Spathoglottis plicata- a Terrestrial Orchid

I enjoy caring for plants the most when that care is simple, when it is easy to figure out when to water and easy to get a plant to bloom or fruit. Some plants have a learning curve, and lately I've been fussing over my small collection of Spathoglottis plicata.

The Spathoglottis genus is known commonly as the Phillipine ground orchid, and the 60+ species live as terrestrials in Southeast Asia. Terrestial orchids, which make up only a small percentage of orchids, live in soil like 'normal' plants. This means learning how to take care of orchids that act differently than every other orchid in my collection (most orchids grow as ephiphytes or lithophytes, meaning they grow on tree limbs and rocks well above the earth). 


Its important, when looking at how to care for and purchase plants, that we try to get plants with similar care requirements. This makes it much more manageable to grow our varied plants. In my experience 90% of the orchids available for purchase, and well over 90% of orchids at a standard garden center or home improvement store, are epiphytes, whether they are hybrids and species. So if you go to a grocery store or greenhouse or home improvement store, you can be more than reasonably sure that the orchid you are buying needs to planted in a bark mix or sphagnum moss. They should not be planted in soil, and if you buy one that is, you should look it up immediately for possible repotting. The Spathoglottis is one of the few exceptions that is commercially available, and something to look out for when purchasing.

The Spath plicata can flower from June through September, these particular varieties have purple two toned blooms. Judging by pictures, it can be worth the effort if I can get these guys to bloom....that means enough light in the winter and early spring to give them enough stored energy to bloom. I potted these orchids in clay pots, with about 2 inches of river stones on the bottom to increase air flow and drainage. This is an important step, since most houseplants die from overwatering, not underwatering. I then mixed standard potting soil in with about 20% extra perlite, once again to improve drainage and also to prevent compaction of the roots in the pot (perlite is available in the potting soil section). They are placed where they get light from both a south facing window and my west facing french doors in the evening. I water them about once a week.