Keeping other plants near orchids?

[pura vida]

Hi everyone,

I just joined the forum board today and am so happy to meet other enthusiasts.

I ran a few search terms but didn't find the answer to this question: Is it okay for me to have other plants near the orchids? I have a few azaleas near my indoor orchids but I'm nervous it will be detrimental.

Kindly advise!

Gratefully,

PV

[Blueszz]

Hello PV,
welcome to this forum!

To be honest, I don't know why it would be problem. Do you have any specific concerns?

In fact, I use other plants to provide some of my orchids partial shade (indoor plants). Otherwise I have to adjust the blinds every few hours. I even have two orchids hanging in my indoor Yucca tree. :-)

[RosieC]

I've not heard of a problem.

I've heard that bannana's and incence sticks can both cause flowers to fade premeturely, but nothing about other house plants causing a problem.

[camille1585]

I don't see why there would be problems in keeping other plans with the orchids, as long as the have the same light requirements. The plants that I would avoid are ones that are known to attract unwanted insects or diseases. For example mini roses are prone to powdery mildew, and some plants seem to always have aphids on other on them. But my orchids grow just fine with the other houseplants!

[rogerman]

I have had many problems.
My wife in all her wisdom planted an orange tree under the plants in one corner of the shade house..... In six months it grew about 1 metre and whenever the wind blew, it kept knocking plants down...... also a birds nest suddenly appeared, which also meant that Vanda flowers, for some unknown reason got holes in them

I dug it out threw the stupid tree over the fence into my mother in laws property

[ChasWG]

That's funny Peter! Well, not really funny for your orchids, but funny the way you told it. This is why I plant all the things that need or want to be planted in my yard. "Have a plan and then stick to the plan!" is my matra. Of course there are a few places that still need figuring out, but no one is planting a freaking orange tree without permission first! That and they won't grow here, but still...

As for keeping other plants near my orchids, well there might be a few tomato, cabbage, summer squash or daisey's in my orchid enclosure right now. But that's it, no more. Not a single other plant makes it in there unless I approve. Or the wife wants it... But that's IT!

"Yes honey, I'm coming..."

BTW, the other plants in my enclosure aren't harming a thing. They were all started from seeds and have grown very nicely in my mini-greenhouse. Next I'm going to get a Cala-lily to try in there. We have the worst time with those here in dry Colorado and my wife loves them. A cala for her and a new orchid for me. That's fair.

[rogerman]

Fair enough. The biggest thing was right at the beginning when we were trying to decide what we were actually going to sell/do in the greenhouse. First we were just going to do a few Orchids and mainly ornamental plants....... Now we are doing the opposite.....mainly orchids and a few ornamental plants..... so all the landscaping for the "garden centre" has suffered lol

I say, just blame it on the wife anyway lol....no not really

[mojomick]

Fruit trees and tomatoes, and other fruit that produce ethylene gas are a no no. Bananas(the fruit), I'm not sure about the plant, and fruits that ripen can cause your orchid buds to blast. Betty

[pura vida]

Thank you all for your help! I actually like having other plants around as I think it may increase the humidity a twee (although maybe that's a completely inaccurate hunch), but mostly I wondered about insects. All of this said, I've pushed my azaleas a bit closer to the orchids.
Thanks for replying to my query. I'm sure there will be many more where that came from.

[oddworld]

nepenthes make great companion plants.
Hyacinths are also a nono- ethylene. While ethylene makes many plants flower, it does cause bud blast and early flower fade in orchids.