Orchid Cultivation and Management Tips for August

OrchidsCultivation: AugustOrchidsPoints to NoteCultivationManagement

In August, you must pay attention to orchid management and actively deal with the autumn tiger heat. Be sure to prevent heatstroke and cool things down. Although August contains the two solar terms of Start of Autumn and End of Heat, the average monthly temperature is similar to July, and the weather is scorching hot, making it the second high-temperature month of the year. Fororchid growers: At the Start of Autumn, you must never be careless and should actively deal with the autumn tiger heat. Once the temperature in the orchid room exceeds 30°C, ventilation and cooling should be strengthened. Water in time to avoid rhombus-shell dryness. In the golden autumn season, the sky is high, the clouds are light, and the sunlight is bright; water evaporation is high, and the potting soil can easily dry upward from the bottom of the pot, forming rhombus-shell dryness, affecting flower bud development and harming orchid roots. Measures such as water curtains for humidification, water basins for humidification, spraying water on the ground, and humidifiers for humidification can be adopted to strive to create an air relative humidity during the day of no less than 40 percent. In addition,orchid growersneed to frequently observe the dry and wet condition of the potting soil. If the potting soil is found to be on the dry side, water thoroughly at the right time so as to keep the soil moist without becoming waterlogged, and by no means let the potting soil become too dry.

Proceed from actual conditions and let orchids receive more light. After mid-August, the shading level should be reduced as much as possible according to the orchid-growing environment. Apart from courtyard and rooftop platform orchid growing, which require appropriate shading, other orchid-growing sites can let orchids receive ample light in a large area, and this is especially so for strong seedlings that have filled the pot. At night, the sliding windows of the orchid room should be opened as much as possible so thatorchid plantscan fully ventilate and exchange air, maximizing the temperature difference between day and night.

Fertilize to promote strength and flower buds. In the middle and late part of this month, timely fertilization should be applied to strong orchid seedlings that have started growing, and root application of organic fertilizer and foliar spraying of fertilizer can be carried out alternately. This month, orchid plants begin to form flower buds, commonly known as small bud formation, and phosphorus and potassium fertilizer should be appropriately increased to help strengthen flower buds, ensure the robust growth of autumn shoots, and lay a good foundation for nurturing strong shoots in early spring of the coming year. Fertilization should be carried out in the evening, and to prevent fertilizer damage, water in time the next morning.

Actively respond to extreme weather and prevent and controlpests and diseaseswithout relaxing. This month, many regions have frequent rainy and stormy weather, and outdoor orchid growing requires strengthening the orchid room. This month's damp and cloudy climatepests and diseasesare very rampant, making it a high-incidence month forsoft rot, stem rot and otherpests and diseases, so pest and disease prevention and control work should continue to be done well. Spraying chemicals should be carried out in the evening on sunny days, and it is necessary to spray not only orchid leaves and orchid pots but also the entire orchid shed, as this gives a better effect.