Things Every Orchid Grower Should Know

By Lee Dobbins - 2006-12-23 - Viewed 1688 times. Find more articles like this in our Gardening & Hobbies category.

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If you are an aspiring orchid grower than you know how beautiful these plants are and how rewarding it is to grow them in your own home. Many people are hesitant to try to grow these exotic beauties as they feel that too much specialized equipment is required and the novice grower just really doesn't have a chance to be successful. This really couldn't be further from the truth and, in fact, it is not that hard to successfully grow orchids given that you provide them with the 4 necessities listed below.

1. Humidity

Being tropical plants, orchids to require a lot of humidity and any successful orchid grower will tell you that this is key to having good plants. Since orchids need at least 50% humidity you will have to set your growing space up to provide for that. One way to do this is to set down a tray filled with pebbles and filled out with water. Then using some sort of us stand, set your orchid pots in the tray on top of the stand so that the bottoms of the pots are not actually in the water. Misting can also give you orchid's humidity but you need to be careful that the leaves can thoroughly dry and therefore you would need good air circulation before may sting them.

2. Water

Like all growing plants, orchids need water, but a common mistake that many growers make is to think that because they require high humidity that they must be watered continuously, this is simply not true and overwatering is a sure way to kill an orchid. You should one of them when the soil becomes dry which is usually about once a week. Water until the soil is moist but take care not to overwater. If the soil in your orchid pot remains wet for more than a day than you over watered it. You can add some water soluble fertilizer formulated specially for orchids but only during the growing season.

3. Light

Of course orchids need plenty of light to grow properly especially during the summer. During the winter months they can get by on about four hours. Different types of orchids require different amounts of light so you'll need to know the specifics for your plant. if you cannot provide enough natural sunlight and grow lights will work just fine.

4. Soil

just like any other plant, orchids need nutrients and good soil to growing. Luckily you can buy potting soil formulated specifically for orchids. You may be able to find this at your local garden store or you can even buy it from the orchid grower themselves. You will find that most organ mixes contain some sort of fir bark or osmunda fiber.

Becoming a successful orchid grower is really no different than growing any other type of plant. You simply need to know what the right factors are for vibrant thriving plants and arrests as a matter of just putting these key elements into action.

Lee Dobbins writes for http://orchids.garden-corner.com where you can learn more about different types of orchids and how to become an expert orchid grower.

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