Orchids are exotic flowers that can be kept in our homes to brighten up the stay. However, having one implies a series of cares that in most cases do not require much knowledge, among which is pruning an orchid. In this article we will teach you how to do it and more.
How to Prune an Orchid?
The orchid is one of the most beautiful flowers in the world and comes from a large family that has more than 25 thousand species. Having one at home symbolizes that you are a good connoisseur of flowers and that you like to take care of them. Therefore, when it comes to knowing how to prune an orchid, there are different ways to do it. However, in this article we will show you the most ideal.
Steps and tools for pruning
Pruning an orchid is simple, you don't need a lot of utensils, you just need good scissors, a pot with the flower and the desire to work. You can even add some music to accompany the background and make the work a little more bearable, although you will see that it will not be something that lasts long since it is usually fast. Next, we will show an interesting complete guide on how to prune an orchid in a series of steps that are not very complex.
Root and stem check
The first step every good gardener should take is to sterilize their main tool. Submerge the scissors in a glass of alcohol and let them soak for 30 seconds. Open and close the scissors a couple of times to make sure the alcohol gets everywhere. Then take them out and place them on a paper towel to dry, which should only take a few minutes.
The second step that we teach in this guide is very simple and consists of when to prune. Therefore, to know this, it is necessary to verify that the plant that we have in front of us does not have any flower on its stem. Since, various experts in the area do not recommend pruning an orchid when it is still during its development or growth period, specifically during flowering.
For the third step, we need to start cutting the stems close to the ground when they are brown. But if you find that the stem has a yellowish color, it is recommended not to start the process. Instead, cut them off completely. Use the sterilized scissors to cut the stems down to the roots of the orchids. This creates new and stronger flowers.
The next thing to do in all pruning is to remove damaged roots. So take the plant out of its container to examine if there is one. These are dark in color and soft to the touch. Healthy ones are hard and light in color. Cut off any roots that appear dead. After that, you just have to return the plant to its place. Pruning off dead roots helps prevent root rot, which can kill the plant.
Strengthening of flowers
As always, it is highly recommended that you do not forget to apply the proper disinfection of your main utensil. You can make use of all kinds of alcohol that you have available or even a specialized disinfectant for gardening, there are also some special ones for when you are going to work with orchids. With just 30 seconds of soaking and a few minutes of drying, you'll have your scissors ready to go.
Next, you need to inspect the leaves of the plant to make sure they are healthy enough to prune. If there are tough, shiny green leaves at the base of the plants, they are healthy enough to be pruned. However, if the leaves are dry, limp, yellow or brown, it means the plants are not healthy enough to prune. Thus, give them a chance to improve before pruning.
Check for dormant buds on the stems of your prized plant. These buds look like little thorns, covered in a thin layer of plant-based material with a dumb brown or beige look. These can develop into new flowers or stems later. If at the time you start your work, you can see the existence of some shoots, be sure to prune the orchid to an inch and a half above it.
Identify the second node below where the flowers bloomed. These can be seen as a horizontal brown line around the stem. They are usually thicker than other parts of the stem. The nodes are where the new flowers appear when it is time to bloom again. If you notice a button in a knot, cut just above the knot where the button is to keep it.
Next, you should prune the orchid an inch and a half above the node to encourage flowering. This is about the width of a little finger. Use sterilized scissors to cut the stem straight. If you cut too close or too far from the node, it can affect the plant's ability to flower. If there is a bud at the node, be careful not to cut it. Also, some of the wafer-thin brown or beige plant matter remains intact in the bud.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that you are likely to see new flowers after 56 or 84 days. How quickly orchids will bloom again depends on climate, care, and their complete health. However, you can expect the new flowers to appear after days from when you did the process. If none of them bloom at this time, try lowering the temperature in the room where the orchids are in by around 5 degrees, to help stimulate new growth.
Recommendations to maintain a healthy Orchid
If you want to know more aspects of the care of this wonderful and exotic plant, in addition to the different and easy techniques of pruning an orchid that we discussed earlier, then we will present a series of useful and necessary recommendations so that our favorite plant is always in the best possible way in our home or office.
Orchids require a large amount of light energy. This is essential for the optimal growth and flowering of our plant. But be careful, never expose your orchid to direct sunlight as this could damage it. Make sure it gets light through a window if it's indoors or in a flower bed where other plants serve as its umbrella.
They are plants that need a supply of water every 2 weeks. Remember that orchids need their stems and roots to remain in contact with moist soil, but they don't need large amounts of water. So water them carefully to avoid puddles. Use a special fertilizer for orchids to obtain all the necessary nutrients to improve their growth.
It is also usually mentioned within the recommendations, the need to keep or maintain at a temperature around 21 degrees Celsius. Also, always remember to use a fertilizer created specifically for these exotic plants. Since its roots are very sensitive to any type of soil and it needs one that is very fine and contains pine bark for its development.
If you just bought one, make sure it has multiple blooms and that there are still several unopened. In addition, you should replace it with a container, preferably glass or transparent plastic so that it can carry out photosynthesis and add more pebbles to the bottom, which will be the ones that hold the plant. Do not remove them completely from the pot, just keep the roots in contact with the stones, which will be where the water and substrate accumulate for future growth.
If you liked this article on pruning an orchid, you will surely be interested in other topics, such as: