Help Your Orchids Enjoy Their Summer
When summer is right around the corner, your orchids will need some different care. You may put your indoor plants outside to enjoy the summer air, but be sure to bring them in if cooler temperatures are forecast, and check them out to make sure they don’t need more water.
If you have Cattleyas or other hardy types outside basking in the sun, there is one caveat. When you check them, if it feels like they need water, wait an extra day before you do water them. This will keep them from being over-watered.
Phalaenopsis and oncidiums can be misted each day. And then water as you normally would. Watch for pseudobulbs’ wrinkling, too – if they do, they need more water!
In the middle of the day when the sun’s rays are strongest, give your orchids a break and set them in the shade, because the direct sunlight will burn most breeds. Ideally, you would like your orchids to get their sun only in the morning, and then give them partial shade after that. Cymbidiums can stay out in mid-day sun, but with other types, you risk them getting burnt if they’re left in full sun.
Phalaenopsis is one of the orchids that can burn without a great deal of hot sun. You can tell it’s in trouble if you see black and yellow and the plant. The cattleyas will have leaves that look red when they’ve had an over-abundance of sun. Their leaves will change to yellow if you leave them out in the sun.
Phalaenopsis may be done blooming by the time summer arrives. To attempt to get it to bloom again, you can snip the stems about a half of an inch from the base of the plant. If your flower stem still has side-branches, don’t cut any branches - it will continue to bloom.
After the Phalaenopsis blooms, repot it in a mix of charcoal and bark and leave it to recover out of any sunlight. After about a month, it should be ready to go back with the rest of the Phalaenopsis.
Allow plenty of light and watch your watering especially when completing summertime orchid care. That’s when your paphiopedilum will be in their most active growth season.
Any Phragmepediums that are summering outdoors will need to be kept moist; this is most important during the hottest hours and during the whole season. But as long as they’re well-watered, let them have as much sun as they want. They need the light so that they’ll produce healthy flowers.
Your Cattleyas that bloomed earlier in spring are probably not blooming anymore, by summertime. This is a good time for you to repot them. You can do the repotting of your fall Cattleyas at the same time. Make sure the roots of the Cattleyas are about an inch long.
Watch out for pseudobulbs that look shrunken – if they do, they need more water. Check for rot too, if you have been watering a lot and suspect you may have over-watered. Treat rot right away, using a fungicide, and do it as soon as you can, or the fungus may cause your plant to die.
Good luck on summertime orchid care and enjoy the season!
