Since orchids are shade-loving plants, the location where there is plenty of indirect sunlight like a shade house is an ideal place for them. Apart from providing the best shade house, giving them the essential needs that help them grow and bloom is also necessary. To understand how to grow these blooming plants, read this article below.
How much water should be given to orchids in a shade house depends on the humidity level, climate and the potting medium used. Generally, the best time to water them is in the morning. This is to make them dry out by night time. In addition, watering them once a week during winter is enough. But when the weather turns dry, make it twice a week.
Orchids typically don’t need to be watered every day. Overwatering them might lead to root rot. This is a disease in plants that attack their roots. Primarily, it is caused by poor functioning of the root system, overwatering and poor drainage of the damp soil.
As mentioned above, how often orchids should be watered depends on the potting material used. They usually potted in either bark chips or sphagnum moss. These two types of potting materials work well for orchids but they both need different care.
Generally, a moss act like a sponge that helps orchid to take a long time to dry out. They’re perfect for species such as lady’s slipper and nun’s orchids. On the other hand, bark drains quickly and doesn’t hold too much water. Thus, they are the ideal choice for Cattleya and Phalaenopsis.
When building (DIY) or assembling an orchid shade house, the location should take into serious consideration. This is because a well-located shade house can provide a consistent and better garden environment for orchids.
Apart from the site, the direction of the window face can make a difference in the light exposure of orchids. It’s crucial to know the amount of sun exposed to the orchids. Since certain species of orchids don’t need too much sunlight. For a better understanding of the different window face directions and how much light they provide to the orchids, please read on.
Whether orchids are placed in a greenhouse or in a shade house, installing shade cloth is crucial. They tend to grow taller and have bigger leaves when they’re placed in shade houses with shade cloths.
Different shade cloth colours provide various benefits to orchids. Below are their benefits.
For shade-loving plants like orchids, they typically need 75-80% shade cloth. This shade cloth percentage will definitely provide enough shades for them.
However, some factors affect the shade cloth percentage needed for orchids. Here are some of them.
For areas with higher temperatures during summer, the ideal shade cloth percentage is about 75-85%. But for those areas with the winter season, only minimal shade is required.
The amount of light needed for orchids differs according to their type. For instance, orchids like Paphiopedilums, Macodes, Bulbophyllum and Phalaenopsis require 30 to 60% of light for about 4 to 6 hours per day. Therefore, to achieve this light intensity requirement for these orchids, 75-80% shade cloth is needed.
For ther light-loving orchids such as Dendrobium, Cattleya and Oncidiums, they need 50% or less shade cloth depending on their location.
Proper care and a healthy environment are essential for the growth of shade-loving orchids. In order to grow them in shade houses better, it’s crucial to provide them with enough water and sunlight to make them thrive and be healthy. These 5 important aspects above can help to grow orchids in shade houses.
Orchids can be taken care of by using a high-quality shade structure like a Shade house. To help you find the ideal shade house for orchids, just contact a trustworthy shade house provider for more details and recommendations.