Taking Care of Orchids During the Summer

 
Oh great! Summer is here at last! This time of year you need to care for your beautiful orchids in a way suited to the season.

If you take your orchids into the great outdoors for some nice summer air, that would be good for them. You need to pay special attention to how moist their soil is though when doing this. Check them daily.

This is where you run into a snag (isn't this normal with orchids?). If you are dealing with the tougher orchids such as the Cattleyas – wait to water them for a day. Yes you heard me right. Check the soil for moistness. If these orchids seem to need some water, wait until the next day – then proceed to water them.

On the other hand with oncidiums and phalaenopsis, they can be misted on a daily basis. Then water them about 2 times weekly. Watch for changes in the pseudo bulbs this may be an indication they need water!

In the middle of a summer day shade is needed.

It is imperative!

In the middle of the day move all your orchids into the shade – whatever species you have. The orchids love the light of the early morning and they grow quite well in the summer months. Slightly shade them after the morning through the other part of the day. However some of the species can deal with the afternoon sun such as the Cymbidiums. But the majority will only burn if they get that much exposure.

One of the kinds that burns quite easily is the Phalaenopsis. It will get big areas of black and yellow when it gets burned. The Cattleya will take on a reddish tent to its leaves when it has been overexposed to the sun. If left alone, with too much exposure to the sun, the leaves will take a yellow tint.

In the summer it may appear that the phalaenopsis has stopped blooming. You can coax it to re bloom at times, cut the stem of the flower about 1/2” from the bottom. But if the flower stem shows chances of having its own side shoots, don't perform this action. Let it be and it will bloom again.

Once it blooms again you should re pot in a mixture of bark and charcoal or you can use bark alone. Place the flower in a shady area and let it get over the shock of being replanted. This will take about 30 days. Then you can place it into normal lighting again.

Now with the paphiopedilum or the slipper orchids, the summer is their peak time for growth. Make sure they get plenty of light and the right water conditions.

You will have to keep your phragmipediums moist if they are being grown outdoors during these summer months. Be especially diligent with this during the afternoons, that tend to be hotter. But do not skimp on the light during this important growth time. This light is crucial to the production of the blooms.

Your Cattleyas that bloom in spring should be through blooming when summer rolls around. This is the time to re pot them. Now you may also want to re pot the Cattleyas that you have that will bloom in the fall, these plants should have about 1” long roots.

As you are doing this, examine the pseudo bulbs for signs of dryness. This shows you that your orchids need more watering. You also need to watch for any signs of rotting too. This means you need to increase the air circulation. If signs are showing for rotting immediately treat the plants with fungicide. Do this immediately too, do not wait! The plant will be killed by the fungicide in about a week.

After reading this you have the information needed for caring for your orchids in the summer.