Growing orchids on the balcony: do these things and you won't have to worry about blooming
Being able to have a small balcony in the middle of city life is already one of the few great joys in life. Whether it is an open-air balcony or an enclosed balcony, it provides an excellent place for plants and flowers to settle. Growing orchids on a balcony has many advantages, but these points also need attention!
The advantages of growing plants and flowers on a balcony are still quite obvious, mainly sufficient sunlight (open-air balconies are even better) and good ventilation (enclosed balconies are slightly lacking). A big difference between balcony growing and planting in the ground in a yard is mainly poor humidity; places close to the ground are generally more humid, which also has a certain effect on plants and flowers.
Orchids prefer shade. If you choose to care for orchids on a balcony, the first thing is to ensure a very good shading environment for them. Shade nets are essential, and if it is an open-air balcony where sunlight can shine directly, the shading rate must reach 70-80%. Because an enclosed balcony has a layer of glass blocking it, the shading rate of the shade net must also remain at least 60%.
Also, do not put the orchids on the outermost layer. Try to place them as far away as possible while still allowing direct sunlight, and it is even better to put them beside some tall plants or in a corner of the balcony. If conditions allow, the shade net can be made movable, made like blinds into a curtain that can be rolled up and down, which makes it convenient to adjust the sunlight level so that sunlight can be supplemented or reduced at any time as needed.
Because a balcony is exposed to sunlight for a relatively long time, the amount of water evaporation is large and the air humidity is relatively dry. Increasing air humidity becomes a major problem. If a variety of plants are grown on the balcony, the potted plants can be arranged and combined, with sun-tolerant plants placed outside to receive more sunlight, and shade-loving plants such as orchids placed inside.
In summer, some water can be sprinkled on the ground to let evaporation increase air humidity, which can help orchids and other shade-loving, moisture-loving plants get through summer better. If conditions allow or the balcony space is sufficient, a 20 cm high water storage channel can be built along the wall side of the balcony to increase the humidity of the space. You can also simply place some small basins and buckets filled with water in the spare areas.
When it is hot in summer, it is even more important to ensure ventilation in the orchid care environment. If it is an open-air balcony, there is not much problem, but if it is an enclosed balcony, pay attention to opening the windows for air, and it is best to pay attention to the wind direction so that the air can form convection. Otherwise, even if the window is opened wide, if there is no wind at all, then the ventilation effect will not be great.