Orchids are primarily known as plants grown in pots in the home, but some varieties do well in the garden. To enjoy beautiful flowers, we need to remember a few basic rules.
Orchids grown in pots can also be taken outside, best done in late spring. We should choose a shady place. Both too high and too low temperatures are dangerous for orchids, so we need to watch the weather and bring the flowers indoors if necessary. If we would like to enjoy the charm of orchids in the home garden regardless of the weather, we can choose species that do well in Polish weather conditions. We suggest which ones to choose and how to care for them.
There are several species of orchids that are recommended to grow in the garden. We present the most popular varieties.
This variety is native to Asia and is distinguished by its rapid growth. It takes a long time for the plant to take root, but usually the first year after planting we can enjoy the flowers. Plant the bletilla in moist soil, and keep it indoors at a constant temperature of 5°C for the winter.
It naturally overgrows fertile meadows and bogs, and also occurs on the edges of forests. We should provide similar conditions for it in the home garden. We need to plant it in fertile and moist soil, preferably near a pond.
It also used to be common in Polish meadows and forests. It does best on wooded ground. It is distinguished by producing only two leaves each spring, from which a white-colored inflorescence emerges.
Each variety of orchids may have different requirements, so before planting we need to familiarize ourselves with the needs of the selected plants.
Garden varieties grown in Polish conditions prefer moist and fertile soil with humus. Individual species may differ in their need for sun. Some only need a shady spot, others need sun for proper growth.
We plant garden orchids in late spring or early autumn. To begin with, we need to dig a hole 15 cm deeper than the length of the seedling. In the pit we place the substrate for orchids, which we buy in garden stores.
After planting the plants, the soil should retain constant moisture, but be careful not to overwater the orchids. It is enough not to lead to dryness.
Garden orchids should be fertilized with special agents, which we will get in garden stores. It is best to pour the fertilizer into the water we will water the flowers with. The treatment is repeated every two weeks during the growing season.
Garden varieties of orchids do well even in winter conditions. The exception is striped bletilla, which should be moved indoors for the winter months. Orchids naturally pull their shoots underground, which allows them to survive frosts. However, it happens that cold weather unexpectedly returns in the spring, when the plants have already started their growth. In such a situation, we should cover orchids, for example, with an agro-textile.
We can propagate orchids by dividing offshoots or root tubers. Propagation from seeds is more difficult, because the seeds germinate in combination with fungal shoots, which takes a long time.
main photo: pixabay.com/Ralphs_Fotos
