Caring for orchids is easier than many people think. It is not hard at all to find out the best way to care for your orchids. Once you know the right routine, you will be able to grow these beautiful plants successfully no matter what conditions you are living in.
There are several simple ways to enjoy your orchids. They include:
1. Proper Watering
When caring for orchids, water is a co- Frequently asked question that I receive is, “How often should I water my orchids?” There are general guidelines about watering orchids which are based on the temperature and humidity in your home. usually once or twice a week is a good watering frequency, but you need to monitor this carefully so your orchids don’t suffer from too much. If you are living in a fairly humid environment, you will only need to water once every other day. If you are one of the many homes that don’t have a humidifier, you will have to create a microclimate of humidity around your orchid by using a humidifier. Another way to create the humid environment is to fill up a saucer of water. You could use something like a most anything to create the environment.
When your orchid is not blooming, you only need to slightly water the orchid. For example, if you have a phalaenopsis orchid, less water is needed. However, if your orchid is flowering, you will need to water it more. The flowering medium also plays a role in how frequently you need to water. If the orchid growing medium is a fine or medium textured bark, you will only need to water once every other week. However, when using a medium textured bark, such as the redwood or cedar, you will need to water your orchid every 3 to 4 days.
The amount you water will depend also on the orchid type. You will have to look for a happy healthy orchid to be sure that you water it correctly.
2. Orchids Disease
The condition of your orchids is the key to controlling orchid disease. If you see blackened areas on the leaves with burns, or curling and dying of the leaves, you can bet that your orchids have blackened and damaged leaves. The treatment for blackened and damaged leaves is quite simple. Simply get your orchid a new pot and the proper soil and fertilizers.
The curling and dying of the leaves is a sign of a pest problem and the pests feed on the orchid’s nutrients. Simply get your orchid a new pot and see how it then handles the new pests. If it is fine, then there is no need to water. If the pests are gone, then water the plant as needed.
There are even essential oils which can be used to ward off garden pests. Organic vegetable oil, human hair, and garlic are just a few of the organic methods which can be used.
3. Orchid Pests
The Newspaper Clip- Peanuts, for example, have been used for years to ward off ants and aphids.
Oregano is also said to repel ants and garlic is said to repel vegetables.
4. Orchid Diseases
Usually, if your orchid has a pest problem, you can automatically add chemicals to the orchid manure to deal with the problem. This is a good and cheap way to deal with pests which is environmentally friendly. However, you still need to use common sense when using these chemicals and remember that you can actually pollute the ecological balance if you add too much.
5. Plant Pests
This is a constant refrain throughout the years, but there are some orchid pests that are bent on destroying the beauty of the orchid plant. A few of the most vivid are the vicious Yellow jackets, the cup-asset, the Tachinid Flies, the look-alike Spittlebugs and even the Duckworms.
