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 date-of-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
An orchid purchased at Trader Joe’s grocery store that has rebloomed is pictured on March 4 in Atlanta. best technique, FriendDaniel said. Alternatively, provide a half- cup of water once a week for plants potted in bark, and a quartercup once a week for plants in moss. In warmer months, water every four to five days.
Never let the roots sit in water, because they will rot.
“Most failures with orchids are because of overwatering,” said Hachadourian. “If the plants are potted in moss, allow it to dry slightly between watering. Depending on your conditions, a small amount of water once or twice a week is sufficient to keep the plant moist without being overly wet.”
Some orchid lovers swear by giving their plants nothing more than an ice cube or two weekly, but Hachadourian says that doesn’t provide enough water for longterm growth. He says tepid water is better for them in any case.
You can also fertilize, but sparingly. Too much can kill the roots.
Once the first flowers are gone, Friend-Daniel’s team advises cutting the stem off to the base, removing the growing medium (moss or bark), and transplanting the plant to a slightly larger pot filled with fresh bark or sphagnum
moss.
“New growth should start coming from the middle of the plant within three to four months,” Friend-Daniel said. It will take seven months total to produce a flower spike, and 12 months for a fully bloomed spike.
The ideal temperature while awaiting new growth is 85 degrees; once there’s new foliage, 70 to 75 degrees. Too complicated? “No one said it was easy,” Friend-Daniel said. “It’s work.”
If you do get new flowers, you may be in for a surprise. Some growers inject dye into orchid stems to get them blooming bright blue, yellow, orange or green. Those dyed orchids rebloom white.
Whatever color your new blooms are, Hachadourian says the “take-home message” is a good one: “People are reblooming their orchids more than once.”
Typically, this is the time of year that botanical gardens host orchid shows, but many have been cancelled because of the pandemic. The New York Botanical Garden is doing a limited “Spotlight on Orchids” show through April 4 instead of its usual extravaganza.
In the meantime, head to Trader Joe’s or other retailers and pick up an orchid to enjoy at home. If it reblooms next spring, it will be a good reminder, hopefully, of how different things were this year.
COMMUNITY
YMCA Health & Fitness Center: 1684 Robinson
St. Reservations, health checks, masks required. Indoor lap-swim and fitness classes; Oroville auditorium classes. Provide own mats, towels, etc. Clubs and special programs start. www. ymcasuperiorcal.org/OrovilleYMCA; www.facebook. com/orovilleymca; spierce@ ymcasuperiorcal.org or 854-4321.
Feather River Recreation & Park District: Office closed. Indoor fitness, recreation programs, Gymnastic Team, rental facilities suspended. Preschool & Childcare Center, 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m. with modifications. Local parks open. Services by appointment, 533-2011. wwwfrrpd.com. Facebook www.facebook.com/FRRPD. 1875 Feather River Blvd.
Gray Lodge Wildlife Area: Sunrise to sunset. 9,100 acres of fields, riparian areas, ponds and waterways. Self-guided nature trail, fishing, hunting; shelter for 300+ species of resident and migrant birds, mammals. 3207 Rutherford
Road, Gridley. 846-7500.
Oroville Library: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Open. Limited computer use. Call for curbside service. Reserve items in-person, online, by phone, email. 552-5752. OrovilleBCLibrary@buttecounty. net. www.buttecounty.net/ bclibrary/Contact. Literacy Services 1-888-538-7198; Literacy@buttecounty.net. 1820 Mitchell Ave.
Bolt’s Antique Tool Museum: 1650 Broderick St. 10 a.m.-3:45 p.m. Tools, auto parts, old kitchen utensils and more. Open at 25 percent capacity, masks required. Admission $3 adults; $2.50 for AAA members or groups of 15 or more; free to ages 12 and younger. 538-2528, 538-2406. 1650 Broderick St. MondaySaturday.
Artists of Rivertown Studio at Brushstrokes Gallery, Oroville: Call to confirm hours. Nonprofit operates art venue to support and promote work by local artists. WednesdaysSaturdays or by arrangement. 1967 Montgomery St. 781-3849.
Northern Valley Talk
Line: 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Provides non-crisis peer to peer telephone service to the community. 1-855582-5554. Partners with Butte County Department of Behavioral Health and Tehama County Health Service Agency.
HEALTH, EMOTIONAL SUPPORT
Mental Health Peer Support: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Specialists available for video chat, self-help support groups and resources. Butte County Department of Behavioral Health. Join by phone, computer or other device. Zoom ID 809274979. Phone 720-707-2699 or 346-2487799.
New Beginnings AA:
6:30-7:30 a.m. Alano Club, 2471 Bird St. 534-9960. Weekdays. Call to confirm meeting.
Northern Valley Talk Line:
11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Noncrisis peer to peer telephone service to the community
that many flowers such as dandelion (also known as a stubborn weed), nasturtium, pansy, and chamomile are edible. Snow peas, spinach, and lettuce are ready for the picking now. What does it look like? Talk about how it smells. Close your eyes and chew slowly. Discuss the taste. Bitter? Sweet?
• Pressed flowers. Gather fresh flowers. Place each flower (or, for larger flowers, the separated petals) between two pieces of parchment (or waxed) paper. Put between pages of a heavy book and add more weight with other books on top. Wait two to three days for flowers to dry.
It’s fun to place the dried flowers in a picture frame to display in the house.
The same method works beautifully for leaves and is especially effective with fall foliage.
• Butterfly feeder. A butterfly feeder is simple to make with a clean tin can and some twine. Poke holes in the tin can and thread the twine through the holes so you can hang the can from a tree branch. Add a bit of sponge soaked in sugar water and then fill the can with colorful stemmed flowers (like filling a vase with flowers). Butterflies are attracted to bright colors. Soon they’ll be visiting your feeder. • Flower/ Vegetable/Seed journal. Start with a blank journal. On the left side of each set of pages, have your young gardener paste an envelope for the seed package. Place the seed packet inside the envelope. On the right side, your gardener will write the date the seeds are planted seven days a week. 1-855582-5554. Partners with Butte County Department of Behavioral Health and Tehama County Health Service Agency.
Friday Nite Grace: 6:30 p.m. Recovery program. Grace Baptist Church, 3646 Oro Dam Blvd. 12-step Christ-centered designed to help with life’s addictions, abuses and anxieties. Social distancing and masks required. 533-1456.
Narcotics Anonymous: Go online to greaterbuttena. org/meetings for meetings in Butte County cities. 24hour hotline, 1-877-6691669.
Alcoholics Anonymous Fellowship of Butte, Glenn and Southern Tehama counties: Meetings on Zoom. Visit aabutte-glenn. org or call 342-5756. and illustrate the different stages of growth of the seeds.
• Painted pots. Let your young gardener paint his or her containers. • Pizza/Salsa gardens. These are great to plant in containers. What herbs are needed for pizza? Peppers and herbs are perfect container plantings.
• Plant a rainbow. You’ll only need a small plot (or large container) to plant flowers and vegetables that mimic the hues of a rainbow. Think flowers and vegetables that are pink, orange, green (mint is great here), and blue/ purple.
• Plant a name garden. Take a flower box or a container large enough for your young gardener’s name. Fill the container with potting soil. With a pencil have your child write their name in the soil. Sprinkle alyssum seeds in the marks. Gently sprinkle soil over the marks. Water and wait. Your child’s name will appear as the seeds sprout.