Best Ever Orchid Growing Tips
Orchids have long been a well loved plant for home gardeners.
However, many have been afraid to try to grow them, fearing that the demands an orchid needs to thrive are beyond their capabilities.
Fortunately, advancements in both the plants and equipment have made it simple to grow healthy, beautiful plants at home, and the following orchid growing tips should help.
For the novice grower, it is best to select one of the easy to grow hybrids.
Garden centers are a good place to purchase these, as they know the requirements of each type.
Choosing the correct plant is the most critical step in achieving success in growing orchids.
Next, the proper watering cycle must be addressed.
Many gardeners tend to over water orchids; most varieties only need to be watered every five to seven days.
Orchids should be watered early in the day and never at night.
This is one of the most important things for a novice grower to remember.
Orchids require a humid environment, and most homes are far too dry to suit them.
This can be overcome by placing the pot in a shallow container which is lined with rocks and kept half full of water.
It may also be helpful to mist the leaves occasionally.
Some types of plants need to be kept out of direct sunlight, while others do best in bright light.
The strain of orchid determines whether light should be direct or diffused, and the differences taken into consideration when placing artificial lighting.
To flower properly, orchids need a variation between daytime and nighttime temperatures of fifteen to twenty degrees.
Cool nights, with temperatures below about 59 degrees, are critical for most strains.
If the plant is kept too warm, the flowers may be stunted or not produce at all.
There are many excellent potting soil mixtures and fertilizers available specifically for orchids.
As these are formulated for the exact needs of the plant, they are important tools to utilize.
Almost every variety of orchids requires precise, periodic fertilization to maintain a healthy root system and develop the showy flowers for which orchids are famous.
Re-potting should be done in the time frame after a plant flowers.
Division, however, should be restricted to mature plants, and younger plants needing more space should simply be moved to a larger pot.
With more than twenty thousand species of orchids and as many as 100,000 hybrids available, the entire color spectrum is represented.
The new, hardier varieties, coupled with the orchid growing tips offered here, make it easy to grow even the most spectacular varieties at home.
However, many have been afraid to try to grow them, fearing that the demands an orchid needs to thrive are beyond their capabilities.
Fortunately, advancements in both the plants and equipment have made it simple to grow healthy, beautiful plants at home, and the following orchid growing tips should help.
For the novice grower, it is best to select one of the easy to grow hybrids.
Garden centers are a good place to purchase these, as they know the requirements of each type.
Choosing the correct plant is the most critical step in achieving success in growing orchids.
Next, the proper watering cycle must be addressed.
Many gardeners tend to over water orchids; most varieties only need to be watered every five to seven days.
Orchids should be watered early in the day and never at night.
This is one of the most important things for a novice grower to remember.
Orchids require a humid environment, and most homes are far too dry to suit them.
This can be overcome by placing the pot in a shallow container which is lined with rocks and kept half full of water.
It may also be helpful to mist the leaves occasionally.
Some types of plants need to be kept out of direct sunlight, while others do best in bright light.
The strain of orchid determines whether light should be direct or diffused, and the differences taken into consideration when placing artificial lighting.
To flower properly, orchids need a variation between daytime and nighttime temperatures of fifteen to twenty degrees.
Cool nights, with temperatures below about 59 degrees, are critical for most strains.
If the plant is kept too warm, the flowers may be stunted or not produce at all.
There are many excellent potting soil mixtures and fertilizers available specifically for orchids.
As these are formulated for the exact needs of the plant, they are important tools to utilize.
Almost every variety of orchids requires precise, periodic fertilization to maintain a healthy root system and develop the showy flowers for which orchids are famous.
Re-potting should be done in the time frame after a plant flowers.
Division, however, should be restricted to mature plants, and younger plants needing more space should simply be moved to a larger pot.
With more than twenty thousand species of orchids and as many as 100,000 hybrids available, the entire color spectrum is represented.
The new, hardier varieties, coupled with the orchid growing tips offered here, make it easy to grow even the most spectacular varieties at home.
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