Q. I’ve a small collection
of Cymbidiums, Cattleyas, Phalaenopsis orchids and staghorn fern plants. I am
moving from California to Henderson. Will I have any luck in continuing to grow
them after I move? What kind of different care will I need?
 |
| Orchids at our farm in the Philippines |
open air here in the Mojave Desert. We have them on or farm in the Philippines but that’s cheating. I have even kept them in an open atrium without
extra humidity in Las Vegas during the winter without problems. I just keep an eye on the
temperature and the sunlight. It is surprising the temperature and humidity
extremes they can handle. Orchids in the Philippines kind of suffer through the dry season until rains come beginning in July.
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| Tiger orchid |
Staghorn fern is going to be different. Unlike orchids,
they don’t require a lot of light. But they will begin to look ragged if you
don’t provide them with extra humidity. Staghorn, as well as birdsnest ferns, will
be difficult to keep looking good without some control over humidity. You might
consider a humidifier in the room where you keep plants more sensitive to
humidity.
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| Angel orchid |
Use distilled water spiked with a small amount of
fertilizer when you water. Check the salinity of your irrigation water and keep
the salinity below an EC of 2.0 mmhos/cm (dS/m) when you water any houseplants.
levels that could damage sensitive plants if they are watered with it regularly.
Never mist them with it. Likewise, it’s not good to water plants with straight
distilled or RO water.
There is a local group
of orchid growers that you could reach out to called the Greater Las Vegas Area
Orchid Society. They can be found on the Internet at http://www.glvos.org/