Orchid Growing Methods

The fun thing about orchid growing is that they can be cultivated using many different methods, and kept in ways that are not possible for other plants. Like all flowers, they can be grown in pots, indoors, outdoors, and in green houses. But they can also be grown in trees, baskets, terrariums, aquariums, and with or without soil.

As long as you choose the right variety to match the right method of growing, your plant should flourish and bloom. There are three basic types of orchids, each having thousands of species.

Epiphytes, for instance, are ideal for growing in baskets, both indoors and outdoors. They can also live in trees in areas that are warm and moist all year long. The tree is their natural habitat. Your plant is an epiphyte if it has roots that want to grow out of the pot. The roots will be silvery looking with brown or green tips. For detailed directions on how to grow epiphytes in trees, go to Orchid Growing Outdoors.

Terrestrial type are a good choice for aquariums, terrariums, and shady areas of your yard. They can also be grown in pots inside you house. They can tolerate low light and high moisture conditions to a degree that other types cannot. Identify your flower as terrestrial by again looking at its roots......which will be thick and hairy. Generally this type will have wide, soft leaves. For in-depth information about growing method suitable for this type of orchid, see the links at the bottom of this page or the menu to the left.

Lithophytes can be grown in pots, or in baskets filled with rocks, indoors or outdoors. In nature, they grow in rocky areas without much soil. They can tolerate high heat conditions and do not need as much water as other types. You will know if your plant is a lithophyte if its roots are clinging to rocks.

For more detailed information about orchid growing methods, check out the links below, or the menu to the left.