Background and History of Orchids (Orchidaceae family)
The orchid family is not only the largest but one of the most diverse
plant flowering families in the world. The orchid was one of the first
plants to evolve on earth, it was around in the time of the dinosaur,
over 120 million years ago. Given the length of time they have been
around it shouldnt be surprising that there are over 35,000 species
with hundreds of thousands of hybrids.
The most famous orchid in the world is the vanilla orchid (planifolia).
Coca Cola is the largest customer of vanilla as they use the seed for
flavouring. Madagascar is the worlds largest producer. Orchids are
very beautiful plants and that is why so much time and care is put into
growing them. Vanilla on the other hand is grown for its commercial
value rather than for its appearance but it is labour intensive. The
vanilla crop is the main source of income for many independent
farmers in less developed countries.
ReproductionOne of the ways in which the orchid is so diverse is its ability to
reproduce. Some orchids rely on flying insects, others rely on crawling
insects and finally there are orchids that rely on the wind for
pollination.
read moreOrchid Care - Positioning, Temperature & Watering
Growing a breathtakingly beautiful orchid can be a very rewarding
experience as well as a challenging one. There are many enthusiasts
out there trying to grow the perfect orchid, however, many an
enthusiast has been let frustrated in trying to achieve such an
objective.
If you havent already bought your orchid, the best place to do so is at
a nursery which specialises in orchids.
read more
Orchids
have been known for years as one of the plants more difficult to treat.
The truth is that this is not true, as long as you have the right tools
and information ready when you race.