The orchid: A pandemic project with surprises

Not so long ago, orchids were regarded as rare and exotic. But these days, thanks to new propagation techniques, certain varieties are mass-produced. Moth orchids, gorgeous but common, with sweet patterned faces, are widely sold by supermarkets and other retailers.

In fact, orchids are now “the most popular blooming florist crop in the world,” says Marc Hachadourian, senior orchid curator at the New York Botanical Garden. “Not only are they beautiful, now bred in a rainbow of colors and patterns, they are ideal for the home and the blooms are long lasting.”

Indeed, orchid flowers can last for weeks. With so many of us stuck at home these days, they offer an easy, inexpensive way to brighten up a room.

Once the flowers die, it might be tempting to toss the plant. But you can get that $10 orchid to bloom again. In fact, coaxing an orchid to rebloom is a great pandemic project. There’s just one catch: The pandemic might be over by the time you succeed.

“Most of the orchids available for purchase bloom once a year,” said Blanche Wagner, orchid curator at the Missouri Botanical Garden, which has a

world-renowned orchid collection that dates to the late 19th century. “It takes an amazing amount of energy to produce their blooms, and they need a full year to build up enough energy to flower again.”

She suggests putting a dateof-purchase tag on your orchids to keep your timetable for reblooming realistic.

And don’t neglect them just because they’re not in bloom.

After the flowers die “is the most important time to care for your plants, making sure they get the best available light, water, and fertilizer to make sure they grow their best before flowering again,” said Hachadourian, author of “Orchid Modern: Living and Designing with the World’s Most Elegant Houseplants.”

Orchids grow wild in rainforests, so they prefer warm,

humid environments. Morning sun is best, says Kenya Friend-Daniel, speaking on behalf of the plants and flowers team at Trader Joe’s, which sells orchids. But avoid direct sunlight, which “can sunburn the plants’ leaves and burn the bloom.”

Watering orchids just right is tricky. Spraying the roots daily with a spray bottle is the

KIN CHEUNG — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, FILE Pots of Phalaenopsis orchids appear at one of Hong Kong’s largest orchid farms located at Hong Kong’s rural New Territories on Jan. 14. Not so long ago, orchids were regarded as rare and exotic. But these days, thanks to new propagation techniques, certain varieties are mass-produced. Moth orchids, or Phalaenopsis, gorgeous but common with sweet patterned faces, are widely sold by supermarkets and other retailers.

BETH HARPAZ VIA AP Two small inexpensive orchids awaiting rebloom are pictured on March 4in an apartment in the Brooklyn borough of New York. These plants were in flower last year.