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Orchid Food

Posted in Orchids Growing | May 31st, 2011 | Comments Off

Orchid food helps in growing the Orchid plant faster and bearing flowers sooner. But the only thing you need to know is whether you are giving the suitable fertilizers to your Orchid plant.

Orchids normally require an adequate amount of continuous availability of mineral nutrients. Although they are making their own food by the process of photosynthesis in which they use water, carbon dioxide and energy from the sun, they surely need some special kind of fertilizers to grow and flourish properly.

Seventeen different components have been identified that are necessary for the growth of Orchid plant. Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K) are needed in larger amounts and are called “macro nutrients”. Whereas elements such as Calcium (Ca), Iron (Fe), Zinc (Z), and Copper (Cu) are required in much smaller amounts and are known as “micro nutrients” or “trace elements”.

Almost every commercial Orchid fertilizer is marked with three numbers, like 10-20-30. These numbers show the percentage by weight of the macro nutrients that are Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K), in the fertilizer.

The properties of these three macro nutrients are as follows:

Nitrogen (N) is essential for the growth of stem and leaves, and gives them a rich green color.

Phosphorous (P) helps in the development of roots and flowers.

Potassium (K) aids in building Orchid tissues, and is also necessary for the production of chlorophyll.

Any fertilizer is considered to be complete and balanced when it contains N, P, and K in the equal ratio. Some of the fertilizers used for the Orchid plant are in ratio of 20-20-20, 10-10-10, and 30-10-10. Only nitrogen element can be added more than other two elements because it helps in giving the plant rich green color that is very useful in the healthy growth of Orchid plant.

Orchids grow best when given the water soluble fertilizers which are easily available and also easy to use. These fertilizers should be given to the plant in every 2-3 weeks.

Orchid plants warn you by showing some specific symptoms when they are not given the proper and appropriate food. Some of these symptoms are as follows:

  • A lack of nitrogen stops the growth and makes the leave turn yellow at the tip, whereas excess nitrogen bears fast, soft, and flaccid growth.
  • Inadequate phosphorus sometimes causes a brownish-purple discoloration, and also turns the tips of the leaves into yellow and the edges burn and dry.
  • Improper and insufficient fertilizers make the growth of the Orchid plants slow, whereas very dark green leaves that are limp shows that the plant has been over-fertilized.

The Orchid plants require starting feeding when they begin to grow. For the novice, it is best to use the Orchid food which is commonly used among the Orchid growers.

Orchid Nurseries

Posted in Orchids Growing | November 11th, 2010 | Comments Off

Orchids are refreshing plants which bear colorful flowers that not only add beauty to the environment but also give off pleasant aroma. The increasing demand of Orchids is mainly carried out by the nurseries. Thousands of Orchid species are cultivated and harvested in these Orchids to fulfill the customer demand.

Orchid plants are propagated and grown in the nurseries throughout the world. Generally, there are following two types of nurseries:

  1. Retail nurseries sell Orchids to the general public.
  2. Wholesale nurseries sell Orchids only to other nurseries and to gardeners who are working on commercial scale.

Many of the both types of these nurseries sell Orchids by mail.

There are many nurseries that are working only on the one stage of the process, i.e. propagation, growing out, or retail sale. On the other hand, some nurseries grow only one type of Orchids, for example, Phalaenopsis Orchids.

Nurseries usually cultivate Orchids in greenhouses. A greenhouse is a glass building which is aimed to provide protection to young plants from extreme climate conditions, at the same time allowing access to proper light and air circulation. With the more advanced technology, greenhouses having automated control of temperature, air flow, and light and semi-automated watering and feeding are also now available in the market.

Majority of Orchid nurseries are highly labor-intensive. The reason behind is that despite some procedures have been automated, there are still many that need manual treatment, and also because treating all Orchid plants in the same way simultaneously can only destroy them. Therefore, Orchid care needs surveillance, judgment and manual agility.

Generally, Orchid nurseries sell their Orchid plants in Orchid pots. You just need to pick the Orchid of your choice and they will give it to you with necessary instructions about how to keep it healthy and fast growing.

There are numerous numbers of well established Orchid nurseries which have launched their own website to attract more customers. Whereas, many retail Orchid nurseries also sell Orchid bouquets and Orchid arrangements for various special occasions such as weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries to maximize their profit.

Orchid nursery business is highly seasonal. Their profit is at their boom in spring and autumn seasons. The sale of Orchids is also affected by many factors such as temperature, dearth, discounted foreign competition, and fashion.

Despite these fluctuations in the profit, Orchid nurseries are the profitable business. If you have enough and proper knowledge and information about various Orchid species, Orchid growing habits, and Orchid care then even you can start your own Orchid nursery to increase your income.

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How to Water Orchids

Posted in Orchids Growing | July 6th, 2010 | Comments Off

Orchids have quickly become a favorite among houseplants due to their gorgeous blooms and their variety in species, colors and sizes.  Like any other plant, orchids require the correct growing conditions in order to thrive.  Part of offering your orchid the right growing conditions is giving your orchid the right amount of water.  Since the amount of water required for your orchid can vary between different species of orchids, it is important to research your particular plant.  But, it is helpful to understand orchids in general and where they come from.

Orchid plants are typically found in tropical areas of the globe.  The areas where many orchid plants are found receive a tremendous amount of rain.  It can also be very humid in their native habitats.  In fact, the ideal humidity level for most orchid plants is 80%.  Considering that a room that is kept at 80% humidity would be extremely uncomfortable for most human beings, you need to find other strategies in order to keep your orchids happy and healthy.  An easy way to humidify your orchids is to provide them with a constant supply of water.  Orchid owners can purchase a deep saucer and some pebbles.  You should pour the pebbles into the saucer.  Set your orchid pot on top of the pebbles within the saucer and then water the pebbles.  You should make sure that the water never touches the actual orchid pot.  By doing this you are able to set up an artificial high-humidity climate around your orchids.

One of the biggest mistakes the people make when caring for their orchids is over watering their orchids.  Generally it is assumed by some owners that when the potting soil looks dry, the plant needs to be watered. This is not true especially when it comes to orchids.  Although the potting bark may appear dry, the bark itself holds moisture.  The rule of thumb is to water your orchid plant once a week or once every other week, sparingly.  When growing an orchid plant in your home, you should let the potting bark dry out completely before watering them.  Some species of orchids grow on the trunks and branches of trees.  In their native habitats it is normal for their roots to dry out before being given water again.  Orchid plants also need to be fertilized but sparingly as well. You can buy orchid fertilizer at most garden shops within your area.  Creating a good routine for watering and fertilizing your orchid is an excellent way to guarantee that you will be able to enjoy these exotic plants for a long time.

Orchids will thrive in your home environment if they are given the proper care including the right amount of potting bark, the right amount of water, the proper amount of sunlight and if they are fertilized occasionally.  Although they are quite beautiful, they can also be temperamental.  But, by understanding how to care for them properly, orchids are not that complicated and you can grow these exotic and beautiful plants.

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Growing an Orchid Under Artificial Lights

Posted in Orchids Growing | July 6th, 2010 | Comments Off

Orchids, like many other kinds of house plants, have very specific needs including light, water and nutrition.  One of the most important elements to the health of your orchid plant is the kind of light that it receives.  The amount of light the orchid plant needs can vary due to the species that your orchid is.  But, since orchids naturally are found within the tropical areas of the globe, they generally need a good deal of diffused light.  The tropical areas they come from normally have distinct patterns of sun and shade.  In order to give them the cooler morning light and prevent them from burning in strong afternoon sunlight, sit your orchid in an eastern facing window.  You should give your orchid about twelve hours of light a day, but this is sometimes not possible because of a very strong afternoon sun.

In order to figure out how much shade and sun your specific orchid species will need, you will need to find out as much information about your particular orchid as you can.  There are several ways to find the right information on your orchid plant.  A great way to get information on your particular orchid is to talk to the people from whom you purchase your plant from.  You should also look up information about your orchid online while you are doing your research on which species of orchid would be best for you before you purchase it.   Some orchids thrive on receiving a lot of sun.  While other species of orchid plants will wilt if they don’t get mostly shade.  Among orchid growers there are two different way to distinguish which orchids like what kind of light.  Soft growing orchids mean they thrive in shady conditions.  Hard growing orchids thrive in sunny conditions.  Typically an orchid that requires soft or shady growing conditions will offer their owners the enjoyment of a healthy and thriving plant, but the blooms will be small and infrequent.  On the other hand, orchids that are grown in hard or sunny conditions will produce many blooms, but not much plant.  The leaves on such a plant may also be yellow and stunted.

One way of ensuring that your orchid will get the right amount of light is to use a glow-light.  You can purchase a grow-light and a timer will give your orchids the correct amounts of both light and darkness.  It is also possible to use florescent light to offer your orchids a light source that is not too strong for them.  For years it was thought that orchids could only be successfully grown by experienced horticulturists.  But, with these simple ways of giving your orchids the right kind of light necessary, orchids can now be grown by even the most inexperienced growers.  Along with natural sunlight, a grow-light or florescent lights plus, a full understanding of the kind of species your orchid is, you can have a gorgeous orchid plant that will give you gorgeous, full blooms throughout it’s blooming season.

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