Hydroponic Gardening: How to Grow Orchids

Do you love orchids? If you are a passionate grower and you love growing orchids, you will be happy to know that you can also grow this precious plant using hydroponic gardening.

Just like for the ones grown in soil, you will need to ensure that your orchids will have proper nutrients, adequate supply of lighting and the accurate temperature and humidity range should you decide to do hydroponic gardening. In terms of lighting, a 400 watt HID light is ideal for many orchid species. Orchid plant species that require intense lighting may be placed directly under the lamp while low light plants may be placed farther away from the lamp.

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The 400 watt dual purpose light fixture can effectively provide a 6′ x 6′ growing area. To promote lush flowering, the Metal Halide lamp should be replaced with a High Pressure Sodium bulb that emits the red and orange color spectrum. Once in bloom, orchids may be removed from the grow room and displayed anywhere. It is also important to note that orchids grown under high intensity lights consume more water than those grown outdoors. However, it is important to make sure not to over water. Ideally, the roots should be almost dry before watering.

In terms of nutrient feeding, orchids grown in hydroponic gardening using supplemental lighting will need to be fed more often because of their vigorous growth. One very potent hydroponics nutrient that you can use is Advanced Nutrients’ 100% organic nutrients formula, Iguana Juice Grow and Bloom. By using this formula, you can be sure that the roots of your orchid plants will not burn and they will grow strong, healthy and lush. You can also use all sorts of growing medium for your hydroponic orchids. For example, expanded clay pellets are uniform in size and quite porous allowing orchid plants to easily stabilize while providing great capillary action. Available in a variety of sizes, clay pellets are a great environment for orchids with thick roots and they do not wear out easily so you can use them for several growing seasons. Another good mix of soilless medium that you can use is the combination of perlite and vermiculite. Perlite and vermiculite are heated natural minerals which can be used individually or with a mixture of peat and bark. Both perlite and vermiculite have a light and fluffy quality that will not get waterlogged. These media are well suited for orchids with thin, airy roots.

Finally, in terms of temperature and humidity range, fresh air and good ventilation are essential for orchids under artificial lights. High humidity required by orchids is an ideal breeding ground for fungus which is why good air movement using a wall or a ceiling mounted fan will help to eliminate fungus and viruses while circulating the air. To keep the humidity at a proper range, grow room walls can be draped with plastic. When white plastic is used, humidity retention and increased light intensity can be achieved inside the grow room, thus, allowing you to have better success in growing orchids using the method of hydroponic gardening.

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