by Jill Luning
Orchid care is not difficult, it is just different. Orchids have a reputation for being difficult to grow when in fact many varieties make excellent houseplants. Orchid care is a popular topic. Over 35,000 varieties have been discovered in nature. Grow the special orchid! Growing and caring for orchids is a very pleasurable experience for any enthusiast.
Pot your orchids in the smallest pot that the roots will fit in and stake the plant while it establishes itself. The orchids we’ve seen grow the best are often growing in what appears to be ridiculously small pots so resist the urge to ‘pot up’ any more than is absolutely necessary to hold the roots. Potted plants should be watered around once a week, however also take into consideration that the smaller the pot, the more water it needs. NEVER water orchids too much, though, as too much water can kill them.
In the home, place on trays over moistened pebbles. Dendrobium orchids come from an entirely different part of the world, but they actually prefer roughly the same temperature ranges as the Cattleya orchids. This is because the tropical regions of South and Central America are quite similar to the tropical parts of Asia and Australia when it comes to temperature.
Dendrobium orchids require a difference in temperature between the night and day to aid in blooming. Preferably this difference should be about 10 – 15 degrees. Dendrobium orchids will appreciate high nitrogen fertilizer 12 months a year. One teaspoon of fertilizer divided into many small servings is ideal.
Phalaenopsis is one of the types of orchids that burns very easily in the hot sun. If you see any black and yellow on the plant, its in trouble. Phalaenopsis orchids are sometimes referred to as Moth Orchids. They are extremely popular and Phalaenopsis orchid care is certainly not difficult compared to many other more delicate orchid variants.
Cymbidiums can be left out in the noon-time sun, but with most of the other types of orchid, care should be taken to restrict their direct sunlight exposure. Cymbidium orchids are one of the oldest cultivated varieties having 40 species and thousands of hybrids. Originally from Asia, Cymbidium are one of the easiest orchids to grow and will flower yearly if cared for correctly.
You can grow flowers you can’t wait to show off. Growing and caring for orchids is a very pleasurable experience for any enthusiast. There is however alternative ways to growing orchids the traditional way and that is with hydroponics.
Orchids are very sensitive to direct sunlight and have to be kept in shady place during the summer. We can, however, keep them on direct sunlight on the shelf by the window during the winter from November until March. Orchids are proliferated across most countries. In the temperate zones, such as southern Australia, most Orchids grow on the ground.
Tags:
a,
f,
fertilizer,
flower garden,
flower pots,
flowers,
flowers as gifts,
g,
garden,
Gardening,
h,
hobbies,
home & family,
house plants,
o,
orchid care,
orchid plants,
orchid types,
orchids,
plants,
r
April 28 2009 | Gardening | No Comments »
by John Stoner
We have all heard it before – plan before you start any major project. Well a Koi pond design is no different. Building a Koi pond is a big project. Poor planning will certainly cause it to be more expensive than you planned and take a lot longer to get it completed.
Think about the shape of your pond. There will be many factors impacting the ultimate shape that you won’t be able to control. Things like landscaping, structures on the property, grade and slope of the land, etc. will have to be planned around. The result will be when you can visualize the actual layout. Use rope or garden hose to lay out several different patterns. Look at them from all angles. Don’t forget to view them from inside your house, form balconies and porches – anywhere you can see the pond.
Your Koi pond design also needs to careful plan for the depth of the pond. Koi can get to be big fish and will need adequate room to swim not only laterally but also vertically. Plan for a minimum depth of four feet. If you can go deeper so much the better. Ideally abut 6 -8 ft. will be as deep as you need. This deeper pond will also help with keeping the water temperature more stable in the summer and winter.
Certainly the bigger the pond, the more fish you can put in it, but there are always limitations. The smallest practical size for a Koi pond is about 6 feet by 9 feet, and 4 feet deep. This size pond will hold about 1600 gallons of water. In calculating the actual depth of your pond, don’t forget that there is usually about six inches from the water line to the top edge of the pond.
The best Koi pond design concept to keep in mind is “keep it simple.” A very simple design will allow for better water movement and thus better filtration. A very complex design may look spectacular, but cause other problems when it comes to keeping it clean. Keeping your pond chemically balanced is critical to the health of your fish. A simple design will make this much easier.
The best shape for your Koi pond is just a rectangular or oblong pond. This shape is the easiest to keep clean because it can accommodate multiple drains. A pond like this will have no dead areas with poor water circulation.
The location of your pond is everything. Poor location can mean les enjoyment of your pond and your fish. Think about it carefully. Make sure it is the focal point of your garden or backyard.
The perfect location will take into account several points. A pond with no shade will foster rapid algae growth. Don’t let this happen. If it’s located under a tree it will collect plant debris which if not cleared frequently will affect the acidity of the water. This can be harmful to the fish. Tree roots can often crack concrete ponds or pierce pond liners. Don’t let your pond fill with large amounts of rain water runoff. Always make sure the pond is far enough away from any plantings that will require spraying with harmful insecticides.
Tags:
a,
f,
family and home,
g,
garden ponds,
Gardening,
h,
hobbies,
home & family,
home and garden,
how to build a koi pond,
k,
koi,
koi care,
koi feeding,
koi fish,
koi gardens,
koi pond building,
koi pond construction,
koi ponds,
o,
p,
pet,
pets_and_animals
March 25 2009 | Gardening | No Comments »