In addition to having plants in pots, growing orchids under glass enables you to grow them mounted on bark or attached to tree branches. The latter can make attractive and unusual additions in the greenhouse, and can be set up at one end to create a pleasing, eye-catching and permanent display. Some orchids can be grown in open slatted baskets, and by using these different methods every available space can be utilized. It is surprising how many orchids you can fit comfortably into a small greenhouse. However, if you are considering purchasing a new greenhouse for your orchids, it is always best to obtain one that is larger than you think you will need.

Phalaenopsis, which in the Northern Hemisphere are grown in outdoors every year, can Ao extremely well outdoors in tropical areas. The plants should always be established so that their fleshy leaves hang down, as those of the species do in their natural habitats. This ensures that water does not lodge in the centre of the plant but becomes self-draining. This is less easy to do with some of the modern hybrids, whose leaves have lost the elongated shape of the species and have become rounder and more rigidly upright. Look for plants of the right shape for this purpose.

Ideally, the greenhouse should be sited so that it runs from north to south. This means that the plants inside will receive the maximum amount of light, although much depends upon the space you have available for your greenhouse. In years gone by, the greenhouse was usually built at the bottom of the garden, often some way from the house. This means a long walk on cold winter nights to ensure that all is well with the heating and plants.

These lovely plants, with their tall, monopodial foliage and vigorous aerial roots, are grown in vast quantities in large ground beds made up with suitable compost. Today, these are grown for the cut-flower trade as well as the export market.

Spraying the foliage is no substitute for watering the pots, and the aim should be to keep the orchids evenly moist at the roots to ensure a steady rate of growth.

When catasetums were first introduced, plants with different flowers were thought to be different species. It later became apparent that, within this genus, a plant could produce all-female flowers one year and all-male flowers another, or, very occasionally, to produce both on separate spikes on the same plant at the same time. This also occurs with Cycnoches species, a genus closely related to catasetums.

In this way, the compost (growing medium) will remain moist for longer and keep the roots cool. Check daily to see if watering is needed, and give plenty each time to ensure a thorough wetting.

Artificial feeding can be increased in relation to the extra light the orchids are receiving. The occasional foliar feed (spraying the foliage with liquid feed) will ensure that the leaves remain a good mid-green. This is especially useful for any orchids that turn slightly yellow after being placed outside.