Habenaria

Light should be given at higher levels to flower more robustly; however, Habenaria are fairly adaptable to light levels. No light is required while plants are dormant; they may be stored in a completely dark location. Habenaria will produce more flowers per shoot and produce more shoots more quickly given brighter light - up to Cattleya levels.

• In a greenhouse, part sun or about 21,500-53,750 lumens (2,000-5,000 foot-candles) is ideal. Southern climates below the 37th parallel will need to use shade cloth. Northern growers can expose some species to part-sun with no consequence.
• In the home, South, East, or West windows where they will get about 4 plus hours of direct sun are ideal. You cannot sunburn Habenaria indoors.
• If using artificial lights, they should be on for 12 to 16 hours a day.

During the growing season, temperatures should be maintained above 50F (10C) at night and between 65F-85F (18C-29C) during the day. Circulating air and increased humidity during high temperatures are beneficial. During dormancy, temperatures should be above 50F (10C). While plants may be terrestrial and die back for the winter, they are by no means frost-hardy! Warmer temperatures will expedite the breaking of dormancy.

During active growth, water should be liberally applied. If not enough water is given, or there is too much time between waterings, Habenaria will exhibit “accordion” growth. Potting mix should be perpetually moist and dry slightly between watering. As plants enter dormancy in fall, allow the potting mix to start drying out more over time until aboveground growth has died. During dormancy water should be completely withheld.

Some indoor and greenhouse growers keep these plants in a shallow tray of water to ensure that the plants never dry out. If adding more water, always add to the top of the media. Avoid wetting foliage or allowing water to sit in the center of the growth. Many species are salt-sensitive, so rainwater or distilled water should be used. Black tips on the ends of the leaves are a sign of water that has too many dissolved solids. In Habenaria, black tips also can indicate media with an improper pH that is too high or low.

Humidity is best maintained between 50 and 80 percent. Humidity during dormancy is not critical, though tuberous roots should be monitored by gently tapping out of the container. If they become shriveled, humidity may be a little low and increasing it may be beneficial.

During active growth, fertilizer should be applied regularly following the adage "weakly weekly." A water-soluble fertilizer is easily included in the irrigation water once a week. At higher temperatures and light levels requirement for mineral nutrients increases and better performance may be achieved with by increasing frequency of fertilizer application. Do not fertilize during dormancy.

Potting should be timed to coincide with the initiation of new growth, usually in the spring. Potting in the spring allows new corms to be formed underground undisturbed, so that the plant can come back next year. The corm is the core of the plant, and the health of the corm dictates the health of the rest of the plant. Annual repotting is recommended.

Select a pot that is large enough to accommodate one season's growth. Plastic or clay containers will work, though watering frequency will vary. Plants potted in clay will dry more quickly at the roots than in plastic. A deep container which allows space for the downward growth of new corms is preferred. Again, these are often grown both in greenhouses and indoors in a shallow tray of water.

• Greenhouse – Recommended potting media is 50% sphagnum with fine-grade orchid bark mix added. 100% sphagnum also works.
• Indoors – Potting media can be 60-90% sphagnum with fine-grade orchid bark mix added. Indoors, Habenaria can also be planted in 100% regular potting soil. A plastic pot is a must for growing indoors.

During dormancy, the tuberous roots are best left undisturbed in their containers and stored semi-dry (but not bone-dry) until being repotted in late winter or early spring as growth resumes.

Habenaria are typically deciduous and go through a growth phase and a dormancy phase. In the fall, the plants will die back to the underground corms where they will stay until spring. Some species/hybrids will tell you when they are going dormant; others will need to be pushed into dormancy with the reduction of water and temperature at the end of the growing season.

Throughout the range of the genus, Habenaria species frequently grow in damp or wet habitats including marshes, bogs, water meadows, seasonally flooded grasslands ('dambos' and 'vleis' in Africa), seepage slopes and wet flushes on hillsides, riverbank habitats, swamp forest, and tropical wet evergreen forest. Some species even grow in standing or slowly running water! Other members of the genus inhabit drier areas such as grassland and dry deciduous woodland. The underlying substrate from areas in which Habenaria species grow includes limestone, granite, quartzite, and laterite. Soil types range from peaty to sandy.

Further information can be found on the Habenaria genus page.

Best orchid care practices are also provided for watering, repotting, and fertilizer types. There are also detailed discussions of growing orchids indoors, outdoors, or in greenhouses.

For more information on genus name changes, see Taxonomy.