This is my first post in this forum. First, excuse me for my poor English, but i'm a French man, nobody is perfect.
I believe the weather in Florida, is warm to hot, like in Thailand, maybe a little less. at the beginning of my orchids culture, i try to adapt the watering in France, to my watering in Thailand, It has been a disaster, i have lost 20% to 30% of my plants.
2 years ago, i talk to a Thai producer of Rayong in the southern of Thailand, about when can i watering my Dendrobium, and how? His answer was "NEVER" majority of orchids of Thailand cultivate in Thailand, do not need to much watering. The ambient humidity is sufficient for 90% of the need of them.
I build a open greenhouse in my garden, and i covered it by a "UV' net, which reduce the sun between 60% and 80% following the varieties. 80% for Phalaenopsis and other delicate species, 70% for Dendrobium, and 60% for vandoideae. Some varieties like Grammatofyllum and Papilionanthe need the full sun.
I covered the soil of the greenhouse by 20cm of river sand, every evening at about 6 o'clock, i watering the sand generously, and i spray the plant once a week with a little bit of fertilizer (about 1/5 of the recommended dose. If possible just after a shower, here is easy, we have 6 month of monsoon, between May and October.
During the cold and dry season (
) minimum 17º-20º, between November and February, no spray, i stop the watering by spray, but i continue to watering the sand, a good humidity is enough, until the roots, the flowers and new pseudos appear. at this moment i begin the watering again, but without fertilizer for the first month. the hot and dry season between mid February to May i watering and spray normally.
I noticed than during the flowering period, if i stop to watering the plant, flowering is longer.
See you soon.
Linear Mode
