When is orchid season in australia

All terrestrials like good air movement and will not thrive in a stuffy humid atmosphere, especially if temperatures are high. Some species prefer heavy shade, others full sunlight, but most will adapt to a wide range of light intensity.

The spring flowering species prefer highter light values at flowering time. It is essential to keep pots up off the ground on benches to deter slugs and snails. I like to use plastic pots because they are easier to clean and sterilize. Pot size should be neither too big nor too small. I recommend mm standard pots up to mm squat pots for specimen groupings of 20 plants. The potting soil must be kept uniformly moist during active growth. If the pots are allowed to dry out during the growing season, the plants may become dormant.

Fertilisers are not necessary, although Pterostylis species are very hardy and will benefit from weak applications of foliar feed applied whilst the leaves are developing. New tubers are produced in winter-spring.

The colony types form several tubers per plant and within a few years the pots would become overcrowded if not repotted. I recommend annual repotting for these. Some of the showier species produce only one new tuber each year and have to be propagated from seed.

This method works well with Diuris and the rufa group greenhoods. As the days get hotter and drier in late spring, the leaves of terrestrials go yellow and then brown and dry. After the leaves have turned brown, the pots are allowed to dry out completely to dry up the old roots and tubers.

Terrestrials must be given their own growing area, well away from evergreen plants which are watered regularly in summer. The tubers may rot if kept wet in hot weather. Seed pods ripen before the plants become dormant. Pods are checked daily and picked as they start to split open. Seed is stored in paper envelopes until autumn. In summer the plants are knocked out of the pots and the new plump, firm tubers are repotted into fresh soil mix.

Growers in other states use coarser mixes containing fine gravel and with leaf-litter or buzzer chips in place of peat moss. The new tubers are replanted with the tops mm below the soil surface.

A thin surface mulch of Casuarina or Pinus radiata needles, chopped to lengths of mm, prevents erosion and keeps the leaves clean and healthy, as well as improving the appearance of the pot.

Repotting is normally done in November, December or January. Each tuber sends up a shoot to the surface in autumn. They thrive in our climate of warm, humid summers and mild, dry winters. They use their fleshy, oval leaves to store water to help them survive during dry times. Phalaenopsis orchids make a stunning display potted en masse or a single plant placed in a simple vessel in an entrance or bathroom as there is often plenty of light and they love the humidity of the latter.

Outdoors you can grow Phalaenopsis orchids in a shadehouse or on a sheltered verandah. Indoors they like a north- or east-facing windowsill with curtains or a tree outside that shades them from direct sun. Allow the leaves to hang over the pot to help water to drain away from the leaf bases, which may rot in cold, wet conditions. Allow plants to dry out between waterings in winter. According to an expert orchid grower and producer, when the flowers have died, don't cut back the whole stem - simply prune the flowering stalk back to the first node beneath the old flowers.

A node is where two segments on the stem join and you'll notice a slight bump. This encourages either further flowering from that stalk or the sprouting of a new stem. After a few seasons the stem can look a bit funny with lots of old stalks coming off it, then cut it back to the base. The flowers of zygopetalums Zygopetalum spp. Flowering generally in spring, these rainforest gems have strappy leaves that grow from swollen pseudobulbs, which store water.

Share on twitter. Share on pinterest. This is Alex. She helps to conjure up ideas on how best to promote Australian Outdoor Living and enjoys working with a pretty awesome team of clever cookies. By night and weekends , she enjoys the company of her family and friends. Related Articles. Carla Troncone. How your backyard can improve your health.

Small backyard design ideas. Sign up and stay inspired. I would like to receive updates and promotional offers. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Never miss out on our latest news and offers. Phalaenopsis orchids can re-flower on the old stalk, so once the flowers have dropped, you have three options - leave the flower spike or stem intact, cut it back to a node, or remove it entirely.

If you leave the flower stem as it is , you may get a repeat flush of flowers, however they are generally smaller than the first blooms. The stems can also become somewhat inelegant and gangly over time if left.

Pruning the flower spike back to a node will almost always result in another bunch of brilliant blooms, often within 8 to 12 weeks. To do this, cut the stem, leaving just two nodes remaining — the little brown lines below where the flowers were. One of these nodes will become a new flower spike. If the spike becomes withered, yellow or brown, it should be removed by cutting off at the base of the plant as this will not give you any more flowers. Removing the spent spike allows the plat to put energy into root development and growth….

When it does come time to repot, either every 12 — 18 months or once there is no growing media remaining, it is best to use a bark-based commercially available Orchid Mix blend — just make sure they have the Australian standards ticks, and are suitable for epiphytic orchids.

When repotting, select a new pot that is only around 5cm wider than the previous pot. When selecting a new pot, there are two real options for the amateur grower being either a terracotta orchid pot with holes for roots around the outside, or the clear plastic pots they are often sold in. The clear plastic pots are said to allow the roots to absorb sunlight, and these pots also allow us to easily inspect the roots for any sign of rots or pests. Make sure whichever container you choose has sufficient drainage holes.

Gently knock the from its existing pot and loosen the root ball. Trim off any dead or damaged roots. Place the orchid in the centre of the pot with the crown just below the lip of the pot and clear of the top of the mix when repotting is complete.

Never set them too deeply in pots - use bamboo stakes to hold them in place securely.