Orchids in Bloom: Keep Cool
So, you’ve nursed and fussed over an orchid for many long months and now it is rewarding you with a gorgeous bloom. Should you treat the plant any differently now? The answer is, perhaps.
Although the species of your orchid will be the final determinant, as a general rule it would be wise for you to remove the plant to a cooler and drier place that that in which it was grown. This will help the flowers to last much longer than in a warm and moist greenhouse or other typical growing room.
Most orchids will not be harmed by putting them into a cooler, drier location when they are blooming. Most will certainly benefit from it. Nevertheless, you should ensure that the temperature of your orchid’s temporary new home should never get below 50 degrees F. at night.
Here’s an experiment you can try if you happen to have two orchids of the same variety which bloom at about the same time. Leave one in your growing room, and put the other in a cool, dry place as recommended above. You will almost certainly notice that the plant in your “cool room” will have fresh flowers for a significantly longer time than the one that was left behind.
Naturally, the flowers of even the best-cared-for orcnhids will eventually begin to fade. When this happens you can move the plant back to the warm growing room. Take care to shade it from direct sun until it has re-adjusted to the warmth. If you neglect this, the plant could become scorched.
One of the keys to success in growing orchids is to understand their life cycles and the different stages they go through. Each of those stages demands a different type of care, and the blossoming phase has “rules” all its own.
The most up-to-date guide to contemporary orchid cultivation, many growers agree, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which may be downloaded from the web. Mr. Howard’s ebook is a full course in itself, great for novices as well as those more experienced. Also, be sure to visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which has an ever-growing library of articles on all topics of orchid cultivation.
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