absorb moisture, and should be allowed to grow freely. Place these orchids in an appropriate medium made of bark and fiber. Most garden stores offer an orchid mix that has the right pH and the correct texture to keep your blue orchids healthy.
Orchids prefer bright sunlight, and can be suspended close to the glass in greenhouses. If you’ll be growing your orchids in your home, make sure you pick the brightest available window or area. You may also grow yourorchids under artificial light if you know how. Feed your orchids a high potash plant food every two weeks in the summer (half strength) and once a month at quarter strength in the winter and spring. Water thoroughly to ensure flowering. Daily watering is appropriate between June and September (in the northern hemisphere) and keeping them moist is appropriate the rest of the year.
As for caring for your orchids after blooming, they should be allowed to rest for two weeks with no water, allowing them to dry out. Then start watering again, but don’t overdo it. Keep the air around your orchids humid, running a humidifier close by if you can. The roots should be in moist air, since they’re native to a tropical environment. When your orchid outgrows its pot, repot carefully to encourage flowering. Repotting should be done every year or two.
If you take good care of your blue orchids, you’re sure to have a beautiful, healthy plant that rewards you with regular blossoms. An orchid isn’t like a regular plant, but most people can learn to grow them. Take the time to learn how, and don’t be intimidated by their reputation. Orchids are an unusual, tropical plant with some special requirements, but that doesn’t make them impossible to keep healthy. A little bit of research and some patience is all you really need. Don’t be worried. You can grow blue orchids, too.
