Orchid Care in August: Key Management Points and Maintenance Methods

Extreme summer heat and tropical nights require shading and ventilation

    Environmental Management

    The extreme heat and tropical nights that begin after the rainy season ends make this the most difficult month for many orchid lovers to manage their orchids. However, as long as you block direct sunlight and open all the windows for good ventilation, you can get through summer safely.

    It is best to open the skylight as well. This way, hot air naturally escapes through the skylight and fresh air flows in. Using this method, you can keep the indoor temperature 2-3 degrees lower than outside. When using electric fans, blowers and similar equipment, note that too strong a draft will make the orchid leaves rough.

    Increase the shading rate as much as possible to make the orchid room darker. If the orchid room is on the ground, and there is some space at the ceiling, you can add an extra layer of shade film indoors. If the orchid room is in a multi-story building, keep the orchid shelves as far from the windows as possible, and add another layer of curtain to the curtains. At this time, be sure to secure the shading material well to prevent the curtains from touching the orchid leaves when the wind blows.

If ventilation is smooth under shaded conditions, orchids are rarely damaged by the extreme heat. Orchids that grew taller during the rainy season become sturdier, and even new shoots that were originally growing poorly grow better and better.

    Watering Management

    At this time, the main cause of orchid damage is watering. Generally, water thoroughly in the evening after the top dressing soil has dried. After watering, open all the windows for ventilation, and use electric fans and blowers on a weak setting. Use cotton swabs and brushes to remove excess water soaking the new shoots.

    During the extreme heat period when tropical nights continue and daytime temperatures are high, you can still manage orchids with peace of mind. If you force the temperature down or worry too much about the pots drying out and give the orchids too much water, you will instead damage them.

After mid-month, when there is a cool breeze in the morning and evening, you can return to normal watering. In summer, pots watered normally dry out naturally, the orchid roots are vigorous, and flower bud differentiation is good.

    Nutrition Management

    This month the orchids grow actively, and as nighttime temperatures rise, vigorous respiration occurs. Logically, this is the time to increase the orchids' nutrition, but in practice many orchid lovers do not fertilize, considering the side effects of the extreme heat.

    During this period, take advantage of rainy days when the temperature drops, and choose an activator or a fertilizer suitable for foliar feeding to apply a light foliar feed. What you must note at this time is to do it on a cloudy day or a rainy evening or night, when the wind is weak.

When a strong wind blows, you need to close the windows and reapply the fertilizer. When spraying into the air with a sprayer, the amount of fertilizer applied should be such that no water droplets form on the leaves.

    Pest and Disease Prevention

    In summer, the greatest harm to orchids is damage to new shoots caused by excessive moisture in the pot, which can even develop into soft rot and damage the entire pot of orchids. In addition, there is the phenomenon of aging that starts from the outer leaves of old plants. Pests will attack the new shoots. In places far from cities, there are also cases where orchid new shoots are eaten by rodents and insects.

    Excessive moisture in the pot is caused by watering too much at one time. If the orchid itself is growing poorly, or if the roots are damaged, normal watering will also harm the orchid, so pay more attention to observing the pots in normal times to see whether there are any abnormalities. If there are pots where the top dressing soil dries unevenly, you can reduce the frequency of watering.

    It is quite normal for the leaves of orchids over 5 years old to show signs of aging. However, if the leaves of an orchid that is not very old turn yellow and then gradually dry out and become brown, you should carefully check whether there is a problem with your management.

    Under conditions of hot weather and excessive nutrient consumption, aging tends to appear early, and it can also appear when the amount of light suddenly increases. In particular, unlike in early summer, orchid rooms in multi-story buildings see some changes in the time period of sunlight in the latter half of the month, and there are sometimes cases where they are suddenly exposed to sunlight. So you should check the time period of sunlight at any time to avoid direct sunlight.