Hey, DIY Warriors! Welcome to another Vag-tastic installment of what not to do and when not to do it. Ain’t this easy? Did you buy a Phalaenopsis orchid from TJ’s, HD or maybe Lowe’s? Or, the worst guilt, from a fancy-schmancy nursery for big bucks? Now 3 months later and you have no blooms left and a funky bare branch.
Me too! And what would I do every time? Cut that funky bare branch off of course…
Wrong-o! Oh, so very wrong-o. They send out brand new branches outta those old stems!
Look at this new-growth beauty. I left the old bare stems in place and gently trained them into curvatures with these nifty clippy-dippies & ties and support stakes. Just a gentle tuck here and there.
My biggest tip on training your orchid is to let the plant do most of the work. I use the room’s ambient sunlight from nearby windows to guide the new growth’s direction. It’s as simple as rotating the pot so that the new growth reaches for the light. I rotate weekly (or more) only an inch or a centimeter. It’s really depends on how much I want to guide the new growth in the direction I want it to go next.
I feed every 4-6 months with Miracle Gro Orchid formula. Some people prefer the stakes but I use the water soluble formula. I water once a week using a shot glass, roughly 4 shots will do the trick. Once a month I wet wipe the leaves to remove dust build up. Gotta keep that photosynthesis going!
And I hope that you keep going too, DIY Warriors!
Make the world you want to live in,
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