Confessions of an ‘orchid killer’

“Hello, my name is Kathy, and I’m an orchid killer.”

That’s how Master Gardener Kathy Davis kicked off her talk at a recent Daniel Island Garden Club meeting, standing in front of a lineup of her prized possessions: her orchids.

Her presentation, “Confessions of a Lowcountry Orchid Grower,” was equal parts confession and a crash course in orchid survival. 

“If you grow orchids, some are going to die,” Davis said matter-of-factly. “I have a collection of about 50 orchids, and I’m sure I’ve killed a multiple of 50 over the years.”

A retired naval engineer, Davis first fell for orchids during her work trips to Hawaii, though the chillier winters claimed nearly all of her plants. Those early failures led her to join the Coastal Carolina Orchid Society, where she discovered orchids aren’t fragile; they’re just particular. She credits the group with transforming her from orchid killer to orchid whisperer.

Today, Davis’s home is an open-air jungle of blooms. “All of my orchids grow outside,” she said. “I don’t even have houseplants. I grew up with cats, and you know how cats are with potting soil.”

Her orchids hang from shepherd’s crooks in the yard, each catching different degrees of sunlight. “Sometimes I bring the pretty ones in, but I like seeing them bloom outside.”

Orchids, she explained, are the second-largest plant family on Earth, found on every continent except Antarctica.

“Most are epiphytes,” she said. “They’ll grow on trees or rocks or fence posts, but they aren’t parasitic. They get nutrients from air, rain, and decaying debris.”

Her five orchid commandments? Light, temperature, air, water, and fertilizer.

Light is crucial. “If your orchid isn’t reblooming, it’s not getting enough light,” Davis said, noting that lighter leaves indicate healthy photosynthesis while darker leaves usually mean the plant is in too much shade.

Water carefully. “The fastest way to kill an orchid is to let it sit in a wet medium,” she warned. “And never water with ice cubes – there’s a reason they can’t survive in Antarctica.”

Orchids need moving air, too, so fans or breezy spots keep humidity high without letting roots sit in stagnant moisture.

Temperature is another key factor; some orchids like it hot, some cooler, but knowing your plant’s genus and species is key. “I always keep the ID tag because it tells you light requirements, growing conditions, and bloom time.”

As for fertilizer, she follows a “weekly, weakly” routine at half strength, often using slow-release Nutricote pellets.

Among her collection, one orchid holds special meaning: the Ruth Davis cymbidium, named after her mother.

“My mother’s name was Ruth Davis, and my middle name is Ruth,” she said. “We each got one years ago, but when they died, I searched for replacements for nearly six years. This past spring, I finally got one. I paid $175 – the most I’ll ever pay for an orchid, but I had to get it.”

If Davis has learned anything about orchids, it’s that growing them takes persistence, patience, and acceptance.

“You’re going to kill some,” she winked. “But if it hasn’t bloomed yet, don’t give up. It’s not dead. It’s just being dramatic.”