How to care for orchids in summer? A full breakdown of cultivation techniques

In summer, as temperatures rise, all kinds oforchidsenter their peak growing period. At this time, you should focus onorchidsummer survival through heat protection and cooling, fertilizer and water management, and pest and disease control, so thatorchidspass through summer safely.
Shading: Entering summer, whether growingin the open groundor growingorchidsindoors, strong light must be blocked. A shade frame should be set up for shading, such as bamboo blinds or reed blinds, opened in the morning and evening to receive the scattered light of dawn and sunset. Semi-open-airorchid-growing sites need all-day scattered light, and variegated orchids need 15% of full-day light. To speed up the growth of orchid buds, they can be given 1 hour of weak light in the morning and evening, while in severe heat it is even more necessary to strengthen shading and heat protection and cooling. Whether on the ground or on a balcony, it is best to sprinkle water frequently in the morning and evening to increase humidity and lower the temperature.Orchid-growingsites should be well ventilated and air exchanged, and the air must be kept fresh.
Watering: During the peak growth period of orchids, once there is a water shortage in summer, potted orchids will grow poorly. Orchids need eight parts dry and two parts wet. Watering should follow the principle of "water when dry, stop when wet, and keep appropriately on the dry side." Watering must soak through; do not give half-measure watering. The number of waterings can depend on the potting medium of the orchids. For hard, drainage-friendly media such as volcanic stone, red brick granules, and pumice, water can be given once a day; for highly water-absorbent media such as pond mud and humus soil, water can be given once every two or three days. Watering is generally done in the early morning or evening, and it is strictly forbidden to water at noon or pour directly onto the crown. Clean, pollution-free, slightly acidic water (pH 5.5-6.5) is best. Orchid root rot, black spots on the leaf surface, rot of leaf buds, and other abnormal conditions are mostly related to improper watering.
Fertilizing: Generally speaking, green-leaf varieties should be given a fertilizer with a balance of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, while variegated orchids are better given only phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. In the early part of summer, apply liquid fertilizer once every 10 to 15 days, and when the severe heat has temperatures above 30°C, all kinds of orchids should stop being fertilized.Four-seasonorchidshould also not be fertilized during the period when the flower stalk emerges from the soil or when it blooms. No matter what kind of organic fertilizer is used, it must be fully fermented and decomposed, and diluted with clean water before use. The best time to fertilize is in the evening, then spray clean water once again early the next morning. Yellow and thin leaves indicate a lack of fertilizer, so fertilizer should be applied; black leaf surfaces and scorched leaf tips indicate too much fertilizer, so fertilization should be stopped. In summer, about every 10 days, spray once with 0.1% potassium dihydrogen phosphate for foliar feeding, and within one or two hours, water the potted orchids thoroughly with clean water to remove leftover fertilizer and avoid its gathering at the roots and causing orchid root rot.
Pests and diseasesControl: In summer, with abundant rain and high air humidity, the orchid growing site is too wet and the material in the pot turns sour, which easily breeds all kinds of diseases. If black spot, southern blight, or anthracnose is found, promptly remove and cut off diseased plants and diseased leaves, and at the same time strengthen ventilation and light transmission to reduce environmental humidity. Southern blight is very likely to occur in summer; a 1:1:100 Bordeaux mixture can be used to drench the roots, and some plant ash or lime can also be sprinkled at the roots. For black spot and anthracnose, a 500 to 800 times solution of 50% carbendazim, or an 800 times solution of 70% thiophanate-methyl, can be sprayed for control. After red spiders, aphids, and scale insects appear, promptly cut off infested branches and leaves to reduce the source of pests. A 1000 times solution of 40% omethoate or 50% malathion can also be used for control, sprayed 3 times in succession, with good results.