Orchid cultivation in Sri Lanka

2. INTRODUCTION
• Family- Orchidaceae
• Orchids are monocots
• They exhibit a wide range of diversity in form, size, color and
texture of flowers beyond the imagination of human mind
orchids
Cut flower Pot plants

3. Growth
habitat
Terrestrial
orchids
Lithophytes Epiphytes
• There are three groups according to growth habitat
 Grown in soil
 Nearly all orchids grown in
temperate zone
 Some tropical orchids
 Grown on rocks  Prefer filtered light
 Modified aerial roots
Eg- strap leaves vanda

4. • There are two growth patterns of the stem
1. Sympodial
2. Monopodial
2. Monopodial
 Stem grows from a single bud
 Stem grows longer stem can reach several meters in produce aerial roots
 Do not have pseudo bulb
Eg- Vanda, Phalaenopsis, Arachnis
1. Sympodial
 Apical bud grows horizontally
 Produce a series of adjacent shoots
 Have pseudo bulb
Eg- dendrobium, cattleya, oncidium, cymbidium

5. Varieties of orchids
1. Cattleya
2. Dendrobium
3. Oncidium
4. Paphiopedilum
5. Phalaenopsis
6. Vanda
7. Cymbidium
8. Arachnis

6. 01. Cattleya

7. Requirements
• Temperature
Day temperature is 21-24 °c and night temperate not less than 15-18 °c
• Light
50% shade

8. 02. Dendrobium
There are three types of dendrobium
I. Dendrobium Phalaenopsis
II. Dendrobium cane
III. Dendrobium intermediate

9. Dendrobium
Phalaenopsis
Dendrobium cane
Dendrobium intermediate

10. Requirements
• Temperature
Day temperature is 25-30 °C and night temperate not less than 15 °C
• Light
Phalaenopsis type- 50% shade
Cane type – Full sun
Intermediate type – 50% shade

11. 03. Oncidium

12. Requirements
• Temperature
Day temperature is 25-30 °C
• Light
40- 50% shade

13. 05. Phalaenopsis

14. Requirements
• Temperature
Day temperature is 25-30 °C and night temperate not less than 13-15 °C
• Light
60% shade

15. 06. Vanda
There are three types of vanda
I. Strap leaves vanda
II. Terete leaves vanda
III. Semi terete leaves vanda

16. Strap leaved vanda Semi terete leaves vanda Terete leaves vanda

17. Requirements
• Temperature
Day temperature is 25- 30 °C
• Light
Strap leaves type- 40-50% shade
Terete leaves type – Full sun
Semi terete leaves type – Full sun

18. 07. Cymbidium

19. Requirements
• Temperature
Day temperature is 21-24 °C
Night temperature should be 10 °C for flowering

20. 08. Arachnis
Requirements
• light
full sun

21. Propagation of orchids
• Cuttings
• Divisions
• Pseudo bulbs
• Aerial shorts
• seeds
• Tissue culture

22. How to propagate orchid - Cutting
• Orchid like Phalaenopsis, vanda and Dendrobium can be propagated
by cutting.
• Cut ends should treated with fungicides to prevent rotting.
• Most of the sympodial orchids like catteleya, Dendrobium and
cymbidium are propagated through this method.

23. How to propagate orchid - Divisions
• Common method used for sympodial orchids
• Over grown plants are separated in to parts with 3-4 pseudo bulbs
foreach divisions
• Treat with fungicide before planting

24. How to propagate orchid – Pseudo bulbs
• Leafless pseudo bulbs are separated and planted in a sand bed
• After 6 weeks produce roots and can be planted as a new plant

25. How to propagate orchid- off shoots and keikis
• Same monopodium orchids like Ascocenda, phalaennopis, keikis or
off shoots emerge frequently on the main stem.
• Induction of keikis can also be induced through the use of cytokinins
which force the dormant bud to develop into keikis.

26. How to propagate orchid- Aerial shoots
• Some old pseudo bulbs produced aerial suckers in sympodial plants
• They can be separated and planted

27. How to propagate orchid- seeds
• Seeds get artificial pollination
• Harvesting mature pods before spilt

28. How to propagate orchid- Tissue culture
• Tissue culture technique is highly successful to get virus free plants
• Production of exact copies of plants that produce particularly good
flowers
• To quickly produce mature plants

29. Potting of orchids
Growing media
Broken bricks : charcoal – 1:1
Granite chips : coir dust – 3:1
Granite chips : leaf mold : coir dust – 1:1:1
Coconut husk use in seedling stage
Growing Pots
Porous clay pots
Plastic pots
Net pots
Slatted wooden basket/ crates

30. Porous clay pot
Plastic pots
Net pot Slatted wooden basket/
crates

31. Pot sizes
 Dendrobium
 seedlings
height 2 inches
Diameter 1-2 inches
 Phalaenopsis
Height 10 cm
Diameter 15 cm
 Cane type
Height 12-15 cm
Diameter 20-22 cm
 Vanda
Strap leaf vanda
Semi terete leaf vanda
Terete leaf vanda – Height 10 cm
Diameter 15-17.5 cm
Height 20cm
Diameter 25 -30 cm

32.  Oncidium
Diameter 15 cm
 Cattleya
Shallow clay pots & wooden crates

33. Cultural practices of orchids
Shade
Black nyloned netting 8 ft above plants
Too high shade – Dark green leaves, no flowers
Too low shade – yellowish leaves
Good light – light green leaves
Orchid house
Keep plants higher from ground
Tables – wire mesh, concrete beam
Height of tables – 4.5ft- 5ft
Potted plant- arranged closed on tables to give high RH

34. Irrigation
Once a day thoroughly
Dry season – twice a day
Keep the surroundings constantly wet
Avoid water stagnation near roots and between leaves
Weed control
Diuron - very low concentration
Only on to weeds/ mosses

35. Fertilizer application
Regular nutrient supply is necessary
Only liquid fertilizer
As a foliar applications or included with irrigation water

36. Harvesting
• 4-5 days after flower opening
• Harvesting stage
dendrobium- 2/3 of inflorescence open and 1/3 unopen
Vanda- with 2/3 unopened flowers
Arachnis- all flowers open or with 1-2 cm open flower

37. Pests and diseases of orchid
Pests Diseases
Orchid yellow beetle Crown rot
Shoot/stem borer Bacterial soft and brown rot
Mites Bacterial brown spot
Scales Root rot
Mealy bugs Mosaic Virus
Slugs and snails
Cockroaches

38. Packing
• Pack in corrugated cardboard boxes
• Storage in 5-7 °C