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DAY
LENGTH AND
TEMPERATURE
With
reduced day
length and
temperatures,
your orchids
will require
slightly less
feeding.
However, it is
important to
keep them
moist, and if
humidity is
low, you may
need to check
them more
frequently to
be sure they do
not dry out. If
the weather is
unusually wet,
cloudy and
cool, be sure
that your
plants have
adequate
circulation
around them and
try to water
them early in
the
day.
Warm growing
phalaenopsis,
dendrobiums,
and slipper
orchids, are
best brought
indoors, if
they have been
out at all,
when night
temperatures
dip to about
65°.
Nobile type or
deciduous
dendrobiums(those
that lose their
leaves), most
Oncidiums, and
cattleyas will
do fine with
nighttime
temperatures of
about
60°. In
fact, many
'nobile type'
dendrobiums
will not set to
buds without
this
significant
drop in
temperature,
and slightly
direr roots
(not bone dry!)
Cymbidiums can,
and should,
generally be
left out until
temperatures
start dropping
below 50°. Each
orchid is
different, so
follow any
specific care
instructions
that you have
for the plants
in your
collection.
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All
and
winter
blooming
orchids
including
many
cymbidiums,
dendrobiums
(phalaenopsis
and
nobile
types),
oncidiums,
and
cattleyas
will
be
maturing
growths
and
getting
ready
to
bloom.
What
does
this
mean
for
you?
It
means
that
you
should
switch
from
your
regular
fertilizer
to
a
special
blossom
boosting
fertilizer
immediately
to
induce
flowering.
Also, |
BRINGING
PLANTS
INDOORS
Before
bringing your
plants, examine
each one
thoroughly for
pests! There
are many benign
insect control
products such
as isopropyl
alcohol,
insecticidal
soap, and
Sunspray
ultrafine
horticultural
oil that can be
used to control
aphids, mealy
bugs, or scale.
Avoid spraying
emerging flower
buds or sheaths
unless they
require it.
Those of you
fortunate
enough to have
orchids in
bloom at this
time should
place them in a
bright indoor
spots where you
can enjoy them
most. Fall is
also the
perfect time
to
buy orchids
online
before cold
winter
temperatures
make it riskier
to ship
plants.
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