Orchid

Do you know anything about growing Orchids?

I've been collecting orchids for 2 years now and own 13. They seem quite happy and I'm getting them to bloom 2 or three times a year for about 3 months at a pop. Would they be happier if I purchased a humidity tray? Should I own a heatlamp? Whats a Keikei? [I read it in a book called "understanding Orchids"] Btw: All but one of my are the common Phaleonopsis variety.

Public Comments

1. It sounds like you are doing awesome with your orchids! Why change what you are doing if they are thriving? Although most people think of orchids as tropical plants, they require only partial sunlight and moderate humidity. Phaelenopsis have been bred for years to be beautiful and easy to care for houseplants. As far as a keiki, this word is literal Hawaiian for "child" or "baby." In horticulture, it refers to an asexually reproduced clone of the mother plant. In a Phaelenopsis, the clone will grow from one of the flowers' stem nodes. If you would like to keep your keiki and grow a second plant (which will be identical to the mother), wait until it has developed roots and at least three leaves of its' own. Then you may remove it with a sharp, sterilized knife and planted in its own pot. If you do not desire a second plant, simply remove the keiki as soon as you see it forming.