Pages

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Preventing rot and fungus in the orchid

Orchid growing during the winter months has its drawbacks. One of them is the problem of rot and mold. Both are caused by cooler temperatures and allowing water to pool around the plant for long periods of time. During the warmer months that water has a chance to evaporate before problems cause damage to the plants but in the winter
-->
cooler temperatures must be watched. You will want to water your orchids early in the day to allow as much of the water to evaporate before nightfall. Water will accumulate in the axis of the leaves and cause rotting of entire stems.

The best long term solution is to allow a longer period of time between waterings than during the warmer months. Let the plants dry out more during the cooler months and keep the air circulating around the plants, as it is done in their native habitat.

By following my advice you should have lower instances of rot or fungus problems with your orchids this winter.