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Moths or Orchids?

© Linda Fortner

Welcome to my Orchid Garden. This month you will be reading about the exotic "Moths" that I have in my Greenhouse. I hope you enjoy the story, you may even want to add a "Moth" to your Greenhouse, or even your home.

Moths In My Greenhouse

Would you believe I have beautiful exotic MOTHS in my greenhouse? They gently "fly" back and forth in the soft current of air. At times, there are over twenty of them huddled together in a row forming a long sweeping arch. I can hear the whispers already, "The Orchid Lady has gone off the deep end. Allowing moths in the greenhouse? That would lead to unwanted pollination of her blooms!" Before someone starts calling the men in white coats however, let me tell you that these are not the moths you find visiting your flowers in your garden. My moths don't eat the other plants and they do not pollinate the blooms that are in full splendor just waiting for an insect to visit them. In fact, these moths are not even insects at all! They are the graceful blooms of the "Moth Orchids," the Phalaenopsis.

How did this orchid get a nickname of an insect? The name Phalaenopsis comes from the Greek word phalaina, meaning "moth" and opsis meaning "appearance." The name refers to the moth-like shape of the blooms. I must admit that my Moth orchids are one of my most favorite flowers that adorn my greenhouse. The blooms open along a long flower spike that is sometimes two feet in length. The flowers open only a few each day until the flower spike is covered with the moth-shaped flowers. The most popular colors are the soft whites with yellow or red lips, and the glowing pinks and blushes. With new hybridising, you can now buy moth orchids that will produce blooms which are deep red, vibrant orange, and even spotted and striped! Alas, these beautiful blooms normally do not have a smell. Although the Phalaenopsis are not noted for their scent, new hybrids are being bred to include a fragrance.

Their cultural requirements are quite easy to maintain making these one of the easiest orchids to grow. They like bright filtered light (hot direct sun can burn their large fleshy leaves in minutes. The temperatures they like are the mid 80's F during the day and low 60's F at night. Do not let them stay in temperatures below 55 degrees F for any length of time, they start to breakdown very quickly at low temperatures. In the Autumn, a difference