Rest Your Orchids the Right Way
Orchids require resting time every year. The exact time for this depends on the Variety, but for most orchids it should start some time in the autumn and continue through most of the winter. You must care for your plants differently at this time than you would during their energetic growth periods (spring and summer usually). This is an often-overlooked part of growing orchids successfully.
A good general practice is to give your orchids rest from November through the middle of February. At this time you need to lower the temperature in the growing room and cut back on watering.
For orchids that originate in hot or very warm regions, you should keep the temperature at about 60 0r 65. Cooler-origin orchids can tolerate temperatures as low as 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
At this time, provide your plants just enough water to keep them from shriveling. Most of the moisture should be supplied by misting or by taking steps to keep the air humid. Occasionally, though, you should poke down into the soil and examine the stem, roots and rooting medium of your plants. If these are beginning to dry out you can water them directly.
Some species will continue to grow during the winter. These will need somewhat more water than those that truly go dormant. If you see new shoots coming up, though, try to avoid wetting them or they else they could rot.
Some orchids are deciduous. This means they will lose their leaves after they have finished their growth for the year. You need to give these as much sun and light during their resting time as you can. This is to allow their pseudobulbs to ripen, letting them grow stronger and flower more freely.
Proper orchid care is not that hard or mysterious. But to prevent problems will require more detailed information than can be included in a short article. The most complete guide to today’s orchid cultivation, many agree, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which may be downloaded from the Internet. Mr. Howard’s ebook is a complete education in itself, suitable for novices as well as the more experienced. Also, be sure to visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which has an ever-growing library of articles on many aspects of orchid cultivation.
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