Jewel Orchids
The beauty of an orchid in bloom is an amazing sight. The flower seems so delicate and fragile that you are almost afraid to breath near it. These plants are normally seen around Easter and are one of the most beautiful plants when flowering.
The Jewel Orchid
Have you ever seen a jewel orchid? This plant has an entirely different look. The leaves are the crowning beauty of this plant. They are often a deep red with veins of gold and a lighter red often resembling a piece of velvet cloth. They may also be a maroon either on top or underneath with veins of white throughout the leaf.
Many times the jewel orchid is grown for the beauty of the leaves rather than the flowers. The plants with dark red, almost blood red leaves are gorgeous. In fact, the most common jewel orchid found in stores is known as haemaria discolor, which means blood red. If you want the leaves to stay this beautiful color, keep them from receiving too much light. If they do, those wonderful deep dark red leaves will lose their color.
Care of the Jewel Orchid
The jewel orchid loves humidity and a level of 70% to 80% is perfect. The light should be low and the night time temperature around 60 to 60 degrees. Daytime temperatures of 70 to 80 degrees will suffice. If you can keep the humidity at the right level for this plant, it will grow inside. The bathroom is one place you may find they are perfectly at home.
Since the jewel orchid does not require a lot of light, they also do not require very much fertilizer. If you fertilize, do it very moderately. Add water to weaken the fertilizer before using it on the jewel orchid. Over-watering can is a problem with this plant as well as under watering.
Since the soil around the jewel orchid dries out rather quickly to provide the loose soil needed for the roots to get oxygen. This is often mistaken for needing water and the plant gets more water resulting in over watering. The plant will develop pleated leaves when over watered as well as when it is under watered. The best way to tell if they are being watered too frequently or not enough is to check the roots. They will be pulpy and dark if the plant is being over watered. The roots will be firm if it the orchid is not receiving enough water. When healthy the roots should be a light green.
When watering, do not use cold water. Use lukewarm and water them in the morning. The plants need watered, not just misted. The water should not contain a water softener. This process takes away the nutrients needed by the jewel orchid.
Growing the Jewel Orchid
If you want to create more orchids, the best way to do this is by taking the part of the stem that connects to the roots and cut off some pieces. Then put them in either water or soil that has been watered well or even Sphagnum moss. They will grow roots and then they can be planted. This may take several weeks.
Although most people like the jewel orchid leaves better than the flowers, the stems, which are yellow and the white flowers can be cut and put in a vase for a centerpiece. Some of the jewel orchid blooms do have a scent that is quite pleasing. This is another aspect of putting them in a vase. They can fill the room with a very pleasant fragrance.
Repotting the jewel orchid usually only has to be done about every two years. When the time is right for repotting, the plant will have roots that are coming out of the pot. It is important to remember that orchids do not like being put in a pot that is much larger than they are. The next size up is sufficient when repotting any orchid. This allows the roots to get used to the extra moisture when watering them.
The jewel orchid is usually chosen for the beautiful leaves it has rather than the blooms. They make a great house plant if given the right humidity and temperature. The jewel orchid when properly taken care of can last for many years. While the most common variety of jewel orchid is native to Burma and Indonesia, it seems to be doing just fine in the U.S. as well.
