Orchids have two active growing seasons: summers and autumn, which are active when temperatures are high, and winters and spring, which can tolerate low temperatures. Winter/spring flowering orchids have an active growing season during winters, brightening well-lit windowsills. On cold nights, it’s advisable to move plants away from the window or use bubble wrap as insulation. Orchid care, also known as orchid culture, is a balance of water, fertilizer, light, temperature, air movement, and humidity.
Orchids can continue to bloom beautifully throughout the winter if they receive the right conditions. Some orchids bloom during the winter months, while others slow down their growth waiting for warmer weather. If healthy, phallus need a nighttime drop in temperature to trigger spike growth. To ensure healthy development, it’s important to provide the right lighting and temperature.
Sub-tropical orchids like Bulbophyllum amplifolium, B. hirtum, B. khasianum, B. loepardium, B. viridifolium, and B. wallichii flower in early winters. Long summer days may cause the plant to be thirstier and need more water, while winter means shorter daylight hours. To ensure optimal growth, place orchids in the sunniest room with the most windows and ensure they receive enough light.
In summary, orchid care is essential for maintaining healthy growth and maintaining a tropical aesthetic. By adjusting lighting and adjusting watering schedules, orchids can thrive in the sunniest rooms with the most windows.
📹 Orchid Care for Beginners – What to do after Phalaenopsis blooms fall? Cutting spike & aftercare
Today we continue our Orchid Care for beginners series with an important episode, which will address what you should do after …
Do orchids like warm or cold?
Orchids thrive in temperatures of 75°F or higher during daytime and 65°F or higher at night. However, winter temperatures may not be ideal, so it’s crucial to prevent them from being exposed to temperatures significantly colder. If you experience damage, investigate if cold damage may have been the cause and determine when it occurred. If you suspect cold damage, take steps to prevent it from happening in the future.
Do orchids like winter sun?
Orchids, including Pansy, Moth, and Lady Slipper varieties, can grow in lower-light conditions. Winter can be safe to move them near a window, as sunlight is weaker in cooler months. However, keep them in a subdued spot during summer. Orchids may experience issues due to incorrect sunlight exposure and seasonal changes. For instance, low- or medium-light varieties like Miraflore Moth orchid can benefit from extra light during winter months, encouraging flowering. Best practices include maintaining proper sunlight exposure and adjusting the plant’s location accordingly.
What orchids can survive winter?
Orchids thrive in temperatures between 50° and 80° F (10° to 27° C), but occasional temperatures above 100° F or drops into the 30s (0 C) aren’t harmful as long as no frost forms on the leaves. Cold hardiness, the orchid’s resistance to or ability to adjust to cold stress, should be considered when caring for them in winter. Some species, like Miltonia or Masdevallia, don’t mind temperatures dropping into the 40s at night. Many Cymbidium species are naturally occurring at higher altitudes that frost at night, allowing them to take a nighttime dip around the 30s without damage.
Cold hardiness is influenced by environmental conditions, plant health, and native environment. During winter, flowering orchids brighten windowsills, so moving plants away from windows or using bubble wrap as insulation is recommended.
Do orchids bloom in winter?
Orchids are a popular choice for winter decor due to their extended blooming period, which is particularly appealing during the colder months. These flowers come in diverse shapes, vibrant colors, and delicate petals, adding luxury and charm to indoor spaces. They are relatively low-maintenance compared to other flowering plants and can continue to bloom beautifully if given the right conditions. However, they require specific care, and the best type of orchid for winter may vary depending on location and indoor conditions.
Proper research and maintenance are essential to ensure orchids thrive and continue to beautify your space. Orchids have been known to positively impact mood and mental well-being, especially during winter when people may experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or feel down due to lack of sunlight. To maintain their health, orchids should be kept between 18°C to 24°C during the day and slightly cooler at night. They should also be placed in a spot with ample indirect light, such as north or east-facing windows, to ensure they receive milder sunlight.
Do orchids hate cold?
Orchids typically thrive in temperatures between 50° and 80° F (10° to 27° C), but occasional periods above 100° F or even in the 30s (0 C) can be harmless as long as no frost forms on the leaves. Cold injury, chill injury, and freeze injury are all types of damage caused by temperatures above and below freezing. Symptoms usually appear days after exposure to low temperatures, with the rate of development depending on the severity of the exposure and the conditions in the growing environment.
The post-exposure environment affects the degree of injury and symptom development, with the importance of post-stress handling varying with the severity of cold stress. Overall, proper post-stress handling can significantly influence the damage to plants exposed to extreme temperatures.
Do orchids stay alive in winter?
Orchids, despite their tropical nature, can thrive in the winter months with proper care and attention. They require less water than in the warmer summer months, and overwatering is a common cause of root rot. To prevent root rot, reduce watering as soon as the temperature drops.
To keep orchids warm during the day and evenings, ensure they are not directly above a radiator but not too far away. Avoid drafty areas and ensure the orchid is in a space with residual heat. Keep an eye on the temperature, as orchids are difficult to bring back from overwatering. Overwatering can be difficult to recover from, so it’s essential to follow proper watering and temperature management.
What is the season for orchid plant?
Normal orchid bloom loss is a natural process that occurs when the orchid’s buds suddenly dry up and fall off before opening into blooms. Just Add Ice® Orchids are produced year-round, so their blooming cycle might not follow this exact pattern. However, if the blooms have a typical lifespan and then slowly wilt and fall off, there’s no need to worry. To prevent this, trim back the bloom spikes to an inch above the node past the last bloom and continue your care regimen.
Both bud blast and bloom blast are caused by a traumatic change in the orchid’s environment, such as sudden temperature or humidity changes or improper hydration. To prevent these issues, ensure your orchid is not near a vent when your AC kicks on for the summer and stick to your watering regime. By following these care steps, you can expect more blooms in just a few months.
Do orchids flower in summer?
Stanhopea nigroviolacea is a spectacular orchid species that blooms during summer, with its large purple and yellow flowers measuring over 150 mm (6 in) across. These flowers last only three or four days, even less in hot weather. However, they are a sight to behold, making them a focal point for family and friends. Most stanhopea species require intermediate or warm conditions, but S. nigroviolacea, S. tigrina, and S. wardii can withstand temperatures down to freezing if kept fairly dry.
Lycaste aromatica, another central American species, can grow well in a ‘cosy’ shade house with protection from rains and frost in winter. Each mature pseudobulb can produce ten or more greenish yellow, long-lasting flowers. To learn more about these and other summer-flowering orchids, visit orchid nurseries and other growers during the summer months.
What months are best for orchids?
The orchids will be at their optimal visual display with a comprehensive assortment of lenses and colors, and prices will be considerably reduced.
Should you feed orchids in winter?
To ensure the health of your orchids during winter, it’s essential to properly fertilize them. Use a low-nitrogen fertilizer and a high-potassium one, with the label numbers like 10-5-20. Reduce watering and fertilizing frequency during cooler autumn seasons. For orchids that bloom during winter and into spring, give them a few doses of blossom booster in October and November. This change in fertilizer should start by mid-November and continue through the end of January. This will sacrifice plant growth in December and January for plant protection, but it will help maintain overall plant health.
📹 Orchid Winter Feeding & Orchids In Bloom
Today I am watering and feeding my cool growing orchids and implementing what I learned during my recent behind-the-scenes …
Really interesting on the cymbidiums, Rachel. I’ve heard of some people leaving them dry for the winter so it’s interesting to see another approach. I only have one! They’d fill the entire greenhouse unfortunately. And I’m sad to say I’m a self confessed water sharer! Shame on me-I’ll have to give myself a stern talking to! 🤣
What a clever way to water with that great and a bucket so it doesn’t go to waste. My orchids are all in clay pots what a clever way to water with that great and a bucket so it doesn’t go to way. My orchids are all in clay pots but I soap them for 20 minutes. I’ve watched Rick on Rick’s orchids so that’s what I started to do mine are growing and bark.
Hello Rachel! My ears pricked up when you mentioned that Epsom salts help in keeping spider mites away. I have this problem on and off in my collection and would appreciate any more info on this topic. If you have already covered this in another article, I must have missed it… Thanks for all your informative articles, always nice to spend some virtual time with you!
I see you’ve use bubble wrap as insulation in your Greenhouse how is that working out. I’m going to buy some to put on my windows because the bay window doesn’t have double pane I believe and my sliding glass doors I just use as one big Greenhouse window. I’m sure the orchids being up against the window helps at night for them to get the night chill the phalaenopsis need to get to bloom. I love this article
Thanks for tips about watering. In compairison to you I water my Cymbidium much less. I wonder, maybe I should water them more !!! I loved your blooms, cannot say which are my favourite, they all are beautiful but George King certainly caught my eye, with its lovely peachy/pink shades. Did you train sotoanum spikes to droop or is that their natural way? I love small flowers cascading like that. Lousy weather here on and off but not too cold yet comparing with others. Have a great weekend.
I believe tomato food has the third number the highest and I always get mixed up whether it’s phosphorus or potassium. I will make sure I use that one instead of the higher nitrogen one and my next nutrient mix. I have a couple cymbidiums I just bought as bag babies and I bought a dendrobium as a bag baby. And my phalaenopsis are getting ready to set spikes a couple of them already have would this be good to use now or use the middle number higher because that’s supposed to help bloom. Or is the middle number being higher when there is actually big flowers on the orchids. I also add some seaweed Emulsion fertilizer Epsom salts and calmag at every watering on my phalaenopsis and now I guess my other orchids. My orchids look very healthy there’s only one let’s not doing so well and I don’t know whether I forgot to water it this summer when they were outside but the leaves are all kind of wrinkly so I’m going to try to soak it in a t solution every couple of days to see if I can get those leaves back to way they should but I have a feeling they’ll never go back to being plump.
Hi Rachel, how interesting about the feeding of your cymbidiums, and the cristata….I’ll give that a go next year (if I remember). Your anceps is huge! Wow I’m loving that ( I wonder if you cut it in the pot if it would produce more growths in the center?). Doing kitchen chores must be terrible in front of that window 😁… thank you so much for sharing… Kelly