Give Your Orchids Some Rest this Winter

Orchids need resting time every year. The exact time for this depends on the Variety, but for most orchids it should start some time in the fall and continue through most of the winter. You should treat 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 allow your orchids rest from November through the middle of February. How do you do this? Basically by lowering the temperature where you keep your plants, and by restricting their water.

For orchids that originate in hot or very warm regions, you should keep the temperature at about 60 0r 65. Cooler-origin orchids can tolerate temperatures 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 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 months. These will demand 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 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 is to allow their pseudobulbs to ripen, letting them grow stronger and flower more freely.

Caring properly for orchids during their rest is not that difficult. Avoiding all problems, though, requires a good bit more information than can be covered in a short space. The most complete guide to modern orchid cultivation, many growers agree, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which may be downloaded from the Internet. Mr. Howard's guide is a comprehensive course of study, useful for novices and the more experienced cultivators alike. Also, be sure to visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing library of articles on all facets of orchid cultivation.