Do orchids need soil? When it is needed and when it is not

  Orchidaceae after their scientific name, and orchids as they are commonly known by everyone, are one of the most gorgeous plantlets that you will probably ever encounter on planet Earth. Orchids are part of the Orchidaceae family which is one of the largest families of flowering plantlets, alongside the Asteraceae family. Orchids’ family, currently has over 28.000 accepted species, and to put this fact into perspective, this number is much more than twice the number of bird species.

These plantlets are challenging to take care of, therefore, we classified them on our website as advanced plants. Orchids are generally considered to be advanced plantlets due to their pretentious needs, which require significant attention to survive and thrive, such as lighting, feeding, watering, temperature, pruning and so on, each of them is difficult to be properly fulfilled. Hence we have a vague idea about the Orchidaceae, we shall answer our famous question, do orchids need soil?

So, do orchids need soil?

  Well, yes and no, it depends, and what it depends on, shall be discussed further to find out.

  One time when your orchid will need soil is when it is a baby plantlet. Growing, and getting the orchid to be an adult plant in the soil would be much easier, for you and the baby orchid. (Note that you can grow your baby orchid in a container of water too, but it is a bit tricky, so follow along.) However, the amount of soil the orchids need to germinate in is small, and they need less and less soil as they mature and become adult plants. 

  This being their nature, orchids are tropical flowering plants, but also air plants, meaning that they root themselves in a bit of soil, most of the time, in trees and tree branches. Therefore, once your plant is mature, it will be able to survive without soil due to its roots.

Orchid roots are different from the roots we usually see in other plants. They have an external layer in which they are covered that acts just like a sponge. That is why you probably have seen your orchids growing roots outside their pot. These “sponges” can absorb the water present in the environment in a vapor form.

  Owing to their magnificent roots, orchids can even grow in containers of water. Orchids, once adults, do not necessarily need soil, these plants can survive and develop in water just fine. However, it is not possible to just move your orchid from its moss mixture of soil into a container of water. It needs to be regrown in water, that way, the orchid can grow special roots that can survive in water without being dried out first.

The roots of orchids that grow in pots with soil, developed a different type of roots that before they are watered again, need to be completely dry. If overwatered, the roots will rot and die. What you have to do is cut off all of the moss roots of your orchid and put it in a jar full of water, place it in such a way that the part where you cut the roots off is under water. The orchid will adapt and develop special underwater roots to survive.