These elegant plants with such striking flowers need specific care so that they are displayed in all their splendor, taking into account the most suitable substrate and watering to pruning, this being one of the most delicate parts of their care.
Therefore, in this Green Ecologist article we will teach you how to prune an orchid step by step And, in addition, we will give you a couple of useful tips so that you can take care of them perfectly easily and simply.
Without a doubt, its more than 25,000 species, all of them with unique and differentiated features, make this plant one of the most used to decorate elegant gardens and to color our homes. One of the best known and which you can access without problems is the phalaenopsis orchid, also known as butterfly orchid. This, like the rest of orchids, needs an annual pruning to increase its flowering.
Orchids need constant maintenance to remove spoiled leaves and flowers throughout the year. However, you must prune that always coincides with the end of flowering. No matter what time of year, the only important thing is that you do the pruning when the flowers begin to wilt.
Although some wait for the stems to dry, we advise you that, to achieve greater flowering in the next year, you prune your orchid before the stem is more woody to activate the new shoots.
Before pruning you should make sure to sterilize your tools to avoid possible diseases, such as fungi. If at any time these parasites appear on your plant, do not hesitate to consult this other article by Green Ecologist on Homemade fungicides for orchids.
Also make sure that the hand pruning shears that you are going to use are well sharpened to make a clean cut, to prevent serious injuries to the plant. Similarly, confirm that your orchid flowers are dead or badly damaged, as well as that the top of the spike is yellowish. It is also recommended do not prune the orchid if it does not have a minimum height to consider herself an adult; in the case of the phalaenopsi orchids it is about 30 centimeters.
Once you make sure of all of the above, follow these simple steps to prune an orchid correctly:
To keep its fleshy flowers and large bright green leaves in good condition and for as long as possible, you need to know the basic orchid care.
By doing all these simple cares, the orchid will bloom several times a year and you can enjoy its beautiful flowers and striking leaves for longer. If you are interested in growing orchids at home, we recommend this other article on Growing orchids in trees.
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