Orchid Growing Methods and Care Knowledge Explained
Summary Soil: You can grow them in leaf mold or mountain forest humus soil. Light: Give them appropriate indirect sunlight, but avoid direct strong light. Temperature: The suitable growing temperature is 16-24°C. Watering: In spring and autumn, water once every 2 days; in summer, water 1-2 times a day; in winter, water once every 1 week. Fertilizing: During the growing period, you can apply urea fertilizer water and potassium dihydrogen phosphate fertilizer water. Pest and disease control: Use a 500-fold dilution of water with soap powder added to kill insects.
1. Soil
1. Orchids are suitable for growing in weakly acidic and humus-rich soil, and can be grown in leaf mold or mountain forest humus soil.
2. In the south, you can use local humus soil, vermiculite, perlite and leaf mold, etc., to make a loose and airy growing medium, with a formula of 50% leaf mold plus 50% perlite. For the leaf mold, you can use fallen dead leaves, plus the same amount of perlite.
2. Light
1. Orchids like to grow in a cool environment and are afraid of direct sunlight. In spring, summer and autumn, you can provide shade from 9 a.m. to before 6 p.m., and in the morning and after 6 p.m. open the curtains to give them appropriate indirect sunlight.
2. In winter, they can be moved indoors to a place with weak light for care, but direct sunlight must be avoided.
3. Temperature
1. The suitable growing temperature for orchids is 16-24°C. When potted in the north, before Frost's Descent and when the temperature drops to 5°C, place them indoors for growing. During this period, open the windows often for ventilation, and the indoor temperature should be kept at about 10°C.
2. During Grain Rain, move them outdoors for care. In winter, the indoor temperature will be relatively low, and it needs to be kept at 10-12°C during the day and 5-10°C at night. Neither the temperature nor the humidity should be too high. In summer, the temperature must not exceed 30°C.
4. Watering
1. Orchids like moisture and dislike dryness. The number of waterings can be determined according to their growth condition and the local climate, following the principle of not dry in autumn and not wet in winter. In spring and autumn, water once every 2 days, and during the vigorous growth period in summer, water 1-2 times a day.
2. In winter, when the temperature is low and the orchids are in a dormant state, water once every 1 week to promote their growth and development. When watering, avoid splashing water droplets onto the leaves, which will cause black spots on the leaves and affect their ornamental effect.
5. Fertilizing
1. Orchids should first be given a base fertilizer when growing, and then topdressed during the growing period. You can choose liquid fertilizer and foliar fertilizer, at a concentration lighter than for other flowers.
2. Orchids need to have their growing medium changed once a year. During the growing period, appropriately topdress with fully rotted 15% dilute cake fertilizer water, or 0.1% urea fertilizer water plus 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate fertilizer water, applying topdressing about once every 18 days.
3. During the flowering period, spray 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate fertilizer water on the leaves 2-3 times to promote the growth of the orchids. Orchids have fleshy roots, so do not apply unrotted fertilizer, as it easily causes root rot.
6. Pest and Disease Control
1. Common pests and diseases during the growth of orchids include aphids and scale insects. If scale insects appear, you can remove them by hand or with tweezers.
2. Aphids are relatively small, and you can use a 500-fold dilution of water with soap powder added to kill the insects. After spraying, wait 12 hours and then spray clean water once. It needs to be sprayed continuously for 5 days.
7. Precautions
Orchids like to grow in soil that is dry but not parched. Generally, soil that is too wet will cause the roots to lack oxygen. When oxygen is insufficient, a lot of alcohol will be produced and cause root rot. To avoid root rot disease, loosen the soil often so that the oxygen in the soil is sufficient, and water in small amounts multiple times.