What kind of environment is suitable for orchids to grow in?
Today's small experience sharing: What kind of environment is suitable for orchids to grow and understanding the humidity requirements of orchids, let's follow the editor to see the specific content!
What kind of environment do orchids fear the most?
This has to start from the natural habitat of orchids, wild orchids can be regarded as the ancestors of all orchids, and their growth patterns are also suitable for most of the same species of orchids. When it comes to the growth environment of orchids, it includes comprehensive factors such as soil, temperature, temperature difference, light, humidity, and water.
Many books on orchid cultivation will mention how to create a good orchid cultivation environment to benefit the growth of orchids. However, the environmental differences between various regions are very large, and sometimes it is impossible to meet those standards. What should we do then? In fact, we can do the opposite, set up the environment that orchids fear the most, and avoid letting orchids grow in such an environment during orchid planting, so as to reduce losses caused by improper maintenance.
In this article, I will talk about what kind of environment orchids fear the most based on the above points.
I. Soil
This point has been mentioned many times in our previous articles. The soil in which orchids grow is acidic humus soil (taking wild orchids as an example), and the characteristics of this humus soil are loose and breathable, with diverse and balanced fertility elements.
Then it can be proved that orchids fear alkaline soil, sticky soil, and insufficiently nutritious raw mud layers. At the same time, pure granular planting materials are also not suitable for beginners to grow orchids, because pure granular soil itself does not contain nutritional components, and later artificial fertilization must be added from time to time, which is difficult for beginners to control. Therefore, using these soils or planting materials to grow orchids is a considerable challenge for新手 orchid friends.
II. Temperature
The four seasons in orchid producing areas are mostly distinct, with hot summers and cold winters. The changing temperatures constantly stimulate orchids, making the orchid plants need to constantly adjust their adaptability. This is equivalent to physical exercise for humans. Only those who exercise regularly have good physical fitness and enough resistance when viruses invade.
There is a saying in the countryside around here: "If it's not hot in summer, the crops won't bear fruit; if it's not cold in winter, next year's planting will be in vain." This means that the hot and cold climates of winter and summer can not only stimulate the growth of plants (crops) but also change the soil structure and reduce the threat of pest hiding. Orchids are the same, they fear not being cold in winter and not being hot in summer. In fact, many orchid friends often avoid favorable environments in this aspect of management and force orchids to grow in unfavorable environments (air conditioning in summer and heating in winter).
III. Temperature Difference
The nutrients of plants are the foundation for growth and flowering. Usually, plants absorb nutrients from the soil through their roots and obtain nutrients from the sun through photosynthesis in their leaves. These nutrients are obtained more than consumed during the day, while at night, the plants only consume and do not obtain. Only by inhibiting the nutrient consumption of orchid plants at night can more energy be accumulated, so that the orchid seedlings can grow vigorously and have the possibility of flowering and fruiting.
How to inhibit? Nature has its own tricks. The balance between the nutrient intake and consumption of wild orchids is completely coordinated by day and night temperature differences. On the mountains where orchids grow, the day and night temperature differences are generally more than 10 degrees, and during the peak growing season, the day and night temperature difference can even reach 20 degrees.
What kind of environment is suitable for orchids to grow in?
Orchids fear the most is an environment without temperature difference, or with too small a temperature difference to inhibit the consumption of orchid plants at night. Some orchid friends always keep their orchids in a relatively constant temperature environment. Although the orchid seedlings look good, they do not bloom. This is because the accumulated nutrient value of the orchid plants is not enough to meet the standard for flowering.
IV. Light
Orchid growth cannot be separated from the sun, which is a plant's law, and orchids are no exception. When I talk about orchid planting experience, I often emphasize the importance of light to orchids. Orchids that do not get enough light for a long time not only have weak seedlings and are prone to diseases, but also do not easily produce flower buds. This goes against the original intention of growing orchids. Who would want to only grow a pot of orchids that don't bloom?
Wild orchids have a characteristic of light during the end of spring, summer, and the beginning of autumn: top荫, oblique illumination. What does this sentence mean? It means that in the morning and evening, the sun can shine through the leaves and shine on the orchid leaves, while at noon when the sun is overhead, there is dense tree shade to block the strong sunlight.
Some orchid friends are limited by their living environment, and their orchid growing environment is just the opposite of this, causing the orchids to be top-illuminated and shaded in the morning and evening. For example, some balcony orchid environments, the balcony area is small, surrounded by walls blocking the oblique sun in the morning and evening, and there is no good shading at noon. This not only puts orchids at risk of sunburn but also cannot effectively perform photosynthesis (under strong sunlight at noon, plant photosynthesis efficiency is low or even none), which is the light that orchids fear the most.
V. Humidity and Water
The environmental humidity of the wild orchid growing area is high, usually between 55% and 90%. We also found that when looking for wild orchids, the ones found in the high humidity areas by the streams grow more vigorously and have more and better flowers. However, if you dig into the soil at the roots of the orchids, you will find that the soil humidity is not high, and the soil is usually crumbled into a ball and falls apart when released.
When orchid friends deal with this issue, they often go in the opposite direction. They may also find that their orchid growing environment is dry, but their补水 method is to water frequently. Watering is only the water supply for the orchid roots and has little to do with air humidity. In the long run, it can even lead to orchid root rot, while the orchid leaves are still not moisturized, which is the humidity and water that orchids fear the most.
In summary: Any plant (including orchids) has its own growth rules, which are formed and memorized slowly during the process of millions of years of evolution. If we can figure out these rules and use these plant rules to care for them, there is no orchid that cannot be raised.
Above is a detailed explanation of the kind of environment suitable for orchids to grow and understanding the humidity requirements of orchids, for everyone's reference and suggestion!