How to care for orchids in summer? Please save this care guide
Summer is the high-temperature season of the year, often bringing muggy weather around 35°C. The climate is unpredictable. The high-temperature season is a troublesome time for potted orchids, and the slightest negligence in daily management can cause unexpected harm, so orchid growers must respond with caution. First, strengthen ventilation to prevent heatstroke and cool down, high temperature...
Summer is the high-temperature season of the year, often bringing muggy weather around 35°C. The climate is unpredictable. The high-temperature season is a troublesome time for potted orchids, and the slightest negligence in daily management can cause unexpected harm, so orchid growers must respond with caution.
First, strengthen ventilation to prevent heatstroke and cool down. High temperature and muggy heat are the great enemies of orchid growing. Enclosed orchid rooms generally have push-pull aluminum alloy glass windows that can be opened and closed freely. As long as there is a temperature difference between inside and outside the orchid room, the degree to which the sliding windows are opened can be used to control convection for natural ventilation. If the temperature difference is too small and there is no wind, exhaust fans, mini electric fans, etc. can be used to blow gently and promote air circulation. If the temperature exceeds 35°C, a water curtain or air conditioner can be used to cool down if conditions permit; if conditions are limited, water can often be sprinkled on the ground to cool down.
Second, create humidity according to local conditions, and avoid being too dry or too wet. Summer temperatures are high, water evaporates quickly, and air humidity is on the low side, so efforts must be made to create a small environment suitable for orchid growth. Generally, water troughs can be used to increase humidity so as to raise air humidity. It is best to set the water troughs together with the orchid shelves, with a water trough on each layer of the orchid shelf. A drainage switch should be installed at the low end of the water trough so that dirty water can be drained from time to time. The depth of the water trough is generally best at 20 cm to 30 cm. Fill it with water and cover it with a steel wire mesh, with the orchid pots sitting on top. This not only increases air humidity but also has a certain cooling effect. Combined with spraying water on the ground, humidity during the day on sunny days can reach about 40%, which can basically meet the humidity requirements of orchids. If there is continuous cloudy weather, the air humidity in the orchid room is too high, and exhaust fans, mini electric fans, etc. need to be turned on in time to blow gently, promote air circulation, and reduce air humidity. Watering in summer should be flexibly controlled in timing and frequency according to the pots and growing medium used. Generally, watering is best done in the evening and morning. For watering, generally do not use the soaking-pot method or the drenching method, and spray or mist as little as possible, so as to avoid water entering the leaf heart and causing rot.
Third, be cautious about rain exposure, reinforce the orchid room, and actively prevent attacks from typhoons and violent wind and rainstorms. Summer is a rainy season. In areas with good air quality, orchids can be appropriately exposed to rain during the rainy season; but in places with serious air pollution, where acid rain is more common, exposing orchids to rain can easily cause various diseases and should be resolutely avoided. In places with good air quality, the most suitable rain for orchids is a long-lasting gentle breeze and fine rain. After the rain clears, the orchid seedlings look especially vigorous and grow quickly. During the growing period, orchids are most afraid of "sun showers" and sudden violent wind and rainstorms in the high-temperature season. When encountering a "sun shower," orchid growers should promptly water the orchids so that the summer heat in the pots dissipates at once, and strengthen ventilation to dry the water in the leaf hearts of new seedlings as quickly as possible. In addition, the orchid room should be reinforced, and the weather forecast should be checked at any time. Once there is extreme weather such as a typhoon, measures should be taken quickly in advance to shield the orchids from wind and rain and avoid harm to the orchids.
Fourth, apply orchid fertilizer skillfully to promote growth. Summer is the peak growing season for orchids, and topdressing is very necessary, but it needs to be flexibly controlled according to temperature changes. Fertilization is mainly topdressing orchids in early summer, and root application of organic fertilizer is preferable, but it should be applied thinly and frequently, and fertilization should be done in the evening, with "recovery water" poured the next morning. Foliar topdressing can also be used, and inorganic fertilizer can be applied, spraying with one-thousandth urea plus one-thousandth monopotassium phosphate. To prevent fertilizer damage, water should be sprayed the next morning to wash the leaves. Biological bacterial fertilizer can also be sprayed, such as Cugen Sheng, Zhiquan, Lanjun Wang, Xishuo, Gaocui, etc. It is best to alternate organic fertilizer, inorganic fertilizer, and biological bacterial fertilizer once a week. After the summer solstice, the high-temperature season begins, and root application of organic fertilizer or inorganic fertilizer is prohibited. Fertilization is best done by spraying foliar fertilizer, using one-thousandth urea plus one-thousandth monopotassium phosphate or biological bacterial fertilizer alternately to supplement nutrients and promote vigorous growth of orchid plants.
Fifth, focus on prevention and frequent cleaning, and prepare for rainy days to prevent orchid diseases. The high-temperature season is also a season with frequent orchid pests and diseases. In daily management, the principle of focusing on prevention and combining prevention with control should be followed to strive to avoid pests and diseases. Usually pay attention to the cleanliness and hygiene of the orchid room, promptly remove all kinds of dirt in the orchid-growing area, clean the ground and orchid shelves, and often use lime water for sterilization and disinfection. In a high-temperature and high-humidity environment, orchids are prone to scale insects and thrips. These pests will harm orchid leaves and should be killed with pesticides in time. Soft rot and stem rot are the great enemies of orchids in summer. Once this disease is found, a decision should be made immediately, the pots should be repotted at once, and the diseased seedlings and nearby seedlings should be cut off without hesitation. There must be no mentality of leaving things to chance that delays the timing of prevention and control.