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She referred to the “word on the street” that orchids need “peculiar light and perpetual feeding, and require you to keep your home chilly by day and cold at night.” Her reference to temperature requirements is particularly baffling, since all the orchids on permanent display at the Chicago Botanic Garden grow in the tropical greenhouse along with the banana trees.
Riddell chose to start with a member of the Phalaenopsis tribe, commonly known as moth orchids. It was a smart choice. The “big four” in the orchid trade are the moth orchids, the Paphiopedilums (lady slipper orchids), Cattleyas (corsage orchids), and Dendrobiums (sometimes known as cane orchids). These orchids, each with hundreds of species and hybrids, are among the easiest to grow and most adaptable to indoor conditions. The only thing that separates them from more typical houseplants is their need for a special potting mix–bark chips. Bags of orchid growing mix are available at Frank’s Nurseries and most other garden centers in and around Chicago. Otherwise most orchids do perfectly fine with ordinary indoor plant fertilizers and ordinary window light or fluorescent plant lights. Probably the biggest mistake people new to orchids make is overwatering them. Most orchids like their growing mix to nearly dry out between waterings.
Evanston
