orchid

Orchid Pruning: Doing it in the right way

Orchids need air, sufficient water, bright sunlight, and fertilizer or compost.

These are their basic need to grow well. But as an orchid propagator, you have the responsibility to perform necessary tasks to promote growth and development of your orchid plant.

Orchid pruning is one of the tasks that an orchid propagator should never forget.

Orchid pruning is performed due to the following reasons:

• To promote new growths in your orchid plants;
• To improve the overall appearance of your orchids as you remove needless parts of the plant; and,
• To prevent wasting the energy of your orchids and use it in a more productive way, especially in its growth and development.

If you are a beginner in propagating orchids, you have to learn first how to do it in the right manner.

This is to prevent any damage or injury that you might cause because of lack of knowledge.

You can learn orchid pruning through reading books about guidelines on how to perform it in the correct way.

You can as well learn through watching videos because it will impart knowledge and at the same time, it will show you how to perform the pruning well.

You can also learn from tips and advices of expert orchid growers. They have many experiences in orchid pruning that will surely help you in it.

Here are some tips that will help you in pruning orchids:

You have to perform pruning when the flowers begin to wilt and when the stalks start to turn yellow or brown.

Pruning is performed during fall or early winter but the best time is during the late fall.

This is because you can easily see dead branches and remove them.

You have to make use of the appropriate tools for pruning, which include a pair of sharp bypass shears, which has scissor-type blades, to cut cleanly the stems.

Sterilization should be done after using it from another plant to prevent transmission of viruses or fungi.

You can sterilize the tools by wiping a cloth with diluted bleach solution or alcohol.

Prune the orchids to within an inch from where the blossom stalk is connected.

Identifying orchid problems
Growing orchids is a fun and exciting past time activity. As they bear flowers, you can place them indoors or outside your home and make them as attractive decorations.

You can also add the flowers in bouquets or corsage for special events. Orchids can really be used in various ways.

But as you go along propagating them, there are inevitable circumstances that you can encounter and one of them is orchid problems.

There are a number of reasons why there are orchid problems. You have to identify the cause of the orchid problems so that you can immediately institute appropriate interventions.

This will help prevent in causing damage or leaving detrimental effects to your growing orchid plants.

Thus, your plant can still grow healthy after undergoing problem.

In propagating orchids, the orchid grower can encounter a lot of orchid problems.

Beginners might be in doubt on what to do but the very first thing you should do is to identify what triggered the event because this will guide you in creating a plan for proper interventions.

Here are some orchid problems that an orchid propagator can encounter:

Pests are one of the most common orchid problems. There are various pests that can cause harm to your plant, which includes slugs, mealybugs, weevils, common scale, biosduval scale, thrips, greenfly, blackfly, and spidermite.

Viruses do not only attack humans but as well as orchids. Cymbidium mosaic virus (CymMV) and Odontoglossum ringspot virus (ORSV) are two of the most common viruses that cause orchid problems.

Root problems can also occur if they are placed in an area that is unsuitable for growth and development. And, if the orchid grower have not provided all the needs of the plant.

This can lead to yellowing of leaves and your orchids will not bear flowers.
Here’s what you can do to solve orchid problems:

Maintain a garden that is free from pests and insects. If you have noticed any presence of insects or pests, you can eradicate them by making use of pesticides.

You just have to follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
If your orchid has been infected with a virus, isolate it. You have to throw gloves that have been exposed to the infected orchids, and sterilize all the tools you have used in the infected orchid.
To prevent yellowing of the orchid’s leaves, you have to provide all their needs to promote proper growth and development.
A Straightforward Guide in Repotting Orchids
Repotting orchids is another essential task when propagating orchids. This may not be a difficult task to perform but you have to execute carefully the procedures. This is because to prevent any unwanted damage or injury to your growing orchid plant. And of course, you do not want to risk the life of your orchids just because of a single mistake in repotting them.

The main purpose why repotting of orchids is performed is due to the following reasons:

To provide fresh media to the root system of the orchids;
To promote good aeration; and,
To provide a larger pot that can sustain the orchid’s growth for a year or two.
You have to prepare a complete set of repotting equipment so that you can avoid unnecessary delays and perform it in the best way possible. Here are some important equipment in repotting of orchids:

Right growing medium such as orchid bark, fir bark, coconut husk, tree fern fibers, perlite, and sphagnum moss;
New large pot that can sustain the growth of your orchid plants for about a couple of years;
Sanitized clay pot shards or lava rock, which will serve as a covering for the drainage holes in the pots;
Bamboo pole and wire plant tie, which are used to anchor your newly repotted orchid plant. They will guide the upward growth of the orchids as they are starting to adjust in the new pot;
Sanitized pruning clippers or a sharp and sanitized knife, which is used to trim dead roots or too long roots of your orchids; and,
Pruning sealer or anti-fungal powder, this is applied to any open cuts present on the rhizome. This will help prevent fungal infection in your orchid plant.
Here are some helpful tips as you perform repotting of your orchids:

Choose the appropriate compost for your orchid plants. There are various compost mixtures available in nursery or garden centers. Some of them include orchid grade bark chippings; lump peat and foam; sphagnum moss, bark and foam mix; and, rock wool.
Select the orchid that has old growths and old papery sheaths because it needs to be cleaned up and repotted.
Perform repotting during the late part of spring and early part of summer.
Do not repot your orchids when they are flowering. You should repot them after they have bear flowers.
All about Pots for Orchids
Orchids are among the largest family of flowers. They have a variety of beautifully colored flowers. In addition, if you are planning to raise your own orchid plant, you have to learn first the fundamental elements in growing them. One of the things you should know is about pots for orchids. Pots for orchids should be chosen well. It should suit your orchid’s requirements and its characteristics should match to where you plan to place them.

Here are some helpful suggestions in choosing pots for your orchids:

First, you have to choose an orchid specie you want to grow. You have to know what are their growth requirements, such as watering, providing fertilizers, and place where they grow best. There are plants that grow well outdoors and there are also orchids that can thrive indoors. Moreover, you have to use the appropriate pots for your orchids because there are pots for orchids that are recommended for indoor and outdoor use.
If you choose to grow an orchid inside your house, you have to choose pots for orchids that are made up of plastic. Plastic pots are colorless because it will allow you to see what‘s happening inside it. You can check the color of the roots and monitor for any presence of insect or pest infestation. Clear plastic pots for orchids will allow sunlight penetration to the roots such as those made up of polythene materials. They have thick walls that will not heat up when exposed to sunlight and few drainage holes, which will prevent water congestion inside the pot.
If you want to grow orchids outside your house, well you have to make use of terracotta pots. Terracotta pots are designed for outdoor use. They are durable and they will not break easily even they have been exposed to too much sunlight and heavy rains. These pot are heavy so that they remain stable during strong winds and storm. They usually have a single drainage hole at the bottom and others have additional holes on its sides.
You can also make use of basket pots. They are made up of mesh, plastic, wire, pottery or wood. These pots are used for orchids that have heavy roots and sprawling.
What you should know about the Types of Orchid?
Orchids are one of the largest families of flowers in the whole wide world. They have beautiful and colorful flowers. They have pink, yellow, white, red, orange, and a whole lot more. They may come in one color and others have attractive combination of flowers. Orchid plants have more than 100,000 different orchid hybrids. There are more than 22,000 species of orchid plants. But here is an interesting fact, among those huge numbers there are only two types of orchid. Amazing isn’t it? But indeed, it is the truth.

What are the two types of orchid?

The two types of orchid are Terrestrial orchids and Epiphytes. The main distinction of terrestrial orchids from epiphytes is that grows in the ground, while the epiphytes grow on tree trunks and branches.

Here some facts that you should know about the two types of orchid, which are the terrestrial orchids and epiphytes:

Terrestrial orchids love to grow in the ground. They fill the air at night with a wonderful aroma.
There are a number of terrestrial orchids that can survive in freezing environments. Some terrestrial orchid species require exposure to sub-freezing temperature before they can actually bloom their flowers. These sub-freezing temperature loving orchid species include tulips and other bulb plants.
Terrestrial orchids should be fed with leafy compost. They do not require frequent feeding of fertilizers.
There are orchids from terrestrials that grow in an upright manner. This type of plant usually comes from the evergreen. In addition, there are also creeping terrestrials. The genera of Erythodes, Macodes, Hetaria, and Zeuxine are some of them.
There are more than 30,000 epiphytes all over the world.
Epiphytes require another plant that can provide them physical support as they grow and develop. They usually thrive on the trunks and branches of trees.
Epiphytes do not grow in the soil.
They are parasites on the tree where they attached.
Epiphytes acquire their own nutrition and water from falling rainwater, air, and compost from the branches of the trees.
They are exposed to adequate sunlight so they can also produce their own food through the process of photosynthesis.
Finding out why Orchid Leaves turn Yellow
Orchids have various colors of flowers such as pink, red, yellow, orange, and blue. However, they only have one color of leaves and that is green. If you are growing orchid plants and you have observed that they have green leaves, you should be happy because a green leaf is a sign of healthy growing plants.

Have you ever seen yellow orchid leaves? Yellow orchid leaves are possible to happen. However, it is not a sign of a healthy growing and developing orchid plant. Yellow orchid leaves can happen due to various reasons. In addition, it is very important that you should be acquainted of those reasons so that you can identify the cause and implement an immediate solution on it. This will help your orchid to prevent any damage or injury to it.

What causes Orchid leaves to turn Yellow?

There are a variety of reasons why yellowing of orchid leaves happen. Here are some of the reasons that trigger the orchid plant to turn their leaves into yellow color:

Aging Orchids- All orchid plants undergoes a normal aging process such as leaves getting old and they turn into yellow or brown.

You do not have to worry about these because they are normal processes involved in growing and developing orchids.

Bacterial or Fungal Disease- As you take a look on the leaves affected with fungal infection, it will manifest an irregular yellow spots that have black growing edge.

This will make your orchid ugly or less attractive. But what you can do to stop the fungal infection is to kill the fungi by using a fungicide for plants or orchids. If your orchid plant is suffering from bacterial infection, you can treat it with Physan. It is an effective treatment against bacteria.

Too much water- You should remember that too much water is never good for your orchids. If you water plants, make sure that you allow them to dry between watering. This is because too much water can root rot and fungal infection. If the root system of your orchid plant becomes rotten, it cannot function well such as the absorption of water and nutrients from the growing media. As the roots become rot, the entire orchid plant cannot anymore avail the water and nutrients required for their proper growth and development. The best solution for this problem is to treat the fungal infection and postpone watering for a week or two. Then, resume watering for only once in a week.
Understanding the Correct Way in Orchid Watering
Humans cannot live without water and as well as orchids. Water is an important element in the promotion of growth and development of orchid plants. But you should remember as a plant grower, you should never give too much or too less water to your orchids. Too less water cannot sustain the plants’ necessity so that it will grow healthily. However, it will cause dehydration. Giving too much water to your orchid is not a good habit as well because it can lead to root rotting and fungal infection in the root system of the orchid plant.

As an orchid propagator, you must be knowledgeable of the dos and don’ts in raising orchid plants whether it is situated indoors or outdoors. The key to success in growing healthy and attractive orchids is to provide them all their basic needs and take good care of them very well. And, sufficient amounts of water is one of their basic need that you should not miss to provide them.

How to water orchids (Tips for Orchid watering in the correct way)

Keep them moist at all times but avoid over-watering. Phalaenopsis orchids generally require brief dry periods between every watering. Cymbidium orchids need their soil to be evenly moist at all times. Be careful to ensure the soil is not soggy or wet.

Orchid watering is easy but you have to consider the water requirements of your orchid plant so that you will not be wasting your time and effort in growing them. Here are some tips on how you can execute orchid watering correctly and safely to your plants:

You have to water your orchid plant every early morning. This will give time to dry the plant and growing medium before nighttime comes. If your plant and soil will not completely dry until it reaches nighttime, there is a big possibility that fungi will infect the root system.
Allow your orchids to get dry in between watering.
Water your plant thoroughly so that it can reach the deep-seated roots. You can dip the potted orchid in a sink of water up to about ½” below the rim of the orchid’s pot. Then, leave it for about 10 to 15 minutes to allow water absorption.
You can use rainwater or tap water for your orchids. However, you have to avoid using of treated water because they have high salt content. The presence of salts in the growing medium and pots of your orchids is not recommended, as they can be very toxic to your plant.

Steps in Repotting Orchids
Repotting of orchids is a must to do thing in propagation of orchids. This is because it will help your orchids to grow and develop healthier. You can as well inspect the root system for any presence of insect or pest infestation while you perform repotting of orchids. This should be done with care because you might cause damage to its roots that can possibly be fatal to your growing plant.

Repotting is performed to provide fresh media and promote good aeration. This will also provide your orchids with a larger pot. All of these will promote proper growth and development of your plant.

The repotting of your orchids depends on what species they belong. If you are growing Dendrobium, Miltonia, Phalaenopsis and Paphiopedilum, it is advisable that you repot them once a year. If you are raising Cattleya, Oncidium, Dendrobium, and Odontoglossum, you have to repot them every two years. If you are growing Cymbidium, Vanda and its allies, you have to repot them once in every three years.

Easy Steps in Repotting Orchids

Repotting is not a hard task in raising your own orchids. You just have to follow the steps carefully so that you will not encounter problems and mistakes as you go on. Here are the steps in repotting orchids:

Choose the appropriate compost for your plant. You have to use a compost that can hold more water if you cannot water your plant in a regular basis. However, if you have all the time to provide all the needs of your plant such as watering them, you can use a compost that drains water easily. Orchid grade bark chippings; lump peat and foam; sphagnum moss, bark and foam mix; and, rock wool are some of the compost mixture that you can use.
Inspect your orchids. The presence of old growths and old papery sheaths will prompt you to repot your orchid. You have to remove the old growths and papery sheaths, and at the same time check for any presence of insect infestation. Then, you also have to carefully remove old roots.
Choose a pot that is large enough that can sustain your plant’s growth within a year. Do not use a very large pot because the orchid’s energy will focus on root growth and not on the foliage.
Lastly, put some compost on top of the foam. For indoor orchids, make sure that there is more room at the front of the newly repotted plant.
Orchid Growing Tips: Guide to become successful in raising orchids
Raising orchids have been a popular past time activity. This is because they have beautiful and attractive flowers, which can be used as very nice home decors and they can be very wonderful add-on for bouquets in various occasions. Orchids have simple yet attractive color and beauty that is why there are many people who are mesmerized by these flowers. Raising orchids is a very fun and easy activity; you just have to learn how to take care of them. There are various orchid growing tips that will help you as you start propagating your own orchids.

You can learn orchid growing tips from books and articles. You can as well orchid growing tips through watching videos and from expert orchid propagators. These sources will be surely of great help as you start growing orchids.

Actually, there are many orchid growing tips. Here are some orchid growing tips that will guide you:

You have to decide what orchid species you want to grow. You have to know if the orchid species you want to propagate can live inside your house or outdoors.
You have to make use of growing medium that can hold enough water for your growing orchid. However, if you can water them regularly, you can use a growing medium mixture that can hold moderate amounts of water. However, if you cannot water them on a scheduled basis, you have to make use of a growing medium mixture that can hold sufficient amounts of water and can last for several days.
Fir Bark, Lava Rock, Man-made Mediums, Perlite, Sphagnum Moss, Crushed Cork, Peat Moss, Osmunda Fiber, Tree Fern, Redwood Bark, and Charcoal are some of the growing medium that you can use as you propagate orchids.
Expose your orchids to sunlight. Sunlight plays a big role in photosynthesis, where plants can produce their own food. Do not expose them under direct sunlight because it can cause burning of the orchid’s leaves. You just have to place under a shady area where they can still be exposed to bright sunlight.
Give adequate amounts of water to your orchid plants. Do not give too much water as it can cause root rot and orchids will be high risk for fungal infection.
Allow your orchid to get dry in between watering.
Propagating Orchids Stem
Orchid propagators that have advance knowledge and experience should only do orchids stem propagation. This is because stem propagation involves complex procedures that beginners may encounter difficulty or problems on it.

As you perform orchids stem propagation, you have to be equipped with correct and complete tools and materials. A complete set of materials and tools will help you perform the orchids stem propagation procedures easily and without hassles. A complete set of tools include rectangular plastic tray, spray bottle, square flasks, soft toothbrush, razor blades, 7 inch forceps or tweezers, sterile culture tubes with one-hole stoppers (one for each new plant), synthetic cotton (used to fill in the hole in the stoppers), tube rack that will hold the culture tubes, labeling material, and pressure cooker or autoclave machine. You also need materials in orchids stem propagation such as distilled water, dish washing detergent, liquid household bleach, stem propagation media, and agar-agar. After you have prepared all the materials and tools, you can start immediately the orchids stem propagation procedure.

If you are raising an orchid that is epiphytic, you can use cutting to grow them. You have to send out aerial roots from one or more places on the stem. Then, you have to cut the stem just below the roots of the orchid. Then, you have to place a little amount of growing medium inside the pot. Make sure that the pot has enough holes to promote good drainage. Place the stem in the growing medium with roots facing down. Put more medium that will cover the all the roots and will support the stem in place.

If you are propagating terrestrial orchids, you should take the cutting near the base of the orchid. Before making a cut, you have to make sure that you include one pseudobulb and a couple of roots. Then, set a small amount of growing medium in the pot. The pot should have enough holes that can promote moderate drainage. Next, you have to place the cutting in the growing medium with roots facing down. You have to add more medium to cover the roots and hold the cutting in place. You have to keep the pseudobulbs above the growing medium.

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The roots as the origin of life for your orchids serve as anchors that support the entire plant. learn more orchids roots

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