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Light: Lighting requirements for Orchids will vary according to the genera that the plant belongs to, and in some cases, according to the specific species or hybrid within a genera.For instance, Cattleya, Vanda, Dendrobium, Cymbidium, and Oncidium like medium to high light. The Paphiopedilum, Phalaenopsis, and Masdevallia like low to medium. And the Miltonia and Odontoglossum like medium light.
Altitude also is a factor. Where elevation is high (above 6000'), direct sun will quickly damage or kill an Orchid, whereas at sea level, many Orchids not only tolerate, but thrive in it. Giving your Orchids the correct lighting is one step to insuring that it will not only enjoy a long life, but will bloom for you as intended. Overall, give your Orchid as much light as it will tolerate without burning the leaves.
Though there are exceptions, the amount of light and how your plant is tolerating it is fairly easily judged by the color of the foliage. Dark green leaves on a Cattleya, for instance, is evidence that the plant is not receiving enough light. Bright yellow signifies that the plant has reached it's level of tolerance, and the amount of light the plant is getting should be reduced. Light to medium-green would be ideal. Bear in mind here that reddened foliage is damaged beyond repair and will die.
South facing windows, for windowsill culture, is probably best, though some screening, or sheer curtains, may be necessary. West, East, and North facing windows are acceptable, in that order of decreasing preference, though some Orchids will prefer one over the others. It is a good idea to rotate your plant as it will follow the sun. Otherwise it will become lopsided. The exception to this rule is not to rotate when the plant is in bloom or budding. It is best to give your Orchid 14 hours of light per day, regardless of season, which requires some amount of artificial lighting, in the form of fluorescent 'Gro-Lights', especially during the winter months.
Temperature: Orchid culture, from a temperature viewpoint, is generally divided into 3 sections: Cool growing, Intermediate, and Warm. These temperature ranges are at times expressed in terms of minimum night-time temps. Cool growing Orchids easily tolerate temps down into the 50's, and at times, 40's. Intermediate growing Orchids generally enjoy temps over a 24 hour period of 65-85 deg f., while warm growers prefer nighttime temps above 70. While intermediates will tolerate both lower and higher temps, it must be noted that as the temperature gets below 60 deg, or above 85, plant growth slows. The high temperature for all orchids should range between 80 F to 90 F Temps above 90 will actually stop growth in many cases, and while this may not actually harm the plant, neither does it do it any good. Conversely, dropping the night-time temperature of some Orchids will help to induce blooming, as will be discussed later. Temperature variation from night-time to day- time should be at least 10 deg f.
Watering: Generally, the potting mix should not completely dry out. Conversely, it should not stay wet either. I generally recommend that you not water more often than every 4 days, but at least every 7 days. Every 5 - 6 days is generally appropriate, though there are exceptions.If the temperature rises for a few days, watering may be necessary a day or so earlier than you had scheduled.
Overwatering is very liable to result in root rot, which can cause the paradoxical problem of dehydration. In this situation, the problem might start out with you noticing your phalaenopsis leaves beginning to shrivel a bit, feel rubbery and limp. As this is a symptom of dehydration, you immediately water your phal and adjust your schedule to compensate. The mistake made here was that the potting medium and roots were not checked initially to see if dehydration from underwatering was truly the problem. Overwatering causes the Vellum, or outer covering of the roots to disintegrate and literally rot away. Visually this is confirmed by unpotting the plant and observing that the roots are black and falling apart at a touch. You would also see the inner portion of the root, which is thin and wire-like. The destruction of the Vellum makes the Orchid incapable of water or nutrient intake and the plant initially dehydrates. Prompt diagnosis and treatment in the form of repotting is necessary to save the plant!
Dehydration not caused by root rot is another problem and one that in many cases can be solved by altering your watering schedule or becoming a bit more consistent. Symptoms vary according to different genera. Phalaenopsis in dehydration will appear as described above. Brassias and Oncidiums may exhibit premature wrinkling of the pseudobulbs as the plant attempts to keep itself hydrated. The most common symptom will be crinkling of new leaves, taking on an accordion look. Neither symptom can be 'cured' though the problem can be solved with adjustments to the watering schedule or temperature. In Cattleyas, dehydration will manifest itself in shriveled pseudobulbs and leaves that take on a dessicated or dry look. Again once these symptoms have appeared, those pseudobulbs and leaves will keep that appearance for life.
Humidity and Air Movement: Generally, humidity around your Orchids should be in the 40-70% range. Air movement around the plants will also help prevent fungi from the moist air from gaining a foot-hold on your plant. Overall, as the temperature around your plant rises, so should the humidity. If you aren't growing in a greenhouse, plastic saucers filled with wet gravel will provide humidity to your Orchids. Be certain that no water is coming into the bottom of the pot, as this will cause root-rot, and a swift demise of your expensive plants! Supplemental spraying with water in a spray bottle will also help to cool your plants on hot days. A small fan will facilitate air movement nicely.
Fertilizing: When the orchid is growing in its natural state it takes the nourishment that it needs from the debris in the tree that it is growing on. In a home environment it is necessary for us to provide the fertilizer that the plants need. Feeding your Orchid is every bit as important as watering, and for best results, require two or more kinds of fertilizers. As a minimum, it is suggested 20-20- 20 for growth, and 10-30-20 to induce blooming. For those not familiar with fertilizers, the 1st number in the above formulas represents the percentage of available Nitrogen (for growth), the 2nd, Phosphorus (for blooming) and 3rd, Potash, (for root health). Increasing one while decreasing others fine tunes your feedings to emphasize what you want your Orchid to do, at least to some extent.
Trying to induce blooming constantly in an Orchid that blooms only once per year will yield disappointing results. It is very difficult to force an Orchid into bloom, and in any case is not recommended. Fertilizers are generally used at a rate of 1/2 the recommended strength stated on the label. In addition, most readily available fertilizers do not contain micronutrients (mineral elements) that are necessary to an Orchid's health. While an Orchid will, for a time do fairly well without them, eventually the deficiency will manifest itself in fewer, smaller or no blooms, and a decrease in the overall health of the plant.
As for feeding schedules, feed with 20-20-20 for 3 straight waterings, followed by 10-30-20 the next time, if appropriate, and lastly, flush with straight water for the final watering of the cycle. Flushing in this manner leaches out some of the leftover chemicals from the previous 4 feedings. Any additional fertilizers can be worked into the schedule easily.
There is a great product available that you can use once every two weeks that will really help keep your Orchid flourishing. It is called Superthrive, one drop to one gallon is exactly what you should use. It is used by many growers to keep their plants blooming. You must be very careful not to use more than one drop per gallon. Potting and Mounting |
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