Epson Salt And Orchids – The Miracle Worker
March 17th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Epson Salt And Orchids – The Miracle Worker
The Epson salts have so many applications that many call them miracle salts or the miracle worker. These salts are extremely useful both for humans and plants, particularly orchids. Before we look at the connection between Epson salt and orchids, run a cursory glance over what it does for human beings.
The Epson Salt And Human Beings – Some Popular Applications
The Epson salts originate from the Epson River in England which is particularly famous for its very high concentration of beneficial minerals that it contains. The chemical compound magnesium sulfate is the active ingredient of these salts which enters the body of the person who bathes in the river through the skin resulting in body detoxification, reduction of stress levels and healing of a host of skin diseases.
This is not the end of the positive properties of Epson salts. You will find that these salts are an excellent remedy for cold and congestion, cure minor cuts and sores and are invaluable help at child birth as it reduces pain and promotes fast healing. These salts are also used as active and very effective stress relievers ever since the days of Shakespeare. It seems that the magnesium from these salts promotes the production of serotonin which in turn causes a feeling of relaxation and deep calm.
The Epson salts are also great beauty aid as they can be used to exfoliate the skin, improve blood circulation and promote a fresh and sweet body odor.
The Epson Salt And Orchids – Some Popular Applications
The Epson salt and orchids connection is limited mostly to the role of an excellent fertilizer. This is not an indigenous application, but a method of caring for orchids on large commercial scale even where major growers can afford the best of best controlled conditions in their state-of-the-art green houses. One of the most popular formulas that highlight the Epson salt and orchids link is described in brief here.
Take two tablespoons of Epson salt and an equal number of any laundry detergents you know and mix it thoroughly in one gallon of water. Use this for watering your orchids for some amazing effects. Though this recipe sounds funny, it works like magic. Why not give it a try today?
The best time to apply this fertilizer is during the summer but be careful that you do not pour this mixture over a dry plant as this will wilt it. Ideally, the plant medium should be moist before you use this fertilizer on it if you want optimum results. The Epson salt and orchids association is limited to this role, but its impact is worth mentioning and of course trying out.
Technorati Tags: epsom salt for orchids, epson salt and orchids, orchids
Related Tags: African Orchids, Artificial Orchids, Breeding Orchids, easy to grow orchids, epsom salt for orchids, epson salt and orchids, growing orchids, propagating orchids
Are There Such Things As Easy To Grow Orchids?
March 17th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Are There Such Things As Easy To Grow Orchids?
What is your definition of the word “easy”? If it’s “lie back and do nothing”, then there are no easy to grow orchids for you. But if your definition of “easy” is not having to work more than a few minutes a day on maintaining a plant after doing a lot of research selecting a plant, then there are such things as easy to grow orchids for you. Although all orchids are tricky to grow in comparison to many other plant species, here is a look at two easy to grow orchids.
Moth Orchids
In comparison to many other kinds of orchids, the Phalaenopsis orchids, or moth orchids, are easy to grow orchids. They come in a variety of colors and can be successfully grown in a home and not a hothouse or special greenhouse. Some moth orchids come with spots and stripes, while others are in solid colors. More colors and patterns are trying to be developed by orchid lovers.
Moth Orchids need to be kept in temperatures between 55 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Try not to make the temperature changes too quickly. 60 degrees at night is okay, with 75 and 80 degrees during the day. Since it would cost a fortune to keep your whole house at this temperature, you need to get supplemental lighting for moth orchids.
You can put the orchids in front of a sunny window, but that’s taking chances. To make a more steady and predictable temperature, you need to place a fluorescent light about a foot above this easy to grow orchid. Wildly swinging temperatures can make your orchids flowers drop off before they bloom.
Dendrobium Hybrid Orchids
“Dens”, as they are nicknamed, are a genus of the species orchids that has over 1200 varieties for you to choose from. They come in widely differing shapes, sizes and colors. Some of these easy to grow orchids are very small, while others can bloom as big as your palm. They’ve learned how to grow in many kinds of environments, which is why they are considered easy to grow orchids.
Even more than moth orchids, “dens” require a high degree of humidity ion order to thrive. Moth orchids can do well placed in a shallow tray of water to mimic tropical humidity, but “dens” need more. Some need to be misted regularly. They need access to greenhouses part of the year.
Don’t completely soak the orchids when watering, although “dens” need frequent watering to help mimic tropical conditions. You might want to keep misting them with water in summer weather.
Technorati Tags: easy to grow orchids, growing orchids, orchids
Related Tags: African Orchids, Artificial Orchids, Breeding Orchids, easy to grow orchids, epsom salt for orchids, epson salt and orchids, growing orchids, propagating orchids
The Art Of Breeding Orchids
March 17th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
The Art Of Breeding Orchids
Breeding orchids can be a highly challenging endeavor. It needs a lot of patience because the orchid seeds are characteristically small and mortality rate of both the seeds and the sprouts are high. In the wild, new orchid plants grow relatively close to the original orchid. This is probably because the seeds of the original plant will have fallen somewhere close unless taken away by insects.
Since breeding orchids can be exhaustive and sometimes absolutely discouraging, many people and orchid enthusiasts prefer to raise and grow orchids by cutting them from the original roots or getting off shoots. Another way of obtaining a new orchid plant is to cut tubers from which visible roots have already grown.
Breeding Orchids For Variety
Some orchid enthusiasts like to experiment with growing new varieties of orchids; this is where breeding orchids manually come in. The tedious task of breeding orchids can also be very gratifying when you successfully manage to grow an orchid plant direct from a seed. The reason why people like breeding orchids this way is to create a new a variety of orchid plant. You can increase the size, color and hardiness of a plant by selective breeding. You can also create your very own kind of plant by breeding orchids or different kinds but which are compatible.
What To Do
The initial step to breeding orchids is to select an orchid plant. Collecting the pollen from the parent plants can be tricky because handling it is difficult. A thin sharp instrument can be used to collect pollen for breeding orchids. The individual must ensure that he will not touch or contaminate the pollen with any fungus or bacteria that can compromise the health of the seed. The pollen or seed must then be placed into the female plant where one must wait patiently for signs of fertilization.
The first signs of fertilization are when the flower wilts and then a bump will form at around the base of the flower. The flower will eventually drop off and should be settled in a moist area where drainage is best. The roots will then appear but not for several weeks in which time there is a risk of pests carrying off the fertilized flower or eating it up. Other orchids take as long as 18 months to several years before they bloom.
Breeding orchids can not actually be called a waste of time, especially considering the amount of failures that some breeders’ experience, but you can call it a test of patience.
Technorati Tags: Breeding Orchids, orchids, propagating orchids
Related Tags: African Orchids, Artificial Orchids, Breeding Orchids, easy to grow orchids, epsom salt for orchids, epson salt and orchids, growing orchids, propagating orchids
The Advantages Of Buying Artificial Orchids
March 17th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
The Advantages Of Buying Artificial Orchids
Once upon a time making artificial flowers was a fun hobby which was taught in school prior to Mother’s Day so the children could make a few flowers to offer their mothers. This hobby of yesterday has developed into an amazing cottage industry today. There are many people out there who transformed their childhood hobby into an excellent and lucrative business.
The World Of Artificial Orchids
The orchid is not only a very beautiful flower, but also a very expensive one. Not many can afford to have these as a centerpiece in their home, though they would indeed love to have some. This is where artificial orchids come to your rescue. Check out your local market or the Internet for artificial orchids or silk orchids as these look best and the closest to real life flowers; in fact, in some cases with the silk flowers you would hardly know whether the plant is real or false.
You can use these artificial orchids almost anywhere you like - have them in a vase as a centerpiece; you could use them as plants in your living room that would definitely add an exceptional touch to your interior décor; you could use them as decorations on the wall where you want to enliven the ambiance a little and lastly you could use them as mimics of real plants on your window sills.
The Advantages Of Artificial Orchids
Nothing can beat the real flowers, however gorgeous the artificial ones might be. However, having said that you need to know that there are plenty of advantages from using artificial plants for decorating your home. The most obvious of all would be that it is a one-time investment. You do not need to keep replacing the withered real flowers and therefore you cut down the expenses. If you chose to invest in some high quality plants you would be able to enjoy their room brightening effect for months if not years without any additional cost.
Another great advantage is that you can buy them in installments and gather a great collection over time, a thing that might take you a lot of effort and money to do with the real thing. Besides, with the real thing you can never really hope to have all the plants you have in bloom at the same time, which you can have with the artificial flowers effortlessly.
Lastly, the maintenance and upkeep of the artificial orchids is reduced to almost nothing. While you would need to water, repot, check lighting, fertilizer, and so on with the real orchid, with the artificial ones all you need to do is keep them dust free.
Technorati Tags: Artificial Orchids, orchids
Related Tags: African Orchids, Artificial Orchids, Breeding Orchids, easy to grow orchids, epsom salt for orchids, epson salt and orchids, growing orchids, propagating orchids
Why Are The African Orchids So Popular All Over The World?
March 17th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Why Are The African Orchids So Popular All Over The World?
Orchids are indeed some of the most beautiful flowers in the world. The African orchids are characterized by small white flowers unlike the flowers you usually see in other types of orchids which are large and often of bright red, yellow and other such vibrant and attractive colors. The role of the bright flowers is to attract insects to help the flower to pollinate.
A Few Things You Need To Know About The African Orchids
There are more than 20 thousand species of orchids in the world of which there are about 470 African which in turn are branched off into 53 genera. Comparatively there are about 1200 hundred genera native of Europe. Nonetheless, the African orchids leave an indelible mark on your heart and mind when you see them for the first time.
The African orchids are divided into two distinct species – the terrestrial orchids and the epiphytic orchids.
The Terrestrial Orchids
The majority of the African orchids are terrestrial. These types of orchids usually grow on the ground in the forests of Africa, in the savannas or the grasslands so abundantly available throughout the continent. You will also find these orchids growing on bushveld, thorn shrubs, karooid shrubs and fybnos. The highest concentration of orchids in Africa is found in Western Cape region.
It has been observed that fire and intense heat promotes flowering in these plants – maybe owing to the fact that they are used to the intense merciless heat of the tropics. This is a great discovery and piece of intelligence for those who want to grow these wonderful plants in artificial conditions. Simulating the same living conditions of the orchid is in fact the best way to breed them artificially.
The African orchids do not have any value from the agricultural point of view nor do they have any critical role in the ecosystem. The orchids are however considered very peculiar plants that show active and accelerated evolution which has thrilled and intrigued scientists all over the world.
The Epiphytic Orchids
These types of African orchids grow on trees however they are not parasites as other plants which attach themselves to trees. These are extremely beautiful species which can latch onto trees though they produce their own food either through their roots or leaves through photosynthesis. They would be dependent upon the tree only for the humidity content.
There is yet another type of orchid and that is known as the litophytic or epilithic orchid. This type of orchid always grows on rocks.
Technorati Tags: African Orchids, orchids
Related Tags: African Orchids, Artificial Orchids, Breeding Orchids, easy to grow orchids, epsom salt for orchids, epson salt and orchids, growing orchids, propagating orchids
