Allow Your Orchids Some Rest this Winter
Orchids require “rest” time every year. The exact time for this depends on the species, but for most orchids it should start some time in the fall and continue through most of the winter. You need to treat your plants differently at this time than you would during their forceful growth periods (spring and summer usually). This is a necessary part of growing orchids successfully.
A good rule of thumb is to give your orchids rest from November through the middle of February. You do this by lowering the temperature of the room where they are kept, and by restricting water.
For orchids from hot regions, keep the air temperature at about 60 or 65. For species from cooler climes, you can let the temperature drop to as low as 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
During this time, give your orchids only enough water to keep them from shriveling. The bulk of the moisture should be supplied by misting or by taking measures to keep the air humid. From time to time, though, you should poke down into the soil and examine the stem, roots and rooting medium of your plants. If these are beginning to dry out you can water them directly.
Some species will continue to grow during the winter months. These will required somewhat more water than those that truly go dormant. If you see new shoots emerging, though, try to avoid wetting them or they else they could rot.
Some orchids are deciduous. This means they will lose their leaves after they have finished their growing for the year. You must give these as much sun and light during their rest period as you can. This will allow their pseuduobulbs to ripen, which in turn causes them to grow stronger and flower more freely.
Proper orchid care is not that hard or mysterious. Preventing problems, though, necessitates a good bit more information than can be covered here. The most thorough guide to expert orchid care, in my opinion, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which may be downloaded from the Internet. Mr. Howard’s ebook is a complete course in itself, great for beginners as well as those more experienced. Also, be sure to visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing library of articles on many topics of orchid cultivation.
