Orchid Mania -- They're Not As Delicate And Fussy As You May Think; They Prosper As Easily As Other Houseplants

An artist friend received a flowering orchid plant as a gift some months ago. She doesn't focus much on gardening, so when the flowers faded, she set the pot at the back of her studio and pretty much forgot about it.

A few months later, she was astonished to see it flowering again. The extravagant white blooms lasted for nearly two months.

Now here is a house plant any of us could get enthusiastic about.

After talking to several orchid growers, I'm convinced orchid plants should come with a warning label.

WARNING: GROWING ORCHIDS IS ADDICTIVE.

"It's not a hobby, it's a disease," jokes Al Sayson, president of the Northwest Orchid Society. "You get involved with orchid growing and it takes over your life."

Sayson is an extreme case: He grows about 1,500 orchid plants in his backyard greenhouse. Most society members grow them as house plants.

We think of orchids as delicate hothouse flowers that need a kind of fussy, knowledgeable care that only a connoisseur could give them.

The truth: It doesn't take elaborate equipment. They can be grown as easily as many familiar houseplants.

Consider Pam Kolb. Two years ago, on a visit to her parents in South Carolina, Kolb bought four Cattleya orchids. Earlier this month, she won seven first-place awards at the Beaverton Orchid Society Show, in Oregon. And two of her plants won national awards from the American Orchid Society.

"I had a lucky weekend," she says modestly.

Two years into her hobby, Kolb has about 250 orchid plants, many of them seedlings and all of them house plants.

"I'm pretty maxed out," she confesses. "But I wanted to see what I could grow most successfully."

Kolb is part of a growing trend. Today, according to a writer for the World Wildlife Fund, the number of amateur orchid growers surpasses the number who grow African violets.

Three years ago, because of increased interest in orchids, the Northwest Orchid Society began showing at the annual Northwest Flower and Garden Show. Last year, enthusiasts snapped up about $96,000 worth of orchids.

What kind of orchids grow well at home?

The orchid family has one of the largest numbers of flowering plants. There are 35,000 species that grow in the wild, plus thousands of hybrids. So the question becomes, where do you begin?

"Most people start with Cattleyas and Phaleonopsis," says Sayson. "Ideally what you want is a fragrant, long-lasting Cattleya. If you get the right kinds, you can have flowers blooming all year around."

"Avoid Dendrobiums," he advises. He's seen too many people buy flowering Dendrobiums, and nurse them along for years, and never get flowers again. "They're equatorial, where it's either wet or dry for long periods," he says. "You have to match the climate and the hours of light they came from. They have to have a dormancy period. If you water them during that period, they won't bloom."

"Phaleonopsis are the prettiest ones," says David Edgley, an orchid society member who specializes in them.

"They have a lot of flowers, they have a wide range of colors, and they stay in bloom for two months - compared to two weeks for Cattleyas. They need the same temperatures you do - mid-70s during the day, down to the low 60s at night."

Edgley has more than 200 Phaleonopsis. Like most of his fellow addicts, he got into it because "I bought one once."

Kolb says she's been most successful with Vanda orchids, which require a lot of light. Hung in south-facing windows, they hold a profusion of showy flowers for six weeks at a time. She also likes lady's slipper orchids, Paphiopedilum.

"I can't grow Phaleonopsis, because I like my home fairly cool," she said. "I let nighttime temperatures go down to 50 degrees."

Sayson says Cymbidium orchids also grow well in the Northwest; in fact they can be grown outdoors for much of the year. They like to be cool and need a cool period to flower.

"I leave mine outside until the first freeze," Sayson says. They need lots of light, but too much direct sun can scorch them. Protect them from direct noon sun.

One of Kolb's national awards was for a white Cymbidium with a yellow and red throat. She notes that Cymbidiums also like more fertilizer than most other orchids.

She gives hers a 20-20-20 blend, but says orchids grown on bark need a 30-10-10 orchid fertilizer, because the bark absorbs nitrogen.

How to care for orchids

One part of the mythology that surrounds orchids is true: Because there are so many kinds, from such diverse habitats, it's essential to know what your plants' non-negotiable requirements are.

Usually they aren't complex. Nurseries have instruction sheets. You may also want to check an orchid book.

A greenhouse window that protrudes from a regular window of the house can give spectacular results with many common orchids.

Want to try Phaleonopsis? Find an east-facing window, with a heat register under it. Fill a flat-bottomed tray with 3 inches of gravel; set it on a shelf or table over register.

Place potted orchids on the gravel, with some intermediate support so they don't touch the gravel directly, and pour an inch of water into the bottom of the tray.

As the water evaporates, it will keep air around the orchids humid.

A few rules for any orchids: Water them in the morning, so they don't stay wet at night. Protect them from the direct sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Keep water in the tray beneath them.

Edgley recommends not watering Phaleonopsis daily. They grow naturally in trees, where they get mists and winds. To bloom, they need a period of cool temperatures: 61 degrees during the day, down to 55 degrees at night.

Ask the nursery where you buy them about fertilizer requirements.

Where to find them

Many supermarkets and even a few hardware stores sell a handful of orchid plants these days.

But if you're a beginner, you'll probably want the expert advice and growing supplies you can get at an orchid nursery. There aren't many.

-- Baker & Chantry, 18611 132nd N.E., Woodinville. Open 10-5 daily. 483-0345.

This respected orchid nursery can be hard to find. Take Highway 522 east from I-405, and turn off at the first exit. Turn left, back over the freeway, and go three-tenths of a mile to a small sign on the left side of the road.

There's one of everything here; owners describe it as "a hobby that got out of hand." Expect to pay $25 and up.

-- Enchanted Garden, 1524 Pike Place. Open 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. 625-1205. Many varieties of orchids, with informational sheets on how to care for them. Prices range from $25 to $35.

-- Another excellent source of plants, plus endless good-natured advice, encouragement and general hand-holding, is The Northwest Orchid Society, which holds regular meetings the second Monday of each month (except July and August) at 7 p.m. at the Center for Urban Horticulture, 3501 N.E. 41st St.

Don't worry about being a beginner and appearing ignorant; these people love to share information about orchids. Sayson says, "No matter where you travel, if you have orchids to discuss, you have friends."

Recommended books

"Orchids as Houseplants," by Brian and Wilma Rittershausen. Ward Lock Ltd., London. 1989.

"Home Orchid Growing," by Rebecca Tyson Northern. Prentice Hall Press. Fourth edition, 1990.