Orchids ennoble living rooms and winter gardens with their opulent flowers. In order for the queen of flowers to stage her glamorous performance, she should be planted perfectly. All important questions about location, substrate and planting technology receive a tried-and-tested answer here.
How do you plant orchids correctly?
To plant orchids correctly, use a transparent culture pot, special orchid substrate and create a drainage made of expanded clay. Briefly dip the aerial roots in lukewarm water, place the orchid in the middle of the pot and surround it with substrate. Water the orchid lightly and mist the leaves.
In which location do orchids achieve the optimum?
If you take a look at the natural location in the tropical rainforest, it becomes clear what light and temperature conditions orchids want:
- Bright location without blazing sun at midday in summer time
- Normal room temperatures around 22-25 degrees Celsius without extreme fluctuations between day and night
- High humidity of 60 to 80 percent
If you assign orchids a location on the window on the west or east side of the house, the noble plants will feel comfortable. Humidifiers and daily spraying create a tropical climate.
What should the substrate be like?
In their habitat, orchids sit on the branches of treetops, where they hold on with their aerial roots. It is obvious that this extravagant growth habit requires an unconventional substrate. This is how the perfect orchid soil is made up:
- The main ingredient is large, medium or small pieces of bark made from pine or pine wood
- Sphagnum, peat, coconut fibers or nut shells act as organic components
- Inorganic additives, such as lava granulate, seramis or pumice, ensure good permeability
Since a balanced mix of components is important, beginners use ready-made orchid soil, such as Seramis special substrate for orchids.
What should you pay attention to when planting orchids?
The aerial roots can only fulfill their important task if they are supplied with light. Therefore, choose a transparent culture pot. If you want to hide the root network from view, the flower pot should be at least twice as large and be equipped with a platform for the culture pot. How to plant an orchid skillfully:
- Create a 2-3 cm high water-bearing drainage system on the bottom of the pot using expanded clay
- Pour a layer of coarse orchid soil on top
- Dip the aerial roots in lukewarm water for a few minutes to make them more pliable
- Place into the substrate in the middle of the culture pot with a rotating hand movement
Please make sure that all aerial roots are in the pot. The root trunk should be about a finger's width below the edge of the pot. Hold the orchid upright with one hand while adding the substrate in portions with the other hand. To ensure that the pieces of substrate are distributed evenly, knock the pot onto the tabletop every now and then. Finally, water the orchid and spray the leaves.
Tip
Plant your orchids in Lechuza and avoid common care mistakes. The innovative system consists of a decorative planter, a plant insert and an irrigation set with a water level indicator. In an inorganic substrate, the orchids float above a water reservoir that supplies the roots with moisture thanks to capillary forces. Waterlogging and root rot are now a thing of the past.
