Types of Orchids - It is About Orchid Plants, Not the Flowers

When discussing orchids the most basic distinction to be made is about the types of orchids. Most amateur orchid growers often say orchid types but they are actually referring to the orchid species.

Types of orchids is a reference to the most basic orchids' categorization and it does not refer to the many thousands different flowers. A different orchid flower is produced by a different orchid specie.

The categorization of orchid plants begins with distinguishing between the different types of orchid plants. Many beginner orchids lovers will be very surprised to find out that there are only two basic types of orchids; terrestrial and epiphytes, or aerial.

Occasionally we can run into one of the few exceptions to the rule and find an orchid which is both.

The terrestrial type of orchids grows similarly to any other garden plant by spreading its roots underground. Now, we should specify though that the 'ground' in most cases is not really ground, or at least not what we use in our gardens as plants soil.

This type of orchids are called terrestrial because they grow at 'ground level' but the composition of the soil they like to grow in is very different from what we usually call soil.

In their natural environment terrestrial orchids choose to grow at ground level in a tropical forest environment in a 'soil' which contains a very low percentage of minerals and mostly organic matters as dead wood, barks, decomposing leaves, insects, animals and a set of very active fungi.

So, basically the terrestrial type of orchids grows in natural occurring tropical forest compost... not in the ground. Keep that in mind when preparing the medium for this type of orchids.

As an example, the most popular of the terrestrial orchids' type are the several Cymbidiums species. Among them you can find all typical differences usually found among orchid plants. Some grow in low lights and need less water. Others need more light and more water.

In general though, the terrestrial orchids' type thrives in shadier settings compared to the aerial orchids' type.

The second of the two types of orchids, the aerial, are epiphytes. Scientifically speaking the term epiphytes is not specific of orchids. It is a general botanical term used to signify that the plant roots grow above ground.

Epiphytes orchids were originally though to be a sort of tree parasites which would take the necessary nutrients from the trees they like to grow on. It turns out though that they are actually very nice to the trees and don't take any of the tree nutrients.

Their roots slightly cling to the tree bark, just enough to falling or flying away in the wind. The aerial orchid plant roots store water either by absorbing humidity directly from the air or sucking up rain water.

Rain water also provides this type of orchids the nutrients by carrying minerals and organic material as it runs down the tree bark. Small insects, dirt and other debris get stuck between the roots and as they decompose they are absorbed and feed the plant.

That is exactly why when fertilizing our orchids we mix the minerals with the water and let the water run through medium and roots. We are basically trying to reproduce the way this type of orchids sustain themselves in their natural habitat.

As you become more experienced, just by paying attention to the color of the root you will be able to know when it is time to water your orchids. A healthy root system will be green when storing water, it will gradually become a lighter green as it dries up and eventually turn white, or almost white, when dry and in need of more water.

When you start caring for orchids though I suggest you use a moist meter to decide when it is time to water your plants. Moist meters are fairly inexpensive and they give you accurate readings on the amount of humidity within the orchid's medium.

That is my suggestion because different species in different locations will retain humidity differently, therefore needing watering at slightly different intervals.

As a rule of thumb the two types of orchids differ from each other by the amount of light they need. The terrestrial kind needs less light than the aerial type of orchids and the amount of light they receive determines how quickly the root system will dry up.

With all these variables, as a beginner, it is much safer to use a moist meter, just until you get to know your orchids better.

Dalia Cruz learned about orchids from her mother. Collectively they have over fifty years of orchid growing experience. For more great information on orchids types visit http://www.OrchidsGrowingBlog.com.

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