How Do Orchids Overwinter? A Detailed Guide to Winter Care Methods
The orchid is one of China's ten most famous flowers and one of the "Four Gentlemen" among flowers. It is a symbol of modesty and elegance, which shows just how high the orchid's status is among Chinese flowers. China has a history of growing orchids spanning two thousand years, and even today orchids are deeply loved by gardening enthusiasts. However, caring for orchids well through the cold winter is no simple matter, and winter is the key period that determines an orchid's growth and blooming. Today TheNaturePlanet will explain for everyone -- how to grow orchids in winter.
Among the key points of winter orchid care, the most important is keeping them warm. When cold waves strike, low temperatures are the main cause of poor growth and development in orchids during winter, so temperature protection is especially important. Next, measures such as fertilizer control and ventilation should also be applied to orchids. Below, TheNaturePlanet brings you the specific care methods:
1. Keeping Warm
As winter arrives and the weather turns colder, orchids kept outdoors are very easily hit by cold waves, so they must be promptly moved indoors to a spot with plenty of sunlight for care. For those living in apartment buildings, it is best to place the orchid pots on an enclosed balcony, which ensures the orchids get plenty of sunlight and is extremely beneficial for bud formation and blooming.
After moving them indoors, the room temperature should be kept between 5 and 15°C, which an ordinary home can easily provide. But the room temperature should not be too high; too high a temperature causes the flower stems to grow slowly and the buds to develop poorly.
2. Fertilizer Control
During their dormant period in winter, orchids generally do not need fertilizing. Since orchid roots have symbiotic mycorrhizal fungi, they generally need repotting every other year, and the soil already contains abundant nutrients, so repotting is not necessary. However, for Cymbidium goeringii, which grows somewhat in winter, nutrients need to be replenished in time by spraying a small amount of phosphorus-potassium fertilizer on the leaves.
3. Watering
"Not dry in summer and autumn, not wet in winter and spring" -- this is the orchid-growing experience summed up by our predecessors. In winter, orchids are mostly in a dormant state and need less water, so the potting soil only needs to be slightly moist.
If the potting soil is indeed very dry, you can spray-water it around noon on a sunny day with water close to room temperature, keeping the soil slightly moist. For watering orchids, rainwater or snow water is best; if using tap water, let it sit for two days before use.
4. Ventilation
Orchids like a warm, humid environment with good air circulation. In northern indoor spaces heated by stoves, the pots should be kept far from the stove, and around noon on sunny days the windows should be opened for ventilation, or the pots placed outdoors in a wind-sheltered, sunny spot. Orchids kept on an enclosed balcony for care must also have air circulation, so open the windows often. But when the temperature suddenly drops, close the windows immediately so the orchids do not freeze.
5. Disease and Pest Prevention
The winter air is dry, so diseases and pests occur less often. But with indoor care, if the humidity is relatively high, that is not necessarily the case, so spray pesticide promptly according to the symptoms. During ordinary care, protective spraying should also be done; using Bordeaux mixture to spray the potting soil and the ground around the pots can reduce the occurrence of diseases and pests the following year.
The above is the relevant knowledge on how orchids overwinter. As a flower with a distinctive style, the orchid is extremely ornamental, and when it blooms its fragrance fills the air, absolutely refreshing the heart and mind. It would truly be a pity for such a beautiful flower to freeze in winter. We hope this article can provide some reference value for all orchid lovers.