When growing indoor orchids, situations may arise when a plant needs to be placed in greenhouse conditions. This usually happens in three cases: when reanimating specimens that have lost roots, when grafting, when growing children and seedlings. This article will tell you how to build an orchid greenhouse yourself.
Greenhouse requirements for orchids and types of designs
Regardless of the purpose for which the greenhouse is made, it must provide the following conditions:
- constant temperature; (ideal humidity for phalaenopsis orchids)
- constant humidity.(Best Room Temperature For Orchids)
Even conditions, without sudden changes in temperature and overdrying, are necessary to stimulate the growth of the root system.
There are several types of orchid greenhouses:
| Greenhouse designs type | Description and purpose | Advantages and disadvantages |
| Glass | Made from old aquariums or glass jars. Well suited for creating chambers of high humidity, necessary for the resuscitation of orchids that have lost their roots. | Advantages: maintain an even mild microclimate, are stable, durable.Disadvantages: the glass does not allow for the required number of ventilation holes, therefore the risk of mold growth is high. |
| Plastic | They are made from food containers with lids or from plastic bottles. Well suited for any purpose. | Advantages: versatility, a wide variety of shapes and volumes, durability, the ability to make vents in any necessary places.No flaws were found. |
| Film | They are made of wire, wood or plastic frames covered with transparent polyethylene. Suitable for grafting and growing babies. | Advantages: keep the temperature well, it is easy to make the required number of ventilation holes.Disadvantages: complexity of assembly, high risk of “steaming” plants when the outside temperature rises. |
In some cases, the most primitive “greenhouses” are used, consisting of a simple plastic bag put on a pot with an orchid.
Important! An orchid greenhouse should be made of transparent materials that transmit light well. Light is an important factor in the growth and development of plants, necessary both for resuscitation and for growing young orchids.
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how to build an orchid greenhouse
There we are going to share 4 options with you for building a greenhouse.
greenhouse for orchid without roots
If the orchid has completely lost its roots, it is better to use constructions without a substrate for its resuscitation. The fact is, in the absence of roots, the contact of the root collar with a moist soil surface leads to its decay. Therefore, you need to make sure that the humidity around the neck is high, but at the same time the orchid is literally “hanging in the air.”
There are many design options for such a greenhouse. One of the simplest is made from a 5-liter plastic bottle and plastic wrap:
- The upper part of the bottle is cut off, the lid is screwed off from it.
- Many holes are made in the cut off top.
- The prepared part is turned over and inserted into the lower part of the bottle like a funnel. It is necessary to make sure that the neck is at the level of half of the bottle.
- A little boiled and cooled water is poured into the bottle through the neck.
- The neck of the orchid is inserted into the neck and the leaves are sprayed with water.
- From above, the greenhouse is covered with a film, in which air holes are made.
Practice shows that inside such a structure, the growth of roots in an orchid occurs very quickly:
“I liked the greenhouse from the bottle the new roots hatched so quickly that the leaves did not have time to wrinkle too much. It is convenient to fix the orchid, you do not need to pile up suspensions made of wire or threads. Only it is imperative to make holes in the funnel so that the moisture vapor moistens the leaves”.
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greenhouse for orchids with little roots
Orchids are reanimated on the substrate, in which at least part of the root system has survived. If there are even a small number of roots, the plant will absorb moisture from the soil, and the risk of decay of the root collar will decrease.
To create a simple greenhouse with a substrate, you can again take a 5-liter plastic bottle:
- The top of the bottle is cut off.
- Many small holes are made in both parts of the bottle for ventilation. There should also be holes in the bottom to drain excess water.
- At the bottom of the bottle, a substrate is laid in which the orchid is planted.
- The lower part is covered with the upper one, fixed with adhesive tape strips.
Watering such a greenhouse is very simple to perform – by raising the upper part of the structure.
The most important thing when arranging, in this case, is to choose the right substrate. On the one hand, an orchid with a damaged root system does not drink well. Therefore, excessively moist soil will mold, and weak roots can rot.
Tip # 1. In such a greenhouse, the substrate can be laid in layers. Down – expanded clay, for good drainage. Cover this layer with a bark of a large fraction. Place an orchid on it and sprinkle its roots with a mixture of fine bark and moss in a 1: 1 ratio. Cover everything from above with clean moss.
how to build an orchid greenhouse for growing orchid from babies plants
Many growers who like to propagate orchids with children plant them immediately in separate cups. But sometimes the separated children are still too small to disembark in a separate container:
“Tiny kids with 1 or 2 roots may have too much room even in a plastic cup. If the volume of the substrate is much greater than the volume of the roots, young orchids will rot. Therefore, I recommend raising children in a common greenhouse school with a small amount of soil.”
It is very simple to make such a greenhouse school. Any rectangular plastic container with a lid will do for this:
- Drainage holes are made at the bottom of the container.
- Holes are made in the cover for ventilation.
- A drainage layer of expanded clay, polystyrene or coarse bark is laid at the bottom.
- Children are placed on top, and their roots are sprinkled with a substrate.
A layer of wet sphagnum moss is laid around the children, and the greenhouse is covered with a lid.
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Building greenhouse for orchid cuttings
For the grafting of orchids, two types of greenhouses are most often used:
| View of the greenhouse-cutter | Description | Efficiency of cuttings |
| Clipped plastic bottle or glass jar | A layer of wet moss is laid at the bottom of the cuttings, into which the cuttings are vertically installed. From above, the greenhouse is tightened with cling film. | Low. Buds germinate slowly, cuttings are highly susceptible to mold. |
| Plastic food container | A layer of wet sphagnum is placed on the bottom of the container. Cuttings are laid horizontally on it and covered with a lid with ventilation holes. | Good. The buds are moistened along the entire length of the cutting, evenly illuminated and germinate faster. |
Thus, the best option for a cutter greenhouse is a wide and shallow plastic container. All its preparation for use comes down to making holes in the lid and preliminary disinfection of the container.
Topical questions about caring for orchids in greenhouses
Where should the greenhouse with the orchid be placed on the windowsill?
If it is winter outside, it is better not to put it on the windowsill at all. Even good plastic windows are too cool at this time of year. In summer, the window for a greenhouse is also not the most suitable place under the sun the plants will start to steam and may die. The ideal place for a greenhouse is a rack equipped with a full range of phytolamp. On the north window, where there is no direct sun, additional lighting is also required.
Read also How Long Do Phalaenopsis Orchids Live?
Do I need to spray the orchids in the greenhouse with water if the humidity is already high there?
If condensation collects on the walls and lid of the greenhouse, it must be removed. In general, with a general high humidity, additional spraying is not required. They are needed only in case of oversight and drying out of the greenhouse. Instead of spraying, it is better to wipe the orchid leaves with a damp sponge soaked in a solution of the drug.
