Orchid Care Guide

The vanilla orchid’s roots reach back to the sixteenth century. The Aztec Indians of Mexico discovered that the seemingly inedible fruit or bean of a tropical orchid would exude an exotic aroma when cured for months in heat and humidity.

Pests and disease are common problems that orchid cultivators often experience. The most common types of orchids diseases are bacterial diseases, viral diseases, and fungal diseases. Some common orchid pests include, mites, scale insects, aphids, mealybugs, caterpillars, slaters, cockroaches, slugs and snails, whiteflies, ants, and dendrobium beetle among a host of others.

Being easy to cultivate, beautifully colored, and possessing longevity not ordinary among its peers, phalaenopsis orchids are becoming much more popular as household orchids. Literally speaking, phalaenopsis means “moth-like”, and in their native Philippines, the wild phalaenopsis orchids are said to resemble flights of moths in the jungle.

For a plant that is so captivating, the monopodial vanda orchids are relatively easy to cultivate. A vandal orchid’s growth emerges from the crown of the plant. Vanda orchid flowers are available in vivid colors such as blue, red, orange, and yellow.