How to Care for Orchids
For netizens to explain how to care for orchids and the related experience of orchid daily maintenance, the editor will introduce next.
With the improvement of living standards, more and more people are raising flowers. Keeping some flowers and green plants at home can beautify the residence, purify the air, improve air quality, and benefit the health of family members. Orchids are one of the very popular potted plants. They are monocotyledonous, perennial herbaceous plants with cylindrical roots and leaves clustering from the stem, usually 2-3 leaves per bundle. Keeping a pot at home has a faint fragrance, with elegant and refined characteristics. Have you started caring for one?
Recently, I have seen many comments from orchid lovers. Many people say that it is difficult to care for orchids, and they often don't grow, have yellow leaves, rotting roots, or don't bloom. Why is that? Actually, caring for orchids also requires certain skills. If you grasp a few growth points, it becomes very easy to maintain. If you still don't know how to do it, here are a few points to note in the process of orchid care. Let’s take a look.
1. Lighting
Orchids prefer shade and are averse to direct strong light. However, to care for them well, lighting is also indispensable. Therefore, most of the time, they are kept in places with sufficient diffused light, so that the plants grow strong and can bloom. If kept in a dark environment for a long time, orchids can easily exhibit the phenomenon of excessive stretching, and blooming will also be affected, or they may not bloom at all.
Therefore, when caring for orchids, orchid lovers should maintain appropriate amounts of diffused light to increase the intensity of photosynthesis, which is very important for the growth and blooming of orchids. Never expose them to direct strong light.
How to Care for Orchids
2. Watering
Learning to control water is the fundamental condition for caring for orchids well. Orchid leaves are thick and have a cuticle layer for protection, so the leaves do not require much water. Moreover, the pseudobulbs and fleshy roots can store certain nutrients and water, making them somewhat drought-tolerant. In addition to needing some water during the rooting, growing, and germination periods, they consume very little water at other times, just keeping the potting soil slightly moist.
3. Controlling Fertilization
Orchids prefer a light diet, so when fertilizing, remember to apply thin fertilizer frequently and never use too high a concentration. Appropriate nitrogenous fertilizer can promote the growth of stems and leaves, phosphorus fertilizer can make the roots develop, promote plant metabolism, and help with blooming, while magnesium, sulfur, iron, and other trace elements can keep the leaves green and flowers strong.
When caring for orchids, there are three periods during which fertilization is not allowed: dormancy, weak growth, and just after potting. Fertilizing during these periods will only harm the growth of orchids. Over-fertilization will burn the roots and leaves, causing irreversible damage.