I don't think there is a such thing as too much information. The more knowledge you have about orchid care the better your results will be. I want to discuss just a few tips about growing them including proper soil, watering, and the correct amount of light.
These three aspects are some of the most important steps to growing beautiful flowers. If you do not perform these steps correctly you can end up having a garden full of dead plants. Lets discover these simple tips and find out how to perform each step precisely.
The Orchid Medium
Many times I have seen orchid enthusiasts showing off their orchids only to find that they have planted them in normal potting soil. What they don't know is that their plants will not last very long in this type of soil because it is not made for orchid plants. If you want to grow them you will have to purchase special mix or soils that can be easily found in most garden stores or hardware stores that have a garden section.
These mixes are best for beginners and can be quite valuable when planting these beautiful flowers. Fir bark, sphagnum moss, osmunda fiber, and even coconut husks are other solutions for proper mediums. Use any of these methods and you can save yourself some time caring for orchids.
Orchid Light
Light is another essential ingredient in the production of magnificent orchids. Without the correct light requirements your orchid flowers are destined to die. For proper orchid care you will need to provide your orchid with enough sunlight or artificial light. You can do both, but it is recommended to choose one option. For example you can use artificial lights for during the cold, dry, winter months. While using sunlight during the summer will provide your orchid with the perfect amount of sunlight.
Watering Orchids Perfectly
Now let's talk about how to water your plants thoroughly. Believe it or not watering is actually one of the easiest tasks that an enthusiast can do. One of the easiest methods that many people do is they allow the medium to dry out, then they will begin watering their flowers before it starts to wilt from lack of moisture.
The dry out method is very straightforward and can be used pretty much every single day, depending on the season and the temperature in the room. This is the easiest method but you must be very careful not to over water your orchids. It is better to dry them out rather than having too much water contained within the soil. The water will create a condition that is conducive to fungal infections and even bacterial wilts and viruses.
Showing posts with label orchids care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label orchids care. Show all posts
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Saturday, June 19, 2010
How To Take Care Of Orchids With These Three Techniques
What a beautiful and delicate flower orchids are. Can anyone grow their own flower or should that be left to professional gardeners? The short answer is YES anyone can learn how to take care of these beautiful plants just by learning a few tips and tricks about growing and caring for orchid plants. In this post I will show you just a few tips that will help in properly caring for these amazing flowers. Discover how to take care of them with these three easy and simple tasks.
Task #1 Humidity
As many enthusiasts know that they are very moisture hungry organisms that will need enough humidity to thrive properly. The humidity level in your greenhouse if you have one or on the windowsill should be at least 60%. They thrive in plenty of moisture and can actually have up to 80% humidity in their environment. You can purchase a device called a hygrometer to measure the humidity in your home, greenhouse, or wherever you happen to be growing these flowers.
Normally the summer months will supply them with the correct amount of humidity required for optimum growth. The winter months is when you need to worry about humidity levels. Place a tray underneath your plants that is filled with water and gravel. Place them on the tray making sure it doesn't touch the water. This will give your flowers adequate amount of moisture for proper growth. If you don't like this idea then you can always purchase yourself a humidifier to provide them a more accurate amount of humidity.
Tip #2 Temperature
They are very sensitive when it comes to the proper temperature you keep the room or greenhouse at. There are three classes of orchid temperatures: medium, cool, and warm classes. This seems pretty simple doesn't it? Cool temperature plants will tolerate temperatures from 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, but not any lower than this. Keep the medium class types at around 60 to 70 degrees. The warm class ones should be at least 70 degrees but not any higher than 80 degrees. Once you find out what class your flower is then you can find out the proper temperature you should keep the room at.
Tip #3 Fertilizer
Not many orchid growers think twice about using fertilizer for their flowers. It is important to use fertilizers for proper growth. They are not very critical to these plants, but they might be need down the road when your flowers have used up all the nutrients from its pot. If you do need to use a fertilizer for your plants you should apply a combination of 10-10-10. This means you should use 10% of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium.
Learning how to take care of orchids is really quite simple when you are given precise instructions. By discovering tips here and there you will be able to grow awesome looking flowers that everybody will look at. Now that you know the secrets to producing blossoms it's time for you to start your new hobby today.
Task #1 Humidity
As many enthusiasts know that they are very moisture hungry organisms that will need enough humidity to thrive properly. The humidity level in your greenhouse if you have one or on the windowsill should be at least 60%. They thrive in plenty of moisture and can actually have up to 80% humidity in their environment. You can purchase a device called a hygrometer to measure the humidity in your home, greenhouse, or wherever you happen to be growing these flowers.
Normally the summer months will supply them with the correct amount of humidity required for optimum growth. The winter months is when you need to worry about humidity levels. Place a tray underneath your plants that is filled with water and gravel. Place them on the tray making sure it doesn't touch the water. This will give your flowers adequate amount of moisture for proper growth. If you don't like this idea then you can always purchase yourself a humidifier to provide them a more accurate amount of humidity.
Tip #2 Temperature
They are very sensitive when it comes to the proper temperature you keep the room or greenhouse at. There are three classes of orchid temperatures: medium, cool, and warm classes. This seems pretty simple doesn't it? Cool temperature plants will tolerate temperatures from 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, but not any lower than this. Keep the medium class types at around 60 to 70 degrees. The warm class ones should be at least 70 degrees but not any higher than 80 degrees. Once you find out what class your flower is then you can find out the proper temperature you should keep the room at.
Tip #3 Fertilizer
Not many orchid growers think twice about using fertilizer for their flowers. It is important to use fertilizers for proper growth. They are not very critical to these plants, but they might be need down the road when your flowers have used up all the nutrients from its pot. If you do need to use a fertilizer for your plants you should apply a combination of 10-10-10. This means you should use 10% of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium.
Learning how to take care of orchids is really quite simple when you are given precise instructions. By discovering tips here and there you will be able to grow awesome looking flowers that everybody will look at. Now that you know the secrets to producing blossoms it's time for you to start your new hobby today.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Orchid Care Tips: Where Can You Grow Orchids?
When people think of orchids they usually think they can only be grown by the pros and not by a typical enthusiast. Not only can anyone grow these flowers, but they can grow them quickly and easily with just a little bit of knowledge. In this post I want to give you a few simple tips on orchid care and where the best places are to grow them.
Using The Sun for all Your Plants
If you want to grow them in your home you need to have a place that gets at least eight hours of sunlight. For example one place that many people prefer to place their plant is in a windowsill. A window on the south side of your house or apartment is the best place to grow them.
You don't want to give any of them too much continuous sunlight. Although they need sunlight to grow, too much sunlight can actually harm many of them if you are not too careful. It's pretty easy to avoid your flowers from getting sun burn. All you need to do is to place a transparent piece of cloth such as a curtain. This should allow enough light for your plants to flower correctly.
Growing Them Outdoors Can be a Great Advantage Too
You don't have to grow these plants in your home if you don't want to. You can always grow your orchids outdoors especially if you live in the proper climate to do so. They are naturally found in very humid climates and they love lots of moisture. If you live in an area that has very moist air then you can grow your orchids outside in your backyard.
The great thing about these plants is that they attach themselves to trees, rocks, and other objects in their local environment. Even if you don't live in a humid climate you can still grow them outside. You will have to make sure that when winter comes around you should bring in all your plants. If you leave them outside they will die from the very cold air instantly.
These are just a few places that you can grow orchids. In either location you can grow beautiful and magnificent flowers with long lasting blooms.
Using The Sun for all Your Plants
If you want to grow them in your home you need to have a place that gets at least eight hours of sunlight. For example one place that many people prefer to place their plant is in a windowsill. A window on the south side of your house or apartment is the best place to grow them.
You don't want to give any of them too much continuous sunlight. Although they need sunlight to grow, too much sunlight can actually harm many of them if you are not too careful. It's pretty easy to avoid your flowers from getting sun burn. All you need to do is to place a transparent piece of cloth such as a curtain. This should allow enough light for your plants to flower correctly.
Growing Them Outdoors Can be a Great Advantage Too
You don't have to grow these plants in your home if you don't want to. You can always grow your orchids outdoors especially if you live in the proper climate to do so. They are naturally found in very humid climates and they love lots of moisture. If you live in an area that has very moist air then you can grow your orchids outside in your backyard.
The great thing about these plants is that they attach themselves to trees, rocks, and other objects in their local environment. Even if you don't live in a humid climate you can still grow them outside. You will have to make sure that when winter comes around you should bring in all your plants. If you leave them outside they will die from the very cold air instantly.
These are just a few places that you can grow orchids. In either location you can grow beautiful and magnificent flowers with long lasting blooms.
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