The Correct Methods of Temperature and Fertilization in Orchid Care

SummerOrchids' temperature.Orchidsare not xerophytic or thermophytic plants, but mesophytic plants with succulent roots.OrchidsThe absolute moisture of the growing medium for orchids is suitable at around 50%. If the potting medium stays dry for too long, the roots become thin and slender; if the potting medium stays wet for too long, the roots turn black and rot. To protect orchid roots, the potting medium moisture in summer must not stay too dry or too wet for extended periods. Orchids like moist, fresh air. The optimal air humidity for orchid growth is around 80%. Therefore, daytime air humidity should be kept at 65%--80%, and at night it should be kept at 756%---959%. Because of the high temperatures in summer afternoons, excessively high air humidity and muggy conditions are unfavorable for orchid growth, while slightly higher air humidity at night helps orchidFloralleaves absorb water, replenishing the water lost during the day, which benefits orchid growth. Therefore, it is more appropriate for nighttime humidity to be greater than daytime humidity. If daytime air humidity cannot meet the requirement, misting should be done. In summer, the orchid greenhouse must be well ventilated. Orchids like fresh air; if a person entering the orchid greenhouse smells an unpleasant odor, the orchids will not grow well.

For watering orchids in summer, the water used is best rainwater (slightly acidic) or river water (neutral); tap water (left to stand for a day so the chlorine dissipates) should be used, and deep well water must never be used. The principle for summer watering is "water when the pot surface is dry, and water thoroughly when you do." The water temperature should preferably be close to or lower than the air temperature; do not water orchids with water warmer than the air temperature. The best approach is to place a vat or build a water pool inside the orchid greenhouse or near theorchid-growingsite, keeping it filled with reserve water at ordinary times. The best time for watering is generally from 7 to 9 in the afternoon. During this period, the temperature is lower, and the water lost through evaporation is replenished in time, which benefits the orchid roots' nighttime rest and water absorption, and benefits orchid growth in summer. When the orchid pot is relatively dry, the correct approach is to take rainwater and water the orchid pot thoroughly, so that the small environment inside the pot is consistent with the temperature and humidity of the outside natural world. Practice has shown that only then will orchids grow well. On the contrary, if you water on a stuffy, hot day outside the greenhouse, even if you carefully avoid the open orchid buds, the orchid buds will still rot at the core and be ruined. This is caused by too great a temperature difference between inside and outside the pot.

For fertilizing orchids in summer: orchids are plants, and plant growth cannot do without fertilizer. Summer is also the peak growing season for orchids, so more dilute liquid fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, trace elements, and amino acids, etc., should be applied, generally at a rate of twice a month. For pots with many and strong seedlings, apply more; for weak seedlings, damaged seedlings, and new seedlings, apply less or not at all. Orchid fertilizer should be light; avoid concentrated fertilizer. This is because the period of budding and leaf unfolding is also the time when new orchid root systems are awakening and extending. If concentrated fertilizer is applied, it easily burns the new root system; in mild cases it affects normal plant growth, and in severe cases it can cause the plant to die.