It’s been raining for days, and you’re worried that the excess water will kill your orchid. What exactly should you do in this situation?
If you are experiencing or have experienced this problem, this article will assist you in resolving it.
Contents
Is Rain Harmful To Orchids?
Before I begin, I’d like to simply state that rain is beneficial to plants in general.
Have you ever seen a dry and unappealing lawn and then when it rains, the lawn begins to green up again? With a whole slew of new sprouts? The grass grows back like new!
Orchids suffer in the rain because of the excess water and all of its consequences due to overwatering.
Fungal diseases, bacterial diseases, slugs, and snails are all brought on by the rains and warmer weather.
Aside from that, orchids in the rain are vulnerable to death due to root rot and the subsequent loss of many plants.
Due to the differences between home gardening and the plant’s natural habitat, people have issues when it rains.
It is difficult to accumulate water in the root zone of an orchid because very well-draining soil is used when growing it at home.
In its natural habitat, the orchid is attached to a tree, with its roots on the surface of the tree, and the water runs down the trunk and into the soil.
So, the story that “the orchid in nature takes rain, so there is no problem” is only half true.
What should you do with Orchids if it’s raining a lot?
1) Cover Your Orchids with Agricultural Plastic
You can use agricultural plastic to protect your balcony or outdoor orchids. It is widely used in commercial nurseries.
Now, With this plastic covering in place, The only water your orchids will receive is the water you provide them.
However, not everyone wants or is able to use this method, so there are some alternatives for mitigating the effects of excess rainwater.
2) Making use of clay pots
Because clay pots do not retain moisture, they will aid in the drainage of your orchids during the rainy season.
Wooden pots are also an excellent choice.
In addition to this one. You must also use another method, which is the use of well-draining substrates,
3) Substrate with good drainage
The use of non-retentive substrates is an important technique for reducing the impact of rain on orchids.
This is because when waterfalls into the vase, it all drains through the drainage holes, so the use of substrates such as pine bark, gravel, and charcoal is extremely beneficial.
4) Growing Orchids In Wood Stubs
Planting in wood stubs is not only a great help during this time of heavy rain, but it is also the method that most closely resembles epiphytic plants’ natural habitat.
The rain falls and quickly runs off, leaving nothing on the roots.
Of course, some plants do better in pots than in stumps, whether for size or for any other reason, but the ones that do well in stumps are a great alternative.
Orchids can be grown in the trunks of oak, cypress, buttonwood, mahogany, certain palms, and many non-native trees.
5) The Use Of Protective Products As A Preventative Measure
I’m not going to debate the merits of pesticide use, whether they’re good or bad for you.
I’m only here to show you how to keep your orchids safe during heavy rain.
The use of pesticides in a preventive manner, that is, frequently and before the disease develops.
It virtually eliminates the chances of your plants contracting any disease by 80 percent.
There is no way for the disease to exist if the infectious agent is not present, because the defensive strategy will eliminate it beforehand.
If you want to take the defensive strategy then consider using a cooper-based fungicide. (Check the latest price on Amazon here)
But beware, do not use this product on orchids of the genus Dendrobium, because it can cause phytotoxicity.
Final Thoughts
With all of these tips, you should have realized that your orchids will thrive if you use clay pots and very draining substrates.
Also, make sure to water your orchids more frequently during the summer, as this is when they are growing.
You can move a few orchids to a balcony or a covered area if you only have a few.
The presence of orchids in the rain for an extended period of time can be concerning, but it is something you cannot control while it is occurring.
So, if you follow the advice, your orchids will thrive even after heavy rain.