In the Winter, Orchids Need their Rest

Orchids need "rest" time each year. The precise time for this depends on the species, but for most orchids it should begin 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 general practice is to give your orchids rest from November through the middle of February. You can accomplish this by restricting your watering and by lowering the temperature in your orchid room.

For orchids that originate in hot or very warm regions, you should keep the temperature at about 60 0r 65. For species from cooler climes, you can let the temperature drop to as low as 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

At this time, give your plants only enough water to keep them from shriveling. Most of the moisture should be supplied by misting or by taking measures 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 can water them directly.

A few species will continue to grow during the winter. These will required 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 need to give these as much sun and light during their rest period as you can. This will allow their pseuduobulbs to ripen, which in turn causes them to grow stronger and flower more freely.

Caring properly for orchids during their rest is not that difficult. Preventing problems, though, necessitates a good bit more information than can be covered here. The most complete guide to expert orchid growing, many agree, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which may be downloaded from the web. Howard's wonderful guide is a comprehensive education all to itself. And, it's appropriate for beginning gardeners as well as more seasoned orchid growers. Also, visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing database of information on many aspects of orchid cultivation.