Successful Orchid Cultivation Requires Resting Your Plants

Orchids require "rest" time every year. The particular time for this depends on the Variety, but for most orchids it should start some time in the autumn and continue well into winter. You need to handle your plants differently at this time than you would during their forceful growth periods (spring and summer usually). This is an important part of growing orchids successfully.

A good rule of thumb is to provide your orchids rest from November through the middle of February. You do this by restricting the water you give them, and by making the place where you keep them cooler.

For tropical species, keep the temperature at about 60 or 65. For species originating in colder locales, you can lower the temperature to around 45 degrees.

During this time, provide your orchids only enough water to keep them from shriveling. Most of the moisture should be supplied by misting or by taking steps to keep the air humid. Occasionally, 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 should water them directly.

A few species will continue to grow during the winter. These will need 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 might rot.

Some orchids are deciduous. This means they will drop their leaves after they have finished their growth for the year. You need to give these as much sun and light during their rest period as you can. This will let their pseudobulbs ripen, in turn letting them grow stronger and flower more freely.

Caring properly for orchids during their rest is not that difficult. But to prevent problems will require more detailed information than can be included in a short article. The most thorough guide to today's orchid cultivation, many agree, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which may be downloaded from the web. Howard's wonderful guide is a thorough education all to itself. And, it is appropriate for beginners as well as more expeienced orchid cultivators. Also, be sure to visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which has an ever-growing library of information on many facets of orchid cultivation.