Basic care for Orchids |
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Orchids Watering: The single biggest reason for orchid problems is over watering. To prevent this, you must adjust your watering to the plant’s environment. The environment includes temperature, humidity, light, the type of pot and the type of media. For example, an orchid potted in peat/perlite mix in Florida requires much less water than one potted in straight bark in Arizona. Do not set a fixed watering schedule. Rather, remove the plant label from the pot and feel for moistness. If it does not feel almost completely dry, hold off your watering. Try to water only in the morning so that the plant has time to dry somewhat before dark. When you do water, you should give the plant at least the equivalent of 1/3 the volume of the pot. More is fine. Problems come not from the amount of water you give a plant, but with the frequency of watering. The orchid must get a chance to almost dry completely out before more water is added. With a few exceptions, such as with vandas in slat baskets, it is not a good idea to mist your orchid except in the early morning hours. Orchids Drainage: Proper watering can only take place if you have proper drainage to go with it. Do not let the orchid stay in a pot that does not allow water to freely flow out. Otherwise, the roots will never dry and rot will result. Look for a container with lots of holes in the bottom. Orchids Fertilizing: You can fertilize with your watering. A balanced formula works fine. Many others will work well too. If your fertilizer has a 20 as its first number, you can then mix it with a ratio of 1 teaspoon to a gallon of water. If the first number is a 10, mix 1 1/2 teaspoons to a gallon. If the first number is a 30 mix only a 1/2 teaspoon to a gallon of water to adjust for the difference in nitrogen. At least once a month, flush the plant from the top with plain water to rinse away the salt buildups. This is particularly necessary if the plant is potted in clay. Orchids Temperature: A good rule of thumb is this, if you are comfortable, so is the plant. Day temperatures in the seventy’s and eighty’s are generally ideal. However, each variety has its own ideal range, check the guidelines in this site or the Grower Ron Orchid Growing Kit for details about the specific orchid you are interested in. The warmer the temperature, the more water your plant will need. Generally temperatures under 50 will do damage to your orchid. Some, like Cymbidiums without flower spikes, can accept temperatures into the 30’s. Orchids Light: Orchids generally like as much indirect light as you can give them. Do not expose them to direct light. One good way to test whether an orchid is getting the right light is to feel the leaves. If they are hot, move the plant to a shadier spot. Another way is to look at leaf color. If the plant is a rich dark green, it is probably not getting enough light. Orchid leaves should be a light green color if they are getting enough light. Remember, the more heat and light, the more often you will need to water the plant, and the more air movement the plant will require. Orchids Pots: See references to watering above. The key is drainage. If you wish to use a decorative pot, let the orchid grow in a pot with good drainage, and only place the plant in the decorative pot when it will be shown. When guests leave, take it back out of the decorative pot. Note, a clay pot dries out faster than a plastic one. Orchids in clay should be watered more often. Moreover, clay has a tendency to promote the buildup of salts because of more evaporation. To compensate, flush the plant with plain water more often than in a plastic pot. Orchids Potting Media: There almost as many potting medias as there are varieties of orchids. Many will work well if you adjust your watering to match the media used. Some of the most common medias are bark, peat, sphagnum, and lava rock. Each has its own requirements. Pure bark and lava rock will dry out quickly, you might have to water as often as every other day if you are in an area of high temperature and low humidity. Peat and sphagnum will hold water much longer. Watering must be much less frequent. It is easier to over water plants in these medias. However, in a peat media, it is just as important not to let the media dry out completely. Once this happens, it becomes very difficult for water to penetrate the media and get to the roots. Grower Ron uses a custom blend of Western fir bark along with some peat and perlite. The bark allows for good drainage. The small amount of peat compensates for the quick drying of bark. He has found that this is one of the most forgiving medias, and is most adaptable to different climates. Orchids Potting: When your plant arrives from Worldwide Orchids, it does not need to be immediately repotted. Plants need repotting for two main reasons. Either the media has begun to break down, or the plant has grown too big for the pot. With phalaenopsis, the plant should probably be repotted no more than once a year. With cattleyas, it may be once every 2 to 3 years. Pot after blooming, when growing stage is active. Make sure you do not use too large a pot. Orchids prefer to be under potted rather than over potted. With monopodial plants like phalaenopsis, the plant should be centered in the pot. With sympodial plants like Cattleya or Oncidiums, the oldest growth should be placed along the edge of the pot with the newest growth toward the center of the pot. Trim off all brown dead roots before repotting. Remove the dried paper like covering from pseudobulbs where applicable because insects like to hide under this material. Moisten the media before potting. Do not tamp down the media too hard. You want to maintain drainage. Orchids Flowering: Each variety of orchid has its own flowering frequency and time. Different varieties have different flowering triggers. Some orchids, like phalaenopsis, are primarily triggered by temperature. They will naturally initiate spikes (given enough light) when the nights start to get cooler. Other varieties, like Cattleya, are primarily triggered by light. With plants like these, it is important not to locate them where there will be artificial light on at night, as it will confuse the plant and prevent flowering. Some varieties have internal blooming clocks, and will only bloom on their own schedule. Orchids Leaf Care: Periodically, wipe down the top and bottom of the plant leaves with warm, dish type, soapy water. Wipe with the grain of the leaf. This will keep the plant looking good, and will also help remove any insects that may be hiding on the plant. Try to avoid leaf shine. It closes the pores on the leaves. |
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