Not such a delicate flower

Published on Saturday 29 December 2007 10:42

WHILE the Capital's shops are full of traditional poinsettias, many will this year have received a graceful white orchid for Christmas.

"People always associate poinsettias with this time of year," says Edinburgh freelance landscape gardener, Jason Forrest. "but the classically elegant orchid is quickly becoming a more popular choice at Christmas."

Dawn Gibson, house plant supervisor for Dobbies Garden World in Lasswade agrees "Orchids make fantastic houseplants," she says. "With a variety of different colours and shapes to choose from, many of them flower from six weeks up to two years.

"A popular orchid at this time of year is the Cymbidium which flowers in the cooler months between October and February.

When purchasing one of these beautiful plants, look for one with three to four flowers already open and with plenty of buds."

Those who have trouble looking after house plants may fear that their orchid will have popped its clogs by the time the friend or relative who gave it to them makes a return visit, but in fact they are pretty easy plants to maintain given the right environment and light.

Jason explains: "While they appear delicate they're hardy and actually require very little care, which is perfect for gardening novices. They need watering every ten or so days and can happily survive with the amount of light that can be found in an average Edinburgh house."

Moth orchids, known as phalaenopsis, are another popular species of orchid at Christmas. They usually have one flower spike but sometimes more, and bring a burst of vivid colour to a windowsill in shades of pink, white and red, with various markings on the flowers.

Flowers may appear at any time of year on an orchid. 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.

Dawn says: "Although orchids do not like the hot sun on them, they do need plenty of light, particularly during winter. Place the orchid in an area of your home that receives plenty of sunshine. As your heating is turned up during winter, make sure that your orchid does not dry out too much and keep it moist. As orchids need good humidity, standing orchids on a pebble tray is a good idea as it helps to create moistu in the air around the plant."

"Orchids like to have enough light but don't leave it in the window for too long when the sun is out," says Jason. "And if you notice the green leaves are fading, move your plant to a more shaded area before it starts to develop dark spots. Smokers should also keep tobacco smoke away from the orchid as it can develop the tobacco mosaic virus which stops it from flowering.

"While you only need to water your orchid around every ten days, pay attention to it. It likes to be left dry between each watering, but it hates to be waterlogged. Try not to let the plant stand in any water as one of the main causes of orchid death is root rot. Also feed the orchid with specially formulated liquid feed once a month to keep it healthy. This can be bought at most gardening centres, such as Dobbies, and even some supermarkets. And regularly spray the leaves with soft water."

Keeping the pot clear of dead leaves will prevent pests. However, if it does become infested simply use an insect spray.

The orchid is at it's most beautiful when it flowers, but often it can be stubborn. So give it a bit more light – move it out to direct sunlight but not in one step. Let it sit in a slightly lighter area, and move it slowly into more light. This gradual transition helps the orchid cope with any potential damage. Controlling the temperature can speed up the flowering process – try dropping the temperature by around 10C at night and taking it back up in the daytime.

"After flowering and when the leaves are thick and green, cut the old stem back to the second lowest bud to get a new flowering shoot," explains Jason. "Usually a new flowering branch will develop from here. Alternatively, remove the old stem completely to encourage a more shapely new shoot.

"And if the orchid plant has thin, wilting leaves just cut the flower stem off at the bottom so the plant doesn't further weaken. Give it TLC by watering and feeding it. And be patient."

Like most house plants, orchids do need a rest period to build up energy again. They can simply be put in a room with a slightly lower temperature than normal for a few weeks in autumn. 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.

You can keep moth orchids in the same pot for a couple of years and they should produce one or two new flower spikes every year.

When their roots become really crowded you can repot them using orchid compost, which contains bark and other good draining material. The new pot shouldn't be much bigger than the old one and you can trim dead roots back to their base and water lightly from the top to settle the orchid into the new pot, using tepid water.

Jason adds: "Any orchid, will thank you for care and attention with fabulous displays of blooms."

&#149 Dobbies Garden Centres, 0131-663 6778, www.dobbies.com

Best of the bunch

Amaryllis

(Hippeastrum hybrid)

They're bold and brassy and whatever you may think about these dazzling bulbs, they will always stand out in the home, with their huge funnel-shaped flowers.

The hybrids are orange, purple, white, pink or red, sometimes striped or edged in other shades. The flowers completely overshadow the plain leaves and each head can carry as many as five blooms. They are effective when grown in a formal line in a long trough or as repeated patterns in a row of identical pots.

They like to be kept cool when in bloom to prolong the display and you should provide good light, including some direct sun, when in leaf.

Dry bulbs need to be potted up and kept just moist until roots develop and start to take up water. In late summer stop watering to let the bulb dry off. Then start watering again in autumn to bring it into growth.

Three ways to . . .

restore an overgrown rockery

1. Remove rubbish and cut back overgrown carpeting perennials, digging out dead plants.

2. Remove tough perennial weeds with deep roots by painting the leaves carefully with a systemic weedkiller If they have been growing within a rockery plant, you may have to lift the whole clump, carefully remove the weeds and their roots and then replant the plant.

3. Plan to cover some but not all of the rock face with plants and aim for year-round colour.

What to do this week

&#149 Check lettuces under cloches and ventilate if the weather is suitable.

&#149 Firm strawberries planted in the autumn by working a little fine compost around the collar and firming in.

&#149 If you have any dates left from Christmas, save the stones and sow in a temperature of around 86F (28C), ideally above a hot water tank in an airing cupboard. Bring the seedlings into light as soon as they germinate.

&#149 Propagate lilies by planting scales to half their depth in boxes or pots of John Innes No. 1 compost. Set in a cold frame.

&#149 Lift rhubarb roots for forcing indoors and start forcing selected crowns outdoors.

&#149 Clear and dig beds for use next spring, provided the ground is not waterlogged or frozen.

&#149 Use cold winter days to plan design improvements and new plantings for the spring.

&#149 Check that fuchsias packed in compost for the winter don't completely dry out.

&#149 Watch out for disease on stored bulbs, corms and tubers and dispose of any which show signs of disease.

&#149 Earth up spring cabbages and other winter brassicas to give them better anchorage in strong winds.

Good enough to eat

Winter radishes

You may have thought they were just a summer veg, but there are also excellent large winter varieties, hardy black types, which are often cubed and boiled for 10 minutes, with a dab of butter, or stir-fried.

They take longer than summer radishes to mature - between three and four months - and you can harvest them from autumn through the winter. Winter radishes usually have bigger roots than summer varieties, but they can be used in the same way.

You need to sow winter radishes in mid to late summer, as earlier sowings are likely to bolt, while later ones won't put on enough growth before the cooler weather comes.

They can be left in the ground if it is well-drained and they need to be protected from harsh frosts.

Sow seed thinly in drills 1cm (1/2in) deep which have been well watered beforehand and later thin the seedlings to 10cm (4in) apart, in rows 25cm (10in) apart.

Try 'Black Spanish Round' or the Oriental radish Minowase (mouli), with its long white roots.