What to Do With Orchids in June – 5 Easy Care Tips to Help Them Thrive This Summer
A few vital, yet simple care tasks in June will help your orchids look great during their peak growing season.
We think of orchids as fancy houseplants that are often given as gifts on special occasions. But in fact, the orchid family - with its 28,000 species - is the largest flowering plant family on the planet. It’s also been here a long time, developing in the Late Cretaceous Period some 100-125 million years ago. Yes, when dinosaurs walked the earth, they might have stopped to admire the orchids.
And here we are, in the 21st Century, still admiring our orchids, and what’s not to love? Having evolved over millennia, the orchid family today includes blossoms of every color, fragrance, size, and shape imaginable. Some have plain-colored petals while others are splashed or speckled with contrasting colors. Yet orchid care is similar for most common species and it varies from month to month. With the right care, the plants will last for years. Just remember a few key pointers: they like to grow in bright light, love humidity and hate being overwatered.
In June, orchids are in their peak growing season. That means that they need very specific care to thrive and produce blooms. Here’s a short list to make things simple.
1. Increase Watering As Temperatures Rise
Improper watering is the number one cause of orchid issues at home. This becomes especially important in June, since it’s the beginning of summer weather. You’ll need to water your orchids more often in summer since the temperatures cause the soil to dry out quickly.
If there is one element of orchid care that you need to perfect in June, it is the art of watering orchids. Nope, it’s not about pouring water into the top of the orchid container. Think baths, not showers. The best way to proceed is to plunge your orchid pot into a big bowl of tepid water. After about 30 seconds, remove the pot and set it in the sink until excess water drains out, then set it on a pie tin or gravel to encourage air circulation.
Orchids need more water in June than May or April. But unless June weather is exceptionally hot, a bath a week will probably do it. But here’s a tip to figure out if your plants are getting sufficient water. The roots are the key. If they are green, the orchid is happy. Silver roots mean that they need a drink.
2. Increase Humidity
Orchids love humid conditions. In fact, they bloom best in nature in locations with great natural humidity. But few of us in the United States get that kind of warm and humid conditions, so we have to create them for our orchids.
Yes, you can mist but the occasional spritz doesn’t really recreate a humid environment. A step up is to sit the orchid container on a tray filled with gravel and water. This pebble tray provides more humidity over a longer period.
3. Provide More Nutrients
As orchids begin their peak growing season in June, you’ll want to up the fertilizer you provide. The best fertilizer is one specifically designed for orchids, because these are biologically correct and carbon-balanced. This is available in most plant stores, but if you can’t find any in your area, use a balanced fertilizer, one with equal amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. This Miracle-Gro orchid food from Amazon is a balanced and gentle formula.
Apply low dilutions of this fertilizer on a consistent schedule. During the peak growing season, this will be every 2-4 weeks. That’s enough to support both growth and blooming.
4. Up the Air Flow
It may seem that a plant that loves humidity would object to too much airflow. Like many tropical plants, orchids thrive in humid conditions, but they still require sufficient airflow.
Air circulation around the orchid’s foliage keeps the leaf temperature down. It also helps to prevent fungal diseases. One of the best ways to assure air flow is to place your orchids near a partially opened window. If it is too hot to open the window, a small adjustable plant fan, available from Amazon, will do the job.
During peak growing season, it's important to monitor for bacterial infections, fungal diseases, and root rot in orchids. These issues can arise from overwatering, high humidity, and poor air circulation, so regular inspections are crucial for early detection.
5. Turn Down the Heat
The sun gets hotter in June. Although you may have been able to let your orchids get direct sun in early spring, by June, direct sun is not a good thing. Direct sun can also scorch orchid leaves.
Early June is the time to move them to a location that gets bright but indirect sunlight. And check every week or so as summer ripens, since the sun is changing position.
