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Posted on 3:48 PM by Wanto and filed under
By Elizabeth Ayer
In tropical gardens where the orchids have become permanently attached to trees or other structures, the plants will look after themselves once they have become established. Some form of artificial feeding will be beneficial where this is practical; if not, the plants will grow naturally.
Hosing down will naturally wet every part of the plant, but in view of the faster rate of drying out, water inside the new growths will evaporate before it can cause any harm. In the same way, plants may receive hours of steady rain without coming to harm.
However, during spells of very wet weather and low temperatures, new growths may rot, and you will need to make some provision to protect the orchids from excessive amounts of rain. If you have only a few plants, it may be easier to move them to shelter. Alternatively, a polythene (plastic) "tent" can easily be erected over the plants.
These lovely plants, with their tall, monopodial foliage and vigorous aerial roots, are grown in vast quantities in large ground beds made up with suitable compost. Today, these are grown for the cut-flower trade as well as the export market.
Spraying the foliage is no substitute for watering the pots, and the aim should be to keep the orchids evenly moist at the roots to ensure a steady rate of growth.
When choosing the right type for orchids, look for one with the most ventilation. Ideally, there should be bottom or side ventilators as well as top ones, but this is not always possible. For orchids, the ideal greenhouse has a brick base. You may prefer to build this yourself, adding the sides and a glass roof with a timber or aluminium frame.
Another feature of this group is that when the pollinator visits the flower, it triggers a mechanism that releases the pollen and fires it, at great speed, towards the head of the insect. It sticks firmly by means of a viscose patch, but the slightest knock catapults the pollen from the flowers.
Artificial feeding can be increased in relation to the extra light the orchids are receiving. The occasional foliar feed (spraying the foliage with liquid feed) will ensure that the leaves remain a good mid-green. This is especially useful for any orchids that turn slightly yellow after being placed outside.
Hosing down will naturally wet every part of the plant, but in view of the faster rate of drying out, water inside the new growths will evaporate before it can cause any harm. In the same way, plants may receive hours of steady rain without coming to harm.
However, during spells of very wet weather and low temperatures, new growths may rot, and you will need to make some provision to protect the orchids from excessive amounts of rain. If you have only a few plants, it may be easier to move them to shelter. Alternatively, a polythene (plastic) "tent" can easily be erected over the plants.
These lovely plants, with their tall, monopodial foliage and vigorous aerial roots, are grown in vast quantities in large ground beds made up with suitable compost. Today, these are grown for the cut-flower trade as well as the export market.
Spraying the foliage is no substitute for watering the pots, and the aim should be to keep the orchids evenly moist at the roots to ensure a steady rate of growth.
When choosing the right type for orchids, look for one with the most ventilation. Ideally, there should be bottom or side ventilators as well as top ones, but this is not always possible. For orchids, the ideal greenhouse has a brick base. You may prefer to build this yourself, adding the sides and a glass roof with a timber or aluminium frame.
Another feature of this group is that when the pollinator visits the flower, it triggers a mechanism that releases the pollen and fires it, at great speed, towards the head of the insect. It sticks firmly by means of a viscose patch, but the slightest knock catapults the pollen from the flowers.
Artificial feeding can be increased in relation to the extra light the orchids are receiving. The occasional foliar feed (spraying the foliage with liquid feed) will ensure that the leaves remain a good mid-green. This is especially useful for any orchids that turn slightly yellow after being placed outside.
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