So, you’ve nursed and fussed over an orchid for many long months and now it is rewarding you with a gorgeous bloom. Should you treat the plant any differently now? The answer is: Perhaps.
Although the species of your orchid will be the final determinant, as a general rule it would be advisable for you to remove the plant to a cooler and drier place that that in which it was grown. This will help the flowers to last much longer than in a warm and moist greenhouse or other typical growing room.
Most orchids will not be harmed by putting them into a cooler, drier location when they are blooming. Most of them will definitely benefit from it. Still , you should make sure that the temperature where you place your blossoming orchid should not fall below 50 degrees Fahrenheit at night.
Here’s an experiment you can try if you happen to have two orchids of the same type that come into bloom at about the same time. Leave one in the warm room or greenhouse, and place the other in a dry, cool location as suggested above. You will almost certainly notice that the one in your “cool room” will have fresh flowers for a significantly longer time than the one that was left behind.
The flowers of even the best-kept orchids will finally begin to fade at some point, of course. When this happens, then you can move the plant back into its warm growing room. Just take care to shade it from the sun until it has re-adjusted to the warmer surroundings. If you neglect this, the plant could become scorched.
One of the keys to success in growing orchids is to understand their life cycles and the different stages they go through. Each of those stages demands a different type of care, and the blossoming phase has “rules” all its own.
The most complete guide to contemporary orchid care, without a doubt, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which may be downloaded from the web. Mr. Howard’s guide is a full course in itself, great for novices as well as those more experienced. Also, be sure to visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing database of articles on many topics of orchid cultivation.
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