Orchid Plants – 7 Ways to Guarantee Healthy Orchids
It is not as hard as many people think to grow orchids or to have healthy orchids. Orchids do require attention weekly and if you are completely new to growing orchids, you will want to acquire some basic knowledge about them from information sites online, books, magazines or even by joining a club or society dedicated to growing orchids.
Let’s take a look at some of the ways to guarantee your orchids will be healthy.
You need to provide enough light. Orchids should receive on average ten hours of medium light every day. If growing in your home, a window exposed to the south is an excellent choice. Windows facing north usually do not give or receive enough light and those to the east or west have too few hours of good light. In the summer, you may need to use drapes to defuse light that is too bright.
No sudden temperature changes. Orchids don’t have very much flexibility at all for temperatures which have sudden fluctuations. If you are growing your orchids outside in the garden, temperature is going to be critical to whether you have healthy flowering orchids or not. If a front should come through and raise or drop the temperatures by ten degrees, the orchids may not survive. This sudden change in temperature can upset their cycle of growth, cause anemia and allow them to acquire diseases, such as rot. Make sure you only purchase orchids which can do well in your location and that you grow them inside if there is often rapidly changing weather.
Select orchids which do best in the temperatures you can provide. Do some homework before purchasing orchids. Different species of orchids have very specific temperature ranges. Don’t try to grow an orchid that needs 80 to 90 degree day temperatures if you do not have that temperature range each day where you live. Orchids grow everywhere from the tropics to snow-covered peaks. Know in advance the requirements of the orchid you purchase and stick to these, whether inside or outdoors.
Keep your orchids clean. If you are one of those people who goes weeks without cleaning your house, you may not have the right personality for growing orchids. In order to be healthy and thriving, orchids need to be clean. In their natural environment, which in most cases is tropical, orchids are cleaned daily by rain showers which get rid of dust and insects. You should wipe the dust and dirt off your orchids at least once a week. Occasionally, you should combine several drops of vegetable oil emulsion insecticide (not mineral oil) with a pint of lukewarm water and sponge it onto the orchid foliage. It will give the plant a polished look and protect it from pest damage.
Fertilize orchids appropriately. Manures are the most dangerous orchid fertilizers to use and often the most used. If you are a beginner, you might want to try other fertilizers first. Overall, the best fertilizers to use are liquid: manure water, commercial concentrates, and nutrient solutions. Manure water is made by putting two cups of ground manure into a gallon jug and then letting it sit for a week or so. Then you should dilute it even more by pouring one-fourth cup from the jug into a quart of water. This solution is to be carefully poured at the edge of the pot and should not come in contact with foliage, pseudo bulbs or rhizomes. There are many synthetic fertilizers you can buy for orchids and you can also make nutrient mixes, the recipes of which have been handed down from gardener to gardener through the years.
Do not over-water orchids. An over-watered orchid is going to become sick and die. On the other hand, occasionally forgetting to water an orchid will rarely result in sickness or death. When an orchid’s roots are healthy and dry, they will be white. Check frequently to make sure your orchids do not have green roots, as that is an indication of over-watering. Other indications of over-watering are growing scum, moss or weeds.
Repot your orchids when necessary. This is the scariest step of all for most new orchid gardeners. But orchids do need to be repotted if the plants are too large for the pot or if the compost is worn out or too alkaline. Leaving an orchid in old compost is worse for it than disturbing the roots. Repot with care and your orchids should suffer no ill effects. Get some help the first time by reading about it, watching videos of how to do it, or by getting someone more advanced in orchid care to help.
Mary Ann Berdak is an orchid enthusiast who has rediscovered (and republished online) the most powerful, proven long-lost orchid care secrets. Thousands of people and orchids around the globe have benefitted from the tips and tricks she has made available to you on her website…and now it’s YOUR turn! For immediate access to more proven orchid growing information, visit: http://www.OrchidSecretsRevealed.com
Article from articlesbase.com
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