Blossoming Orchids - Keep 'Em Cool

So, you've tenderly cared for an orchid for months and now it is finally rewarding you with a gorgeous bloom.Should you handle the plant any differently now? The answer? Perhaps.

Although the species of your orchid will be the final determinant, as a general rule it would be wise for you to remove the plant to a cooler and drier place that that in which it was grown. This will help the flowers to last much longer than in a warm and moist greenhouse or other typical growing room.

Most orchids will not be harmed by putting them into a cooler, drier location when they are blooming. Most will certainly benefit from it. Still , you should make sure that the temperature where you place your blossoming orchid should not fall below 50 degrees Fahrenheit at night.

Here's an experiment you can carry out if you happen to have two orchids of the same variety that come into bloom at about the same time. Leave one in the warm room or greenhouse, and place the other in a dry, cool location as advised above. You will almost certainly notice that the one in your "cool room" will have fresh flowers for a much longer time than the one that was left behind.

The flowers of even the best-kept orchids will finally begin to fade at some point, of course. When this occurs you can re-locate the plant back into the warmer growing room. Just be sure to shade it from the sun until it re-adjusts to warmer surroundings. If you neglect this, the plant could become scorched.

One of the keys to success in growing orchids is understanding their life cycles and the different stages they go through. Each of those stages demands a different type of care, and the blossoming phase has "rules" all its own.

The most thorough guide to expert orchid cultivation, many agree, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which is available to be downloaded from the web. Mr. Howard's ebook is a complete course in itself, appropriate for novices as well as those more experienced. Also, check out the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing library of postings on all aspects of orchid cultivation.