How to care for orchids to make them look beautiful
About these, do you know? How to care for orchids to make them look beautiful and the experience of green plant maintenance concerning orchid cultivation techniques, the editor will provide you with detailed answers next.
Orchids come in many varieties, most of which are graceful, noble, and elegant. Placing several pots of orchids at home can add vitality to the room. When they bloom, the fragrance fills the air, making people feel vigorous and relaxed, which gives them high ornamental value. Everyone knows that although flowers are beautiful, it is difficult to care for orchids well. So, how can we care for elegant orchids at home? Let's introduce how to care for orchids at home.
Orchids in the wild often grow in warm, humid valleys, and the growth soil is mostly decomposed branches and leaves of trees over the years, so their growth environment requirements are high, and it is necessary to provide a suitable growth environment when raising them at home.
1. Soil Preparation
Orchids have strict requirements for growing soil, which should be loose, fertile, and well-ventilated. You can buy some special orchid soil or prepare it yourself. Normally, you can use materials like peanut shells, bark, or sawdust that have been fermented and decomposed to prepare the orchid's nutrient soil. For example, you can use decomposed leaf soil, mountain soil, and add some well-fermented peanut shells or sawdust. This not only helps to keep the soil loose and breathable but also, after fermentation, these materials are rich in nutrients, which are very beneficial for orchid growth and development.
2. Planting in Pots
Before planting orchids in pots, place a layer of coal cinders or broken tiles at the bottom of the pot as a drainage layer to facilitate drainage and ventilation. Then add about 3 centimeters of growing soil, press it down with your hands, plant the orchid in the pot, arrange the roots naturally, spread the leaves to the sides, and while adding soil, press it down to ensure the soil and roots are tightly connected. After that, water thoroughly and place it in a shaded, well-ventilated environment. You can also cover the surface of the pot with a layer of small decorative stones, which are both aesthetically pleasing and help regulate moisture, preventing soil from splashing out during watering.
3. Fertilization Management
Generally, new plants do not need much fertilizer within the first year, and a little thin cake fertilizer solution can be applied occasionally. For older orchids during the growing period, more nitrogen fertilizer can be applied to promote the growth of new buds and speed up plant growth. Before the flower bud differentiation in autumn, apply 1-2 times of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer to promote flower bud differentiation. During the budding period, you can apply a thin solution of potassium dihydrogen phosphate, which is beneficial for the plant to produce buds and bloom. After the flowers fade, apply two thin compound fertilizers to help the plant recover. In winter, orchids enter a dormant period, and the plant's demand for nutrients decreases, so fertilization should be temporarily stopped. However, for orchids that bloom in winter, a small amount of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer should be supplemented to ensure sufficient nutrients and maintain blooming. Be careful not to let fertilizer splash on the leaves and leaf hearts to avoid contamination.
How to care for orchids to make them look beautiful
4. Watering Requirements
Orchids prefer a moist environment, ensuring sufficient water while avoiding excessive watering. If the potting soil is too wet or has standing water for a long time, it can cause root rot. Generally, keeping the potting soil slightly moist during the growing period is sufficient, and water should be added when the topsoil dries out. Spring is the vigorous growth period for the plant, and the demand for water increases, so watering can be increased accordingly, with waterings every 2-3 days. In summer, high temperatures and rapid evaporation mean that orchids require more water, and in addition to ensuring sufficient water, the leaves can be watered with a mist in the morning and evening to supplement moisture. In winter, low temperatures cause the plant to enter a dormant state, and less water is needed, with slightly moist and slightly dry potting soil being sufficient. Excessive watering can easily cause frostbite.
5. Light and Temperature Management
① Light Requirements
As everyone knows, orchids prefer a shaded, cool growth environment and are most afraid of direct sunlight. When caring for them, avoid strong light. Although orchids need to grow in a shaded environment most of the time, they cannot be completely without light. In autumn, winter, and spring, the potted plants can be placed in a place with scattered light to allow the plant to receive some sunlight for photosynthesis, which is also beneficial for flower bud differentiation. If orchids are in a shaded environment without sunlight for a long time, it will affect flower bud differentiation and may result in fewer or no flowers. Therefore, giving them some scattered light is also beneficial for their growth and development.
② Temperature Requirements
Orchids prefer a warm environment, so the temperature requirements are also high. The general suitable growth temperature is between 20°C and 30°C. High or low temperatures are not conducive to normal growth. Especially in winter, it is necessary to take good insulation measures because many orchid varieties are not cold-tolerant. For example, the minimum temperature for Cymbidium and Cattleya orchids is above 5°C. If the temperature is too low, it can not only affect flower bud development but also cause frostbite. When the temperature exceeds 30°C in summer, the plant generally stops growing, so in addition to shading, it is necessary to sprinkle water on the plant to cool it down.