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Tips And Guide On Preparing Soil For Healthy And Good Looking Orchids

By: Moses Wright

You may be surprised to know that orchids do not even grow in soil.

Epiphytes are orchids that cling to trees, supporting themselves on the bark. They receive all the water they need when rain water runs or drips down the tree. Other nutrients they receive from the air.

Lithophytes are a type of orchid that grows on rocks. Saprophytes grow in leaf litter, and terrestrials are found growing in sand.

Orchids, like other plants, prefer certain conditions when growing in the wild. This is the information you need to know in order to grow them in your greenhouse. Being aware and armed with information of what makes them thrive, you can provide a good environment for them.

For orchids, it's not very difficult at all to create a natural setting for them to grow in. Almost anyone can throw together some lava rocks or fir bark chips. Most orchids only need small amounts of water at regular intervals. Allow enough time between watering for them to dry. Drainage should not be a problem with the loosely packed growing medium.

Your orchids should be re-potted every two or three years. Not only will they begin to outgrow their pots, but the material that they grow in will usually begin to break down as well. This is caused, mainly, by insect activity and repeated watering. You know its time to re-pot if the roots are appearing over the side of the pot.

The good news is that re-potting these types of plants is much easier than those grown in soil. Do remember to exercise caution when dealing with plants. This procedure should only be undertaken when the plant is at it's lowest level of activity. For instance, it would be in early Spring, before its major growth spurt.

Be cautious when you take the plant from its pot and remove any remaining material from its roots. To give the plant the best chance of surviving in it's new pot, clip off any damaged or unhealthy looking roots.

Many times this move will be made to a larger pot. Refill the pot with the proper growing media, whether it's bark, lava rocks or something else. There is also a special orchid sphagnum moss that works quite well for some types. Clear a place to insert your plant and refill up to the crown (rhizome).

Stake the plant for extra support, if need be. Use it for a while, until the plant can grow without toppling.

Always remember that the orchid will get most of it's nutrients from the air and water instead of the growing media. Make sure you provide proper airflow.

The amount of air available to the roots is dependent on the chip size. Make sure you have the right potting material for your specific plant. When the plant begins to sprout fresh leaves, you can use a bit of 18-18-18 to fertilize it.

Article Source: http://www.newagelivingarticles.com

Moses Wright loves to work in his garden. He started this web site to help fellow orchid enthusiast. You can find more free resources on orchid gardening and common orchid diseases symptom on his site.

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