The Culture of Greenhouse Orchids

Potting and Media

• All orchids need quick drainage through their soil and room for their roots to breathe. Keep them only in pots that have drainage holes or wicker baskets, and use peat moss, fern matter, pink bark, wood chips, gravel or another non-soil potting media. Never plant orchids too deeply as their roots need consistent access to air.

Lighting

• Although different orchid cultivars require different levels of lighting, all orchids do best in soft, indirect light or artificial light. Keep orchids in greenhouses that get muted light or in shaded areas of the greenhouse. Orchids enjoy mild morning sun but burn and die in afternoon or day-long sun.

Temperature and Humdity

• Use heaters, fans and misting systems to maintain orchid-specific temperatures and humidity levels in the greenhouse. According to D & B Orchids, orchids may require nighttime temperatures of 45 to 50 degrees F, 55 to 60 degrees F or 60 to 68 degrees F, depending on cultivar, with daytime temperatures between 50 and 80 degrees F. Humidity requirements range between 50 and 70 percent.

Water and Nutrition

• The University of Tennessee Extension states that the top reason for orchid death is over watering. Although some orchids like consistent moisture, others prefer a dry growing foundation, and all varieties rot and die in standing water. Water your greenhouse orchids according to variety, and feed them with orchid-specific fertilizer once a month.