Things to Consider Caring For Orchids
Friday, December 31st, 2010You may have one day noticed the orchids gracing a wedding and wondered, how do they get to be so beautiful. They are very delicate flowers and their beauty transforms any environment into a beautiful, lively one with a tropical fragrance. The secret to this is usually the methods of caring for orchids.
Each orchid has its unique characteristics. This makes caring for them quite complicated. However, being plants, the basic things to consider are their light, heat moisture and air requirements. In addition, certain care techniques for the flowers in particular are applied.
There are different types of species. Each has its original native land. To effectively take care of your orchid therefore requires that you do a little home work on the orchid’s native home. This way, you will be able to create artificial conditions which resemble those in its native home.
The first thing is the lighting. Because you will be growing your orchids mostly indoors it will be necessary to ensure they get enough lighting. Identifying this involves looking at the leaves. Orchids receiving adequate light should have a light green pigmentation. Dark green indicates little light while yellowing leaves indicate excess light. Moving your plant closer to a window should enable it receive enough light. If it is in an environment where lighting is not adequate, using florescent lighting to substitute sunlight will also do. Shading the plant should also take care of excess light.
The second thing to consider are the heat needs for your orchids. The amount of heat and light are necessary for the development of flowers. If you live in a cold place, a heating system will be needed to ensure your orchids have enough heat. Tour local florist shop will be a good place to find out about the heat requirements for your orchids.
The third thing to consider when caring for orchids is their air requirements. Good ventilation is necessary to enable carry out photosynthesis and transpiration. These are the processes where the plant uses light in the manufacture of its food and breathe respectively. Photosynthesis requires a lot of oxygen while transpiration requires carbon dioxide.
The fourth thing to consider is the water requirements of the orchids. The type of water, frequency, and time to water the plant are most important. Orchids need lukewarm chemical free water. Cold water can stunt root development while hot water could burn the roots killing the plant. The pot type, environment and size of the pot determine the frequency of watering. If the pot is small a highly porous you should water it more frequently. Environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity will also guide you on how often you should water the orchids. For example, water twice a week during hot dry seasons and once during winter. It is also recommended you water in the morning to enable the leaves dry up during the day.
The last thing to consider is different flower care techniques for orchids. There are times when an orchid seems to have stopped blooming. The method to care for these orchids is to simply cut the old stalk. This will prompt growing of another one in its place.
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