10 Tips to Start Growing Orchids Successfully

 

      Congratulations! and welcome to a wonderful world!

      To increase your happiness even more, pay attention to 10 tips that we have prepared for you:

 

1 – Get to know your Orchid

       T  Perhaps one of the most interesting things about growing orchids is the challenge they often impose on us. Each species has its secrets and you will need to discover them. Talk to more experienced people, search the internet; know if your plant likes more or less light, how much humidity, and so on. Thus, you will be able to evaluate the best way to cultivate it. Be sure to attend discussion groups, both on the internet and in orchidophile associations; you will always have the opportunity to learn one more detail that can save you in your cultivation. 

2 – Observe your plants. 

      Plants usually signal that something is not right for them even before they get sick. Hydration of the bulb, the color of the leaves, the way it grows, all are signs that the orchid gives you as a request for help. Read the topic “Signs of Problems with Your Orchids”. 

3 – Orchids die more easily from excess water than from lack of water. 

      When orchids are given too much water, the roots and sometimes even the bulbs rot, making it often impossible to save the orchid plant. If the Orchid spends some time without water and the bulbs wither, it will still be possible to place the plant in water for a few minutes for rehydration. 

4 – Replant the orchid whenever the substrate is old

      The substrate has an expiration time. Even if the orchid is still beautiful in the vase, as soon as you notice that the substrate is falling apart, has a rotten or musty smell, is compacted, it is always time to change it. Always try to replant when the plant is sprouting new shoots or roots. 

5 – Sterilize knives and scissors whenever you are going to cut any part of the orchid

      As with humans, cutting tools can easily transfer a disease from a plant to the other. And it's no use betting that the orchid is healthy, sometimes the disease is there, hidden, like some viruses, which take a while to show up in the plant's appearance.  Take knives and scissors and sterilize them over the stove until they turn red (don't dip the hot tool in water to avoid tempering) 

6 – Always quarantine new plants

      Whenever new plants arrive in your nursery, even if you don't have any signal, you never know if it doesn't exist some pest or disease is hidden there.  Then, the ideal is always to place the plant in an environment separate from all the others for 40 days. If during this period it does not show any problems, then the other plants can be added. 

7 – Prefer clay vases or cachepos instead of plastic ones

      Although there are also advantages to plastic vases, ceramic vases and planters have the great advantage of drying faster . This is a tremendous advantage, especially if your greenhouse is not protected from the rain, greatly reducing the incidence of plant rot.  

8 – Take care in draining the vessels

      Drainage must be carried out so that under no circumstances does water accumulate at the bottom of the vase. Water at the bottom of the vase is synonymous with diseases and the most aggressive ones. 

9 – Grow plants adapted to your region

      Orchids come from all over the world, and they also exist (or existed) in the region where you live. Give preference to those that inhabit your region before taking a chance on growing plants from other regions. Normally, when we say that an orchid is difficult to cultivate, it is because it comes from a very different region from the one we are trying to cultivate. Once you have success with the plants in your region, then move on to the rest. Be aware that many of the plants that are currently available in flower shops and supermarkets are plants from other countries and therefore are often plants that get sick and die very easily. 

10 – Avoid gathering too many plants

       As time we have the impetus to acquire more and more plants even if our space is small. The closer together the vases are, the greater the chance of them getting sick. The situation is even worse if the pots are very close to the ground and if they are hung so that the top ones shade the bottom ones. There comes a time when you will need to choose the ones you like best, the ones in the best shape and even the ones with the best chance of winning prizes at exhibitions. 

 

Now, Get to Work!