How to care for potted orchids so the plant looks elegant and well-formed

Orchids are a relatively difficult plant to grow. If you want to grow them to the point of blooming, they have very high requirements for soil, watering, fertilizing, temperature, light and so on. So how should potted orchids be grown? Please see below for details.

1. Choosing the soil

The soil for orchids should be mainly humus soil; you can use leaf mold or mountain forest humus soil. The humus soil from the orchids' place of origin, also called orchid mud, can be bought directly at a flower market, or you can mix your own. Generally, leaf mold, compost soil and river sand are mixed in a ratio of 6:3:1. The resulting soil is slightly acidic.

2. Watering

Different varieties of orchids have slightly different watering needs, and this must also be determined specifically according to the local environment and climate. Watering orchids requires keeping them moist but not soggy, and dry but not parched; you cannot water too much or too little. In winter, when the temperature is relatively low, most orchids are in a dormant state, so the amount of water given should be relatively small. In summer, the high temperatures are also a period of vigorous growth for orchids, and on average they should be watered 1 to 2 times a day. Be careful that water does not get on the leaves, to avoid black spots appearing on them. In summer, you also need to sprinkle water around the flower pot to increase growth and development. The water used to irrigate orchids is best rainwater or snow water; tap water should be left to stand for 2 to 3 days before use.

3. Temperature

The most suitable temperature for orchid growth is 16 to 24 degrees. In winter, air circulation should be maintained, with the temperature kept at around 10 degrees; in summer, the temperature cannot exceed 30 degrees. If the temperature is too low, the orchids will freeze to death, and if the summer temperature is too high, they will be scorched. If the temperature is unsuitable, orchids will very easily die.

4. Light

Orchids are relatively shade-loving and afraid of direct sunlight, so they must be shaded in all three seasons of spring, summer and autumn. For household potted orchids, the light should be controlled, placing them on a balcony, windowsill or under the eaves with a bamboo curtain. Orchids should be shaded from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and receive scattered sunlight in the early morning and toward evening. In winter, place the orchids indoors in a spot that can receive scattered light, avoiding direct sunlight.

5. Fertilizing

There are mainly two ways to fertilize orchids: one is to apply a base fertilizer in the growing medium, and the other is topdressing during the growing period. Topdressing mainly uses liquid fertilizer and foliar fertilizer, at a concentration a bit weaker than for other flowers, and the growing medium also needs to be replaced once a year. During the orchid growing season, you need to apply topdressing of fully rotted, thin cake fertilizer water at about 15%, or 0.1% urea fertilizer water plus 0.2% monopotassium phosphate fertilizer water, once every 15 to 20 days. Before flowering, spray the leaves 2 to 3 times with 0.2% monopotassium phosphate or plant ash water. Orchids must not be given unrotted fertilizer, otherwise root rot will occur.

Orchids are a very delicate flower, and caring for them in daily life takes a great deal of thought. If you are a beginner, you should exchange ideas and learn more when growing orchids, so that you can grow elegant and well-formed orchids.