Ignore the myths and take on exotic orchids

DID your poinsettias start to wilt too quickly and did your mistletoe look tired?

One plant that should stand the test of time is the orchid. These exotic-looking houseplants may have a reputation for being tricky, but they are really not if you just follow a few rules.

Orchids, which originate from South East Asia, are not as fragile as they seem and really don’t like too much fuss.

Most of them are pretty tough and they are getting easier to grow as nurseries bring out new varieties. It’s generally overwatering that kills them.

Most hybrids come from warm, humid forests and like a warm, tropical climate.

Trends are changing as people start to shy away from the big, showy flowers to the more dainty, subtle and smaller flowered types. Slipper orchids (Paphiopedilums), popular in Victorian times with their waxy leaves and lip-shaped pouch at the front of the flower, are again becoming popular. The flowers are usually long-lasting and can remain in bloom for months.

Moth orchids (Phalaenopsis) are probably the most popular and are well suited to life indoors, requiring a minimum temperature of 16C (61F).

There are many myths about orchids – that they are difficult to grow and that they must be shaded. In fact, they do well on a windowsill and flower more freely if you give them some sun.

However, don’t make the mistake of moving them from somewhere very shaded into direct sunlight or they will suffer leaf scorch.

Another myth is about misting them. Orchids don’t need misting. They can be left without water for a week then submerse the pot in a bowl of tepid water for a few minutes until it is moist all through, take it out and leave it on the draining board for the same amount of time, until the excess water has come out, before returning it to its permanent spot. Then leave it for another week. The plant should be allowed to dry out between watering.

Put half strength orchid feed in with the water each time you water the plant.

Once they’ve finished flowering, use a pair of sharp secateurs to cut the flowered stem back to just above a joint, two or three joints up from the base. It should draw up another spike within a few weeks.

Orchids don’t have a yearly cycle of producing flowers. They can develop flower spikes at any time of the year. They have rambling roots which spread across the surface of the pot, searching for nutrients. The roots contain chlorophyll and produce energy from light, so growing them in open lattice baskets or clear pots is better. That way you are also more likely to notice if the roots are wet or dry.

Orchids need bright light, but not direct sunlight. They benefit from extra artificial light in winter to encourage flowering, in an ideal room temperature of around 20C (68F) and phalaenopsis don’t like the cool nights favoured by some other types, so don’t let the temperature inside fall lower than around 18C.

However, they do need a resting period after flowering. I generally put them on a windowsill out of direct sunlight in a cool room, until they start to show signs of new growth again.

Moth orchids should be repotted about once a year – you can buy specific compost for orchids from garden centres and while it is expensive, it’s worth it. Don’t be tempted to cut off the roots growing outside the pot, as they are aerial roots which absorb moisture from the air, keeping the plant healthy.

If you are growing a cymbidium orchid indoors, be warned that it does not like being repotted and may not flower for several years afterwards. These orchids, which come in a wide colour range with spikes bearing up to 20 long-lasting flowers, normally flower from early winter to late spring.

GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT: STORING YOUR CHRISTMAS VEGETABLES

YOU should still be enjoying your home-grown festive vegetables fresh from the garden, harvesting sprouts, leeks and parsnips as you need them.

But if you have a permanent house full of people, you may want to store them for convenience.

The best place to store carrots, onions and potatoes in sacks, is a frost-free shed or garage.

Salad leaves that you may have been picking from the greenhouse will keep far better in a cool shed than a hot kitchen during the festive season.

If the weather turns freezing cold, lag your sacks or boxes of vegetables with newspaper, or move them to a cool place indoors such as an under-stairs cupboard.

And if you are keeping any veg in the veg compartment in the fridge, make sure they are dry before you put them in or they will just rot.

BEST OF THE BUNCH: SPOTTED LAUREL

THIS dense, bushy evergreen shrub has eye-catching variegated leathery leaves all year round and produces upright clusters of small red flowers in mid-spring, followed on female plants by bright red berries.

Aucuba will grow well in any soil, even if it’s starved and dry, in sun or shade. Be warned, though, that new growth can be scorched by icy winds, the variegated types will need some sunshine, and for berries you need a female variety with a male type nearby.

Spotted laurel grows to around 2.1m. Male types include ‘Golden King’ and ‘Crotonifolia’ while female varieties include ‘Gold Dust’. Cut back as required with secateurs in spring.

WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK

• Escape to the shed where you can have a big clear-up, tidy and hang garden tools, chuck out old half-used bottles of feed or other contents past their sell-by date and prepare for the season ahead.
• Cover soil needed for early sowings with cloches to warm it.
• Avoid walking on lawns or pruning fruit trees when it’s frosty.
• Sow seeds of slow maturing half-hardy summer bedding plants, including verbenas, pelargoniums and begonias in heated propagators.
• Take cuttings from conifers.
• Place forcing jars over clumps of rhubarb and sea kale.
• Move shrubs which are in the wrong place, but make sure the ground isn’t too hard from frost, or sodden from rainfall.
• Bend large outer leaves over cauliflower curds to protect them from cold and frost.
• Check plants in the greenhouse, in cold frames and under cloches to see if they need watering.
• Check over bulbs and tubers in store and discard any showing signs of rot.