Ten Tips to Care for Your Orchids

If you've recently fallen in love with orchids and are just beginning to learn more about them

, you could be forgiven for thinking that it all sounds very complicated. It isn't really armed with a little basic knowledge about caring for orchids, you'll discover it's not much different to caring for the other plants in your garden or home.

While different types of orchids do have different needs, some general information will go a long way to assisting you to develop an understanding of their requirements. Here are ten facts to help you expand your knowledge:

In general, orchids don't require daily watering. Most prefer to almost dry out before receiving more. This is particularly the case with orchids that have pseudobulbs as the bulbs store water.

The temperature, size of the pot, humidity level and the growth phase of your orchid can cause variations in the amount of water they consume and how quickly they consume it.

Keeping your orchids in an environment that is within their temperature preferences is vitally important. If the temperature range is unsuitable for them they may not produce flowers.

If the temperature range in your area isn't suitable, you may be able to adjust the temperature by artificial means in the area in which you keep your plants.

Humidity levels are just as important and can be measured using a hygrometer and adjusted, if necessary, using humidity trays. It's important to understand that humidity doesn't necessarily increase with temperature a hot climate isn't always humid and a cold climate isn't always dry. Humidity is the measure of moisture contained in the air.

Orchids thrive best when the light conditions in terms of both duration and strength are close to those of their natural environment. Preferences will vary depending upon where the variety or orchid you have and where it originated.

Insufficient lighting can result in poor health for your orchid and can also prevent orchids from flowering. Too much light can also harm or even kill your plant.

Many orchid varieties require an air flow around their roots. It's important to use a special orchid mix rather than a traditional garden potting mix.

Drainage is vital as orchids don't like to be kept in saturated conditions. Excess water should be allowed to quickly drain away and your orchid pots should never be kept in pot holders that are filled with water.

Orchids benefit from being repotted every year or two. The orchid mix you originally placed in the pot will deteriorate over time and compact. This in turn reduces the level of drainage. Another reason to repot is that your orchid may outgrow the pot.

Like most plants, orchids will give you their very best when they're kept in conditions that suit their natural preferences. Meeting their needs will ensure that you are well rewarded when their flowering season arrives.

Ten Tips to Care for Your Orchids

By: Lisa Jenkins

POST COMMENT

Top Starcraft 2 Terran Turtle Method & Strategy - Easy SC2 Turtling Tips Astral Projection - 5 Simple Tips that Can Help You 2 Relevant Tips That Make Choosing the Right Chicken Coop Blueprints so Much Easier 10 Great Weight Loss Tips Tips To Keep Blog Viewers Coming Back For More Some Valuable Tips For Wearing High Heel Sandals 6 Great Tips for Using Notes in Public Speaking How To Make Him Miss You And Want You Back - Expert Tips That Will Recapture His Heart Natural Breast Enlargement And Some Effective Breast Enlargement Exercises Tips People Searches: Latest Tips Free Of Charge Chicken Pox Scar Removal - Tips For Getting Rid Of Chicken Pox Dent Inside Tips About Those Free IPad Offers Data Center Cooling System Maintenance Tips