How to Grow Terrestrial Orchids

09.02.2024 - 10:51 / gardenerspath.com / Kristine Lofgren

How to Grow Terrestrial Orchids Orchidaceae

Most of the time when we picture orchids, we think of the epiphytic types that grow clinging to the bark and branches of trees and shrubs.

The popular Phalaenopsis, Cattleya, and Dendrobium species are usually epiphytes.

There’s a whole other category of orchids that many of us forget about and those are the ones that grow in soil: terrestrial orchids. These types are special, having specific care needs.

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There are over 200 terrestrial orchid species, providing lots of variety and opportunities to enjoy them in our homes and gardens.

Many of them are every bit as beautiful as those that fill the shelves of stores and stylish hotel lobbies. Plus, many can be grown in the ground as ornamentals, even in locations where the temperatures drop below freezing.

If you’d like to understand more about this group of plants, this guide can help.

Here’s what we will discuss:

Before we jump in, a note of caution. Orchids are so diverse that there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to their cultivation and care – and that’s especially true in the case of terrestrial types.

We will give you general growing advice in this guide, but you will need to research the care requirements of the specific species, or, better yet, the cultivar or hybrid that you’re working with.

With that said, most of those that you’ll find on the market can be cared for in a similar way. We’ll discuss all that coming up:

There are three broad groupings of orchids, based on their growth habits: they can be epiphytes or lithophytes, climbers, or terrestrial.

Epiphytes and