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Tamie's Tips - February 2001 |
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 Choosing the Right Container for Orchid Plants
Choosing the right container for orchid plants not only shows off these beautiful plants to their best, they help your bottom line!
The right container adds quality and shelf-life to the orchid plant you sell, which reduces your inventory costs and increases customer satisfaction. Your ability to choose the proper container will translate into repeat customers impressed by your aesthetic taste as well as your product knowledge.
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Orchid Plant Containers |
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This is a large 10" white with lavender lip "Alba" Cattleya orchid. I selected a 12" white wicker basket for this plant. Most inexpensive baskets today do not have adequate liners, so it's always good to include a plastic plant liner insert, available at any floral supply store.
Albas, like the majority of Cattleyas, prefer lots of indirect sunlight and a warm, humid environment.
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I selected a grey ceramic container for this lovely lavender Portia Cattleya plant. Ceramics are a good choice for both aesthetic and practical reasons. The cool grey adds a modern flavor to the plant, while the waterproof characteristics of the ceramic provides you with the peace of mind that overzealous watering will not ruin a client's carpet!
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Terra cotta ceramics have made a come-back and are quite popular now. They are also a good choice for orchid plants because of their outstanding humidity-retention properties.
On the smaller two-toned Cattleyas shown in the foreground, I finished off the plant with raffia. Spanish Moss is also a good choice to cover potting material, as it helps to retain moisture in case your customer is not a concientious waterer.
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A variety of wood, plastic and ceramics coming out of the Far East are available at quite reasonable prices. Each container here costs less than $5 each.
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Remember, most orchid plants are best kept indoors, with lots of indirect sunlight, warm temperatures and humid conditions. It's always a good idea to include a plant care instruction tag with each orchid plant you sell.
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