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Fenland Orchid Society |
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Newsletters |
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Blinking rotten weather.
It could be something to do with age ( not that Brenda agrees with that statement ) but in this weather I no longer enjoy going to the allotment to pick the Brussel sprouts or lift the parsnips. On the other hand it is quite nice to live in a country that has definite seasons throughout the year. Having spent most of my national service in Singapore where it is hot and humid the whole year long, I do appreciate the seasonal changes. I just wish we could ditch winter.
Likewise if you are one of those persons who attempts to grow tropical orchids in this climate then the winter period becomes a right beggar, even more so if you have a mixed collection. In fact it’s this time of the year when I often wonder whether it would be better if I should concentrate on a single genera.
The basic problem is quite simple ‘To water or not to water’, but it is complicated by other factors such as Temperature, type of Medium, Plant requirements, prevailing Conditions where the plants are kept, and so on. As such it is difficult to give just one answer. I would suggest that it is worthwhile reading up on your plants requirements, at this time of year some Orchids such as the Laelia’s need a dry rest while the Phalaenopsis still need to be kept moist. There are plenty of books in our society library. Another major factor is the prevailing weather conditions (obviously you may say), but it may remain cold, damp, and over cast for several days or even weeks, then one day the sky is clear and the sun comes out. When it’s sunny the temperature in a green house can rise fairly quickly, an ideal time to consider watering. Water reasonably early in the day in order to allow the plants time to dry during the rest of the day. Make sure no water lays in the crowns of plants, this is liable to cause a terminal rot.
Try to understand the conditions within your own green house, plants positioned up in the apex or near a heater are liable to dry out more quickly and thus need watering more often than others. Likewise the humidity can be a cause for concern during the winter months, not only does it keep moisture retained in the plant medium, it may form condensation droplets on the internal glass surface which in turn may drip onto the plants. A drip of cold water onto a warm leaf surface ma result in a soft spongy brown circle, a dusting of ‘Flowers of Sulphur’ should prevent this from spreading.
With regard to plants mounted on bark or in baskets, at this time of the year it is probably more prudent to spray every other day, rather than every day. Indeed if they have Sphagnum moss around the roots this may give a good indication regarding watering.
Ken.
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February 2010 Abridged |
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Zy.adelaide Meadows x Lime cocktail White lips |
