As one of the largest plant families in the botanical kingdom, orchids fascinate orchid specialists like Brandon Tam of the Huntington Library because of their wide diversity.“You will never find two alike,” says Tam, who oversees more than 10,000 orchids at the San Marino Botanical Garden.“There are over 20,000 types with about 70 different species in California.You can find them on every continent except Antarctica."He can also find them at his neighborhood grocery store, making them an accessible and affordable option for home fans looking for an escape during the pandemic.They can be complicated."People think the plant will come back into bloom several times a year, but the vast majority don't," says Tam."The flowers only last a month or two and then bloom again the following year."At the Huntington, Tam oversees many rare and endangered orchids, but appreciates the grocery store varieties.“I'm glad they're available at Trader Joe's and Home Depot because he gives people an introduction to orchids,” he says.“You can try these plants at home.I have also killed plants.It's the only way to learn."Here, Tam offers tips on growing orchids that he can find at his neighborhood supermarket.What are the most common mistakes people make when growing orchids?The main reason people kill their orchids is that they overwater them.In nature, 70% of orchids grow on trees and branches.When they are attached, they have no moss or bark or anything excessive on the rhizome of the plant and only retain enough to stay moist between rain showers.If you buy a plant at Trader Joe's, it's sitting in 6 inches of moss.So if people are watering every three days, or twice a week, that's too much.If I buy an orchid at Trader Joe's, I water it once every two weeks if it has sphagnum moss.There are two growing media: orchid bark and sphagnum.Orchid bark does not retain moisture between the bark particles.Sphagnum moss is so saturated that there is no standard way to measure it.Between waterings, these media need to dry out.If it's sphagnum moss, I'd recommend sticking your finger in there to get an indication of how wet it is.It should feel quite moist, but not saturated.Orchids need aeration for the roots to breathe.Most orchids do not like direct sunlight.Place the plant in an east-facing window so it gets morning light.People have the idea that if they put it next to a window it is protected, but it can get very hot.A heat session will set the plant back significantly.Why won't my orchid bloom again?Inconsistency and low light.Plants need light to carry out photosynthesis.People put them in dark offices hoping they will come back in full health.I would never recommend putting an orchid in an office that doesn't have a window.What is the ideal place for an orchid?Plants hate unpredictability.In nature, rain and sunlight are predictable and know what to expect.But when you add inconsistent variables in there, the plants get confused.If it's dark, they may not produce a bloom because they need that energy to survive.Many plants will adapt to the environment you provide, but if you move them, they will go into shock.Plants in nature do not move.If they do, they go to the treetops of the rainforest.Any drastic change causes a crash.Even if it's just from the office to the bedroom.They need to recalibrate.It happens to us in the greenhouse when we move a plant from one bench to another.Do orchids need humidity?Humidity is always preferable, but not required for orchids grown in pots.Some orchid nurseries like Andy's Orchids in Encinitas grow orchids on sticks, which is how they grow naturally in the wild.Higher humidity is needed to keep those plants happy.But if you grow them in a pot, the roots have so much moss and bark that the roots are happy.Six inches of soil will hold water and keep plants happy.If it's on a tree or branch, you definitely need to water it much more often than if you're growing it in a pot.I would highly recommend watering once every two weeks.That's why I love phalaenopsis;our staff like to have orchids in their offices, and I only have to visit them once every two weeks.Any tips for transplanting?It's good for the plant to cool down, but keep in mind that when you transplant orchids, they go into a certain level of shock.People tend to transplant them into pots that are too big and add more growing medium than they need.This causes them to retain more water than is necessary.When you transplant your plant, you need to water it a week and a half later.When a plant is in shock, it does not absorb water and can rot.Transplant once every two years because the orchid will overgrow in the given pot at that time.Push your finger through the pot.If your finger passes straight through, it means the mix has degraded to the point of no stability.For a plant, stability is crucial.If there is no stability, the plant will not establish a good root.Can orchids be planted outside?People can grow orchids outside, but they shouldn't go below 55 degrees at night.Cymbidiums grow like weeds outdoors and the flowers could last a long time.If they are not in direct sunlight, they can withstand 100 degrees.It is never preferable, but they will survive.You don't have to move them too much.We move some of our greenhouse orchids outside once a year.Should I cut the stem after a flower has fallen?The only time I would cut the spike is when it turns brown.If it's still green, it wouldn't because it can produce more flowers from that spike.I like to compare it to desserts for humans.We may be full, but we always have room for dessert.It is true for orchids.We water them and they are happy, and the fertilizer is like dessert.It is an extra thing that will make them happy and content.People think it's the solution for their dying orchid, but if your plant isn't healthy, they're not going to use that fertilizer.The only time I recommend fertilizer, you can use anything you find at the nursery or hardware store, is when they are healthy.Any special orchid we should see during our next visit to the Huntington?Mexipedium xerophyticum is a species that was native to Oaxaca, Mexico, but unfortunately became extinct in the wild because people over-harvested and then there was a huge forest fire that wiped out the entire population.Before the wildfire, collectors went and collected two plants and brought them back to the United States.The Huntington has two of those clones.Our mission is to pollinate, cultivate, propagate and then distribute them to many other botanic gardens throughout the US so that we can conserve them.You will no longer find it in the wild.It is a beautiful little flower but so important in terms of diversity.We want to preserve plant habitats.Receive the latest news in Spanish Monday, Wednesday and Friday.Subscribe to our newsletterOccasionally, you may receive promotional content from the San Diego Union-Tribune en Español.To ensure that the San Diego 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