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A Blog Isn't Just For Christmas
I was watching the news on TV last night and there was a warning about buying puppies as Christmas presents. There's nothing worse than visiting the kennels in the new year and seeing all those unwanted dogs that were chosen as presents because...
Hassle-Free Holiday Baking: 6 Easy Days to Perfect Christmas Cookies
Like many people, I love the idea of making a large assortment of Christmas cookies during the holidays, but I find it difficult to find the time to get it done. As a working mother, cookbook author and webmaster of Christmas-Cookies.com ( ...
Have Yourself an Awful Little Christmas
Words are very powerful. In fact, vocabulary has a remarkably
high correlation with IQ scores. We use words to communicate our
thoughts and feelings. Internally, we use words to think. For
both reasons - thinking and communicating - having a...
It was a Christmas Miracle!
So there we were, awkwardly staring at one another in utter disbelief that nobody could figure it out. It was a week before Christmas, and all through the house, your narrator was fuming....I could smash my mouse! We were trying to put up our...
Tips and Advice for Hosting an Unforgettable Christmas Party
It's just about that time of the year again! Each year, around this time, people start to get into the festive spirit and decide to celebrate with a party of some sort. I host a party for my friends and family every year, and each year I learn...
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Orchid Care: How to Have Orchids in Flower By Christmas
Fall Weather Can Help Your Orchids To Flower!
Orchids bloom most profusely in the fall through winter months. Now is the perfect time to prepare your mature healthy plants to bloom, but you only have a few weeks! What's the secret? Most orchids depend on a day and night temperature variation of about 8 to 10 degrees to stimulate them to bloom. As night temperatures fall in the next month or so, you have an opportunity to encourage your orchid plants to flower. Simply place your plants close to a window that is cracked at night, to let in a little cool air. Give your plants this treatment for about 3 to 4 weeks and you should begin to see flower stalks emerging soon after that.
How low should you let the night temperature drop? For paphs and phals, temperatures of about 55 to 60 degrees should suffice. Make sure your plants are not in a cold draft, or protect them with a light curtain. Placing them in an unheated room at night will also do the trick. Remember that day temperatures need to be about ten degrees higher. If your orchid plants have been growing
outside this summer, you can simply leave them out for a few more weeks. If temperatures threaten to fall below 55, all but the coolest growing of orchids, such as cymbidiums, should be brought in.
Your plants must be healthy, and well care for to respond this treatment- if a plant has just flowered, don't expect it to bloom again right away. It may need to wait until spring before it sends up more flowers. This method generally works best with orchids that have their natural flowering season in the fall through spring months, including most phalaenopsis (moth orchids), paphiopedilum/paphs (slipper orchids) and cattleyas. Give it a try and you may be surprised when that reluctant orchid finally puts on a dazzling floral display.
About the Author
Yassir Islam started growing orchids as a teenager. His passion for these plants has taken him around the world, from orchid hunting in Africa to judging orchids in Japan. More tips on getting your orchids to flower, and tons of orchid photographs, can be found on his free informational website, www.argusorchids.net
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