Using Proper Orchid Growing Tips to Help Your Orchids Thrive
Even though orchids have thrived in rain forests for many years, people who don’t understand how to care for them are reluctant to try their hand at raising orchids. Make no mistake, orchids can be a challenge, especially for an amateur grower, but if you learn the orchid growing tips orchid care, there’s no reason you can’t be successful in growing these fragrant and lovely plants.
Temperature
The first aspect of taking care of orchids is the temperature at which they flourish most easily. Generally, the proper daytime temperature for most orchids is between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit (18 and 24 degrees Celsius). A temperature drop overnight of a few degrees is acceptable for most types of orchids. Some orchids do require different temperatures, so study the type you plan to grow, to ensure that you can meet its needs.
Humidity
The orchid’s optimum daytime humidity is between fifty and seventy percent. During the summertime, if the days are dry and warm, you can increase humidity by putting your orchids in shallow dishes with water and pebbles. Always keep the water just below the pebble tops. Make sure the water isn’t touching the bottom of the pots, or the roots will be exposed to too much water, and they may deteriorate.
Water
One of the first mistakes new orchid growers make is that of over-watering their orchids. Reasoning that they are native in rain forests, people perhaps try to imitate this nature in their home garden. But in the rain forest, orchids compete for nutrients and light with many other plant species. In your garden, there is no natural competition, so you need to make allowances for that.
Orchids are very accustomed to living in humidity, but if you over-water them, you run the risk of killing them. The amount of watering you will need to do depends on the temperature at which the type you are growing thrives. Many growers have success with watering once or twice a week. Make allowances for the season, and water more often in the summer months and less often in the winter.
The Paphiopedilum, Odontoglossum, Miltonia and Cymbidium and like varieties prefer the soil to remain a little moist between your waterings, while the Phalaaenopsis, Vanda orchids and Ascocenda favor drier soil between waterings. Never leave your orchids standing in water.
Light
One of the most important orchid growing tips are providing the proper lighting for your plants. If you don’t provide the right amount of light, then your orchid will not flourish and bloom.
Some orchids, such as the Cattleyas and Dendrobiums prefer more light, so placing them in a window facing south is a good choice. But make sure they’re not exposed to so much summer sun that their leaves burn. Phalaaenopsis and Paphiopedilums do better with less light, so it’s generally a good idea to place them further from the direct sunlight of a window.
While you are checking your orchids, if you notice that the leaves have a dark green cast to them, this may indicate that they are not receiving enough sunlight. A reddish hue, on the other hand, can be indicative that they are getting too much light. As a general rule, work towards getting your orchids twelve hours of light per day. If you are not in an area where that much natural sunlight hits your house, you can get a growing light. Make sure you don’t leave the light on for more than twelve hours a day.
With these orchid growing tips your orchids will grace your home with beauty for years to come.
