Knowing What to Look for in an Orchid

After you consider your environment, you’re ready to go shopping. You have an idea of which types of orchids will work best where you’ll be growing them, and now you just need to look at a few things such as the plant’s health and age. I fill you in on these factors in the following sections.

Choosing a healthy plant
Picking out a healthy orchid plant is essential. Even in the best of circumstances, the orchid that you bring home will have to adapt to changes in its environment. A strong, robust plant has a much better chance of surviving this ordeal than a weak plant does.

Here’s a checklist of things to look for when you select an orchid:

1. Look carefully at the leaves. They should be stiff, not shriveled or dehydrated. They should also have a healthy green color. Brown or black spots on leaves could mean disease, or they could be harmless; if you find spots, ask the grower about them.
2. Look for any signs of insects. Most insects hang out on the new young growth, on the flower buds of the plant, or on the undersides of the leaves. Also check under the pot for snails or slugs.
3. Examine the exposed roots on top of the potting material. The roots should be firm and light colored, not black, soft, and mushy.
4. Watch out for plants infested with oxalis (which looks like clover). Oxalis is a pesky weed that is difficult to get rid of after it’s established. It will not directly harm the orchids, but it can harbor insects and is a cosmetic distraction.

Make sure the plants are labeled. Labels will be important to you later if you want to look up information on growing your particular type of orchid.

Be sure to ask the grower about the temperature, light, and humidity requirements of the orchid you’re considering. Check out its ultimate size. Then match this information with what you know about your orchid growing area.

Deciding between a blooming plant and a young plant
When you buy a mature, blooming plant, you get to see exactly what the flower of this orchid is like. Because many orchid flowers can last quite a while, you’ll be able to enjoy this orchid for weeks after you bring it home. The biggest disadvantage of blooming plants is that they’re usually the most expensive, because they’re in the highest demand.

Younger plants — ones that are months or even years away from blooming — are much less expensive than their mature counterparts. The joy in choosing these plants is anticipating when they’ll bloom and what they may look like.

If you’re a beginner, I recommend that you buy mature plants with buds or flowers. Waiting for immature plants to bloom is something you may enjoy after you have a small collection of the mature ones.

Choosing seed-grown orchids or orchid clones
Very few orchids sold today have been collected from the wild. Instead, they’ve been grown from seed. The flower color, flower size, and growth habits of these seed-grown plants vary. Seed grown plants are generally very reasonably priced.

Cloned orchids, also referred to as meristemmed or mericloned orchids, are orchids that have been multiplied from single cells, usually from a plant of very high quality, in a flask, which is a type of laboratory bottle. The result is that they’re all identical.

The advantage of purchasing a cloned orchid is that you can depend on the orchid that you buy being exactly like its parent, which is frequently an award winner. In general, these clones are a bit more expensive than the others, but they’re usually worth it.
Caring for Your New Orchid
Adding new orchids to your plant collection is exciting, but this is also a time for caution. Even though you may have been very careful in the selection process, your orchid still may be harboring insect eggs that may hatch, or it may have a disease problem that you didn’t notice before.

So, to be on the safe side, keep your new plant isolated from all your other plants for at least two to three weeks — enough time to see if any insects appear or a disease shows up. If you need to treat your new plant, doing so will be easier when it’s separated from your other plants.

Considering Your Environment

When you go to shop for orchids, you can very easily get carried away! The excitement of the moment can completely win over rational plant selection. Few beginning orchid growers take the time to consider their environment before they buy. Unfortunately, if you do this, you may end up bringing home a gorgeous orchid that’s completely wrong for you.

If possible, always choose an orchid that comes close to fitting your growing area. Even I give you pointers on how to modify your growing area to make it more suitable for orchid growth, you can only modify your environment so much. For instance, an orchid that is commonly found growing in full sun in Hawaii probably won’t take well to a windowsill during the winter in low-light areas like New England. And an orchid from the cloud forest that is drenched with almost constant rainfall and very high humidity probably won’t be happy and bloom in the hot dry air of Arizona.

In the following sections, I help you assess your environment so you can be confident that you’ll pick out a stunning orchid that is right for you and that will thrive where you live.

Taking temperature readings
Before you bring home an orchid, you need to consider the average daytime and night time temperatures in summer and winter where you live.

To determine high and low temperatures indoors get a maximum/minimum thermometer that records this information and place it in your growing area.

For an idea of what your minimum temperatures are outdoors where you live, check out the USDA hardiness map at www.usna.usda. gov If you’re a weather nut like I am, you can use a recording weather station that reads the maximum and minimum temperature, humidity, wind speed, rainfall, and barometric pressure every hour and stores this information so it can be charted. Mine has remote sensors and a wireless connection to my computer

A broad selection of temperature and weather recording instruments are available from the orchid-supplies dealers listed in the appendix.

When you’ve determined the average summer and winter temperatures in your area, turn to Table 2-1, which lists some of the most common types of orchids by temperature requirements. Notice that some orchids are adaptable enough to fit into more than one temperature range.

When orchid publications refer to temperature preferences, they always mean the evening temperature. The daytime temperature is usually about 15°F (9.5°C) higher than the evening temperature.



Measuring your light intensity
Just as important as temperature is the amount of light your orchid will get. Orchids that thrive in high light need several hours of direct sunlight (preferably in the morning to early afternoon), while those that thrive in lower light will perform with less direct and more diffused light in a windowsill or under lights.

Will you be growing the plants under artificial lights? Most light setups consist of multiple florescent lamps and can provide adequate illumination for medium- to lower-light orchids. High-intensitydischarge lamps are capable of much more light output but can be expensive to operate and generate quite a bit of heat.

How bright is your light? Figure 2-1 illustrates a simple yet effective and reasonably accurate method for determining the intensity of your light.

After you determine your light levels, turn to the following sections, which list orchids by the amount of light they need. Remember to keep in mind temperature (see the preceding section).

Bright light
The following orchids require a bright greenhouse, a very bright south-facing window, or very-high-output (VHO) fluorescent lamps (which require specialized ballasts to operate) or metal halide lamps:

1. Angraecum
2. Some varieties of Cymbidium
3. Some varieties of Dendrobium
4. Vanda

Medium light
The following orchids need a shaded greenhouse, an east-facing window, or a our-tube 40-watt florescent light fixture:

1. Amesiella
2. Ascocenda
3. Ascocentrum
4. Ascofinetia
5. Brassavola
6. Brassia
7. Cattleya and hybrids
8. Some varieties of Cymbidium
9. Some varieties of Dendrobium
10. Epidendrum
11. Laelia
12. Leptotes
13. Masdevallia
14. Miltonia
15. Miltoniopsis
16. Neofinetia
17. Neostylis
18. Odontoglossum
19. Oncidium
20. Paphiopedilum (strap-leaf multiflorals)
21. Phragmipedium
22. Rhynchostylis
23. Zygopetalum

Low light
The following orchids do well with a low level of light, easily attainable with two 40-watt florescent lamps or on an east-facing windowsill:

1. Paphiopedilum (not including strap-leaf multiflorals)
2. Phalaenopsis
3. All orchid seedlings

Other questions to ask yourself
In addition to considering temperature and light, you want to ask yourself the following questions:

1. Does the growing area have moist (humid) air, or is the air very dry? If it is already humid (50 percent or greater), it’s perfect. If not, your orchids will be happier with moister air.
2. How much space do you have to grow orchids? If you have plenty of head room, you can grow some of the taller orchids, like cane dendrobiums and full-size cattleyas. If space is at a premium, search out very compact or miniature growers.
3. When do you want your orchids to bloom? Spring, summer, fall, or winter? In the evening or during the day? Armed with this information, you can pick those orchids that will be in bloom in the season and time of day of your choice.
4. Do you have air circulation in the growing area? Most homes have adequate air circulation, but if your orchids are going to be located in the basement or some other spot where the air is stagnant, you’ll want to consider a fan of some type to provide them with fresh air.

When you’re armed with this information, you’ll be better prepared to choose an orchid that will thrive.

Growing Orchids Easy As One, Two, Three

To be successful in growing orchids, just follow these suggestions:

1. Know the environment you have to offer your orchids and match this with the orchids that fit.
2. If necessary, modify your growing area to help your orchids perform to their best.

Beyond choosing the right orchid for your environment, you have to pay attention to the time of the year to know what your orchid needs. In the following sections, I give you a rundown of the year, month by month. Note: You can’t be too exact with the timing of this care schedule, because the United States is a vast country with climates from the cold north country to semitropics.

January
This is a period of cold, short days and low light, so orchids don’t grow much in such times. Fortunately, many moth orchids, slipper orchids, and some other cattleyas and their relatives will be budding up getting ready to show off their splendiferous blooms very soon.

1. For orchids such as some of the dendrobiums, cattleya species, and deciduous orchids, like the catasetums, this is a time of rest, so you’ll want to reduce your watering.
2. Keep the humidity high with good air movement.
3. If you are using well water, warm it up to room temperature before using it on your orchid plants. Ice-cold water can cause forming buds to drop and may stunt new growth.
4. Don’t put your orchids too close to the windowpanes or the leaves could be damaged by the cold.
5. Apply very little fertilizer. The orchids won’t need it.

February
This is another dark month, but the days will be getting longer and brighter, which should cause an increase in growth.

1. Toward the end of this month, increased light may mean you have to be careful with your orchids that require less light, like the slippers and moth orchids, so they don’t get burned.
2. More of your orchids will be showing buds and some, especially some of the moth orchids and some of the oncidiums, should be blooming.
3. Don’t overcrowd your plants — make sure they receive as much light as possible.
4. Provide good air circulation to prevent disease problems.
5. Stake your cymbidiums, which should be spiking now.
6. Don’t forget to keep your miltonias and miltoniopsis damp.
7. If you’re growing under lights, take note of when you last changed your bulbs. Fluorescent lamps can lose up to 40 percent of their light output after several months of use. Because new growth is starting on orchids, this is a good time to change the lamps so the plants will receive the most light possible.
8. Apply very little fertilizer during this month.

March
Finally, signs of spring with longer and brighter days.

1. Be careful that the increased light doesn’t heat up too much in your greenhouse or windowsill. Apply shading if necessary.
2. The increased light and warmth of this month will mean an acceleration of growth. Sprouting new roots should be more evident.
3. This is the beginning of the show for many orchids. Many cattleyas, moth orchids, slipper orchids, and oncidiums will be starting to bloom.
4. As the days get brighter and warmer, you can resume your regular fertilizing schedule.
5. This month and next are prime times to check out orchid shows in your area.

April
In April, many orchids will be in glorious flower.

1. You’ll probably have to increase the frequency of your watering because of the new plant growth.
2. As soon as you see new roots emerging in cattleyas, this is the time to repot. Do it before the roots grow a few inches (5 cm) long.
3. Many other orchids showing new growth can also be repotted at this time.
4. Be on the lookout for bugs. The warmer temperatures cause them to hatch out.
5. Dormant orchids should be showing new growth now so you can resume your regular watering schedule.
6. If you didn’t apply shading on your greenhouse last month, it may be needed now.
7. A gauze curtain may be needed to soften the light for orchids growing in a south window.
8. Check out orchid shows in your area.

May
Growth will continue at full speed this month. This is another prime month for orchid flowering.

1. More frequent watering and fertilizing will be called for.
2. If you’re in a northern climate, move some plants to a shaded, protected spot outdoors by the end of this month, but be careful not to do this too quickly. Orchids that prefer it warm, like moth orchids, don’t appreciate being too chilled at night, not below around 65°F (18°C).
3. Increase your ventilation to remove excess hot air and prevent fungal disease spotting on the flowers.
4. This is usually an opportune time to repot most of your slipper orchids because they should be in active growth now. Also, repot moth orchids and their vandaceous relatives. Attend to this right after they’ve flowered.
5. Continue your fertilizing program to strengthen new growth.

June, July, and August
Temperatures are starting to heat up now. Some orchids, like a few of the summer blooming hybrid cattleyas, oncidiums, and slipper orchids, will be in flower.

1. Be sure your windowsill or greenhouse doesn’t get too hot. Consider moving the orchids you have in the south window to the east window, where they’ll have reduced light and heat.
2. For orchids growing under lights, make sure your growing area gets plenty of ventilation, because it could be getting very warm now under the lights. If you have trouble keeping the temperatures low enough, consider summering your orchids outside
3. in a shaded and protected spot. They’ll enjoy the vacation.
4. This is also a prime time for insect problems. If it gets hot and dry, be on the lookout for mites. If it’s wet, slugs and snails will be a plague. Aphids and scale can show up anytime. If you need to spray, do it in the morning when it is cool and be sure the orchids are well watered before you spray.
5. The orchids should now be responding to your earlier repotting efforts with new root growth.
6. Repot miltonias. Remember: They like to be pot-bound, so don’t put them in too large of a pot.

September
Cool evenings and shorter days are signs of the change of season. Many of the hybrid vandas will be at their blooming peak this month. Buds will be showing up for the fall-blooming cattleyas, oncidiums, dendrobiums, angraecums, and moth orchids and slipper orchids.

1. If you’re in a cold climate, this is the month to bring indoors any plants that have been summering outside. Before doing this, check them closely for pests. If spraying is called for, doing so is much easier while the plants are outdoors.
2. These cooler nights are very beneficial for setting flower buds and spikes.
3. Start cutting back on the frequency of watering deciduous orchids like catasetums (which will have yellowing foliage at this time of year).
4. This is the time to remove shade on the greenhouse in most parts of the country.
5. Move orchids that require a lot of light from the east window back to the southern exposure.

October
Some cattleya species and their relatives and hybrids will be in bloom now. So will some moth orchid species and hybrids and oncidiums.

1. As days continue to shorten and the angle of light gets lower in the sky, position the orchids in your windowsill and greenhouse so that they capture the most light.
2. For greenhouses and windowsills, be sure your glass or glazing surface is clean. This can make a real difference in light transmission.
3. Growth will start to slow on many orchids from lower temperatures and light, so reduce watering and fertilizing accordingly.
4. Get ready for winter. Insulate your greenhouse. Get a standby emergency propane heater.

November and December
Flowering spikes will be showing up on some moth orchids, slippers, and oncidiums. Some of the nobile-type dendrobiums will be starting to show buds. Low light, short days, and cold temperatures bring most orchid growth to a stop or at least a crawl. You’ll see more growth on plants grown under lights than in a greenhouse or on a windowsill because of the additional light that can be provided.

1. For cold parts of the country, November is the last month to safely purchase mail-order plants before it gets so cold that there will be a higher risk chance for freeze damage in transit. This a great time to visit orchid nurseries to pick out holiday presents for your orchid growing friends (or yourself!).
2. Put orchids that require more light, like vandas, in a bright window, close to the lights, or high in the greenhouse to expose them to as much light as possible.
3. Water in the early part of the day to ensure that there is no standing moisture on the leaves. In cold, damp weather, especially, such moisture can cause disease outbreaks.

Getting to Know Your Orchids by Name

Probably one of the most intimidating hurdles that the beginning orchid grower faces is the complex names given to orchids. When you realize what an immense group of plants this is, you’ll soon come to realize why most orchids are referred to by their Latin name rather than a common name. Actually, very few orchids even have a common name. In this book, I always use the Latin name, because that’s the universally accepted name, and I add a common name when there is one.

If you struggled through high school Latin classes as I did, you may have thought (and hoped) that this language died with the Romans. Alas, it is alive and well in the natural-science world, and it’s the standard language used to name flora and fauna. You’ll start to make friends with Latin as its use become more familiar and comfortable to you.

Taking the name a little at a time makes it easier to digest. In the following sections, I show you the names, one word at a time, of a species orchid and then a hybrid.

Species orchid names
Plants that are sold as they were created by nature, not hybridized by man, are referred to as species orchids. They have two names: the genus name, which comes first and is capitalized, and the species name, which comes second and is lowercase. Both names are in Latin, so they’re italicized (which is just the way foreign languages are usually treated).

You may see a third part to the name, the botanical variety, after the species name. This is a name given to an orchid that varies somewhat — it could be a larger flower or one with slightly different coloration — from the standard species. It will be preceded by the letters “var.” and will be in lowercase and in Latin.

The genus name is much like your last name and the species name is like your first name. In other words, orchid naming is backward to the way you say your own name. If my name were written as an orchid’s is, I would be Frowine steven.

Here’s an example of the name of a species orchid: Cattleya walkeriana var. semialba. Table 1-2 explains the orchid’s name.




Hybrid orchid names
Oh, it would be so simple if naming stopped here, but man got mixed up in all this and started developing hybrids. Hybrids result from crossing two species (taking the pollen from one orchid to use it to “mate” with another). A marvelous thing happens when two different species of orchids are crossed or mated to each other. Their progeny is usually stronger, easier to grow, and frequently produces larger flowers than either of its parents — which is why hybrids are so desirable and popular.

Here’s an example of a hybrid orchid name: Brassocattleya Cynthia ‘Pink Lady’ HCC/AOS. (See the color section for a photograph of this orchid.) Table 1-3 breaks down the name and explains its various parts.



Orchid hybridizing can produce plants with quite complex names, especially in some of the very large groups like the cattleyas and the oncidiums. In these chapters,
I deal with their names in more detail.

You don’t have to be an expert in orchid names in order to enjoy and grow orchids. You’ll catch onto many other name nuances after you’re drawn further into the orchid web. For now, don’t worry about them much — they’re only names!

Turn to the Cheat Sheet at the front of this book for a list of common genera names that you’re likely to run into, along with their abbreviations and pronunciations. Tear out the Cheat Sheet and take it with you when you go shopping for orchids.

Seeing Why You Should Grow Orchids

Growing and studying orchids will provide you the ultimate horticultural experience and pleasure. Here are some key reasons to start growing orchids now:

1. Growing orchids is fun!
2. Orchids are easy to grow.
3. You can start with beginner orchids that any new comer can be wildly successful with.
4. Orchids cost less than they ever have, and you can easily select just the right one for you.
5. No group of flowering plants comes close to the delicious perfumes that orchids emit.
6. Orchids are available from “box” stores, specialty growers, orchid shows, garden centers, botanical gardens, orchid societies, and mail-order suppliers.
7. Because of the huge diversity of orchids, you’ll never tire of them.
8. You’ll meet new friends who are as fanatical about these plants as you are.
9. Orchids don’t require an expensive green house to grow.
10. They’ll beautify your home and life.
11. Orchids can live forever, so as they grow you can divide and multiply them to share with your friends or to trade for other orchids.

Knowing Where Orchids Come From

About 80 percent of orchids are from the tropics in both the New World (Central and South America) and the Old World (Asia and Malaysia). A smattering can be found in North America and Europe.

The ones that grow in your home, though, are all of tropical or semitropical origin. They mostly hail from areas of high rainfall and humidity and enjoy tropical to above-freezing temperatures during the winter.

Orchids are divided into two major categories based on where they grow. Those that are commonly found clinging to branches of trees are called epiphytes; those that thrive growing on or in the ground are called semiterrestrials and terrestrials.

So how can you tell the difference between the two? Many of the terrestrial roots are hairy, like those found in the slipper orchid (see Figure 1-2). Epiphytes have thick roots (called aerial roots because they’re frequently suspended in the air), which are covered with a silvery material called velamen, which can absorb moisture from the air like a sponge.

Asal-Usul Anggrek

Anggrek termasuk famili Orchidaceae. Dalam bahasa Yunani, kata "orchid" berasal dari orchis yang berarti testicle atau buah zakar. Pada zaman dahulu, anggrek biasa diidentikkan dengan keberadaan pria, baik wama, bentuk, bahkan strukturnya. Anggrek juga melambangkan kesuburan dan kejantanan. Mereka beranggapan jika mengonsumsi anggrek muda, seseorang bisa memiliki anak laki-laki dan jika mengonsumsi anggrek tua akan melahirkan anak perempuan.

Famili anggrek merupakan salah satu kelompok terbesar di antara tumbuhan lainnya di dunia. Anggrek termasuk keluarga besar dari kelompok (subdivisi) tanaman berbunga atau berbiji tertutup (angiospermae), kelas tanaman berbiji tunggal (monocotyledons), ordo Orchidales, dan famili Orchidaceae (anggrek-anggrekan).

Famili ini dapat dibagi lagi menjadi lima subfamili, 16 tribe (suku), dan 28 subtribe (subsuku). Menurut para ahli, di dunia ada sekitar 50.000 jenis spesies anggrek alam yang terhimpun dalam 1.200 genus (induk jenis atau marga). Di antara jenis jenis anggrek tersebut, ada yang terbagi 14 menjadi beberapa subspesies atau lebih dikenal dengan nama varietas. Antara satu varietas dan varietas lain mempunyai sedikit perbedaan, misalnya warna dan ukuran bunganya jenis-jenis anggrek yang sangat banyak ini masing-masing memiliki kelebihan dan kekurangan sesuai dengan tempat asalnya.

Anggrek bisa ditemukan di seluruh dunia, baik di daerah tropis maupun subtropis, kecuah di Benua Antartika. Anggrek dapat tumbuh di dataran rendah, gurun kering, hutan rimba yang panas, sampai dataran tinggi, termasuk puncak gunung yang bersalju. Di habitat aslinya, berbagai jenis anggrek liar ini dapat hidup beradaptasi selama jutaan tahun, sehingga mampu hidup di berbagai tempat yang berbeda.

Negara yang memilki jumlah spesies anggrek cukup banyak di antaranya Vietnam (5.000 — 6.000 spesies) dan Indonesia (sekitar 5.000 spesies). Sementara itu, negara di Asia Tenggara lainnya yang memiliki jumlah spesies anggrek cukup banyak di antaranya Myanmar (700 spesies), Malaysia (800 spesies), dan Filipina (1.000 spesies). Di Indonesia sendiri, anggrek tersebar dari Pulau Sumatera sampai Papua. Pulau Kalimantan memiliki sekitar 3.000 spesies, Papua 1.000 spesies, Sumatera 990 spesies, Jawa 975 spesies, dan Maluku 125 spesies.

Pengenalan anggrek

Sejak zaman dahulu bunga telah digunakan manusia sebagai alat untuk mengungkapkan perasaan. Dari perasaan senang, sedih, cinta, damai, hingga persahabatan. Karenaya, banyak kegiatan dan suasana yang dilambangkan dengan bunga diantaranya pesta perkawinan, upacara kematian, tunangan, upacara adat, dan saat seseorang mengungkapkan rasa cinta. Jenis dan warna bunga sangat menentukan ungkapan apa yang ingin kita sampaikan.

Selain dimanfaatkan sebagai tanaman untuk mengungkapkan perasaan, bunga juga merupakan salah satu jenis tanaman yang paling banyak di manfaatkan sebagai tanaman hias. Bunga banyak ditanam dikebun-kebun, halaman rumah, pot, bahkan di dalam ruangan sebagai dekorasi. Bukan hanya karena wanginya bunga digunakan sebagai hiasan, tetapi karena warna dan bentuknya. Ruangan yang didalamnya terdapat bunga akan nampak asri, sejuk, dan nyaman.


Beberapa jenis bunga yang sudah populer dan banyak penggemarnya antara lain krisan, melati, mawar, dahlia, gladiol, dan anggrek. Dari beberapa jenis bunga tersebut, anggreklah yang paling banyak digunakan oleh masyarakat, baik dalam bentuk hidup maupun sebagai bunga potong.


Keunggulan anggrek antara lain jenisnya beraneka ragam yang bisa menyebabkan warna bunga, bentuk, dan ukurannya beraneka ragam pula. Selain itu, anggrek juga relatif mudah dirawat dibandingkan dengan jenis bunga lainnya, bahkan ada beberapa jenis anggrek bisa tumbuh dengan hanya digantungkan, sehingga anggrek tidak terlalu banyak membutuhkan ruangan. Sementara itu, bunga lain harus memakai media tanah untuk tempat tumbuhnya.

Keiki

Keiki adalah anak tanaman atau tunas baru tanaman anggrek yang keluar dari batang/bulb tanaman anggrek dewasa. Biasanya terjadi saat anggrek kurang mendapatkan intensitas sinar matahari yang cukup atau akar tidak berfungsi dengan baik untuk menyerap makanan karena akar mengalami kerusakan. Maka tanaman anggrek dewasa biasanya mengeluarkan keiki atau tunas baru. Hal ini disebakan karena sifat alami anggrek untuk mempertahan hidup maka anggrek tersebut mengeluarkan keiki. Ini disebut perbanyakan secara vegetatif.

Keiki dapat tumbuh secara alami dapat juga dirangsang dengan menggunakan obat atau hormon perangsang pertumbuhan. Bila keiki telah menumbuhkan 2 sampai 4 helai daun dan mengeluarkan akar sebanyak 4 helai panjang 10 cm maka keiki sudah siap untuk dipindahkan kemedia tanam yang baru, namun sebelum ditanam sebaiknya direndam dalam larutan fungisida beberapa menit untuk mencegah tumbuhnya jamur kemudian diberi pupuk dosis rendah ¼ dengan kadar N tinggi pada bagian atas media tanam atau disemprotkan pada daun, batang dan akar anggrek. Dilakukan seminggu 2x sampai 2 bulan kedepan dan keiki beradaptasi dengan baik pada media tanam yang baru.

Agar pertumbuhan anggrek cepat besar letakkan pada tempat yang terkena intensitas sinar matahari pagi hingga pukul 9.00 saja dan jangan terkena air hujan langsung.