0
Posted on 8:11 AM by Wanto and filed under
By Charles Hood
Water your orchids using a spouted watering can of a size that reflects the size of your collection. As this grows, you will want to convert to a garden hose in your greenhouse connected to the mains water supply. Use an adjustable nozzle to make the job easier and more enjoyable.
There are a number of ways in which you can determine the moisture content of a pot. A good idea is to lift each pot and test the weight, but this is only practical where you have just one or two plants. Nevertheless, it is a good learning experience for the beginner, and as you progress from lifting each pot, you can recognize the dryness of the compost (growing medium) by observing its surface.
Dry compost will vary in colour, or you may notice other subtle differences that will only come with experience. If you are still not sure, slip a plant out of its pot, without breaking up the compost ball, and take a quick look underneath to see how wet it is. Take a look also at the plant itself. This will tell you what has been happening over the past weeks.
If the pseudobulbs are plump, all is well. Shrivelled pseudobulbs, or limp foliage, may indicate underwatering or even overwatering. Further study of the roots will ascertain which is the cause, and the problem can be remedied. Generally, you may expect to water a typical orchid once or twice in any week during the growing season. Water once every two or three weeks while the orchid is resting.
The complex hybrids in this genus often conform to a nine-month cycle, so that new growth is often started at a different time of the year. This can result in plants growing during the winter and resting and flowering during the summer. Stanhopeas often prefer to grow during the winter, flowering in midsummer while at rest. The paphiopedilums and phalaenopsis do not grow and flower at the same time.
The phalaenopsis follow a routine of alternately producing one new leaf, then a flower spike, giving the plant a short rest during flowering. Most monopodial orchids behave in a similar way. Most of the coelogynes bloom at the start of their growing season, with the flower spikes appearing from the centre of the new growth while it is very young. There is no definite month when a particular orchid will go to rest or begin to grow again. Watch each plant individually and you will soon get to know from your own observation whether it is growing or not. Once the season's pseudobulb has matured, having reached its full size, the growing cycle is complete. The plant is now at rest, and only when you can see a new growth extending upwards from the base is the new season commencing.
Always try to water the orchids at time when the temperature is rising. This means watering early in the dae and is more important in winter sin when all surplus moisture will hat time to dry by nightfall. This avoids the combination of wet and cold that orchids detest.
Water softeners such as reverse osmosis, however, remove impurities to leave a better-quality water suitable for orchids.
There are a number of ways in which you can determine the moisture content of a pot. A good idea is to lift each pot and test the weight, but this is only practical where you have just one or two plants. Nevertheless, it is a good learning experience for the beginner, and as you progress from lifting each pot, you can recognize the dryness of the compost (growing medium) by observing its surface.
Dry compost will vary in colour, or you may notice other subtle differences that will only come with experience. If you are still not sure, slip a plant out of its pot, without breaking up the compost ball, and take a quick look underneath to see how wet it is. Take a look also at the plant itself. This will tell you what has been happening over the past weeks.
If the pseudobulbs are plump, all is well. Shrivelled pseudobulbs, or limp foliage, may indicate underwatering or even overwatering. Further study of the roots will ascertain which is the cause, and the problem can be remedied. Generally, you may expect to water a typical orchid once or twice in any week during the growing season. Water once every two or three weeks while the orchid is resting.
The complex hybrids in this genus often conform to a nine-month cycle, so that new growth is often started at a different time of the year. This can result in plants growing during the winter and resting and flowering during the summer. Stanhopeas often prefer to grow during the winter, flowering in midsummer while at rest. The paphiopedilums and phalaenopsis do not grow and flower at the same time.
The phalaenopsis follow a routine of alternately producing one new leaf, then a flower spike, giving the plant a short rest during flowering. Most monopodial orchids behave in a similar way. Most of the coelogynes bloom at the start of their growing season, with the flower spikes appearing from the centre of the new growth while it is very young. There is no definite month when a particular orchid will go to rest or begin to grow again. Watch each plant individually and you will soon get to know from your own observation whether it is growing or not. Once the season's pseudobulb has matured, having reached its full size, the growing cycle is complete. The plant is now at rest, and only when you can see a new growth extending upwards from the base is the new season commencing.
Always try to water the orchids at time when the temperature is rising. This means watering early in the dae and is more important in winter sin when all surplus moisture will hat time to dry by nightfall. This avoids the combination of wet and cold that orchids detest.
Water softeners such as reverse osmosis, however, remove impurities to leave a better-quality water suitable for orchids.
Post a Comment