You bought an orchid, dreaming of lush flowers, but instead you got a green bush with a couple of wilted leaves.
Sound familiar? You may be making a fatal mistake you don't even realize.
Orchids are not capricious divas, as many people think. They just live by their own rules.
For example, watering through the tray will kill the roots, and spraying flowers will cause rotting. The secret is to imitate a tropical downpour: put the pot in a basin of warm water for 15 minutes, then let the excess drain.
And never use ice water - the roots will get shocked.
Did you know that orchids love garlic? Put a clove in the soil once a month - this will protect against fungus and stimulate the growth of flower stalks.
But the main secret is "stress therapy". If the plant refuses to bloom, move it to a cool place (16-18 degrees Celsius) for 2 weeks, and then return it to warmth.
The orchid will decide that it has survived the winter and will produce buds. Try it – and your windowsills will turn into the tropics!
However, orchids do not tolerate monotony. If your phalaenopsis stands on the north window for years, it will "fall asleep".
Move the pot every 3 months: in spring - to the east for soft sun, in summer - to the west, avoiding direct rays, and in autumn - to the south, but behind a tulle curtain.
Another trick is "root breathing". Epiphytic orchids grow on trees in nature, so their roots should "hang" in the air.
Replace the dense soil with coarse pine bark and sphagnum moss. Once a week, gently loosen the substrate with a stick so that the roots can breathe.
And if the leaves have become wrinkled, do not rush to water the plant - this is a sign of overheating. Place the pot on a tray with wet expanded clay, and the humidity around the flower will increase.
Don't forget about the "diet". Orchids don't like frequent fertilizing. Use fertilizers only during the period of flower stalk growth, diluting them 2 times stronger than indicated in the instructions.
And never feed sick plants - it's like giving candy to a child with a cold.
And if the roots have become brown and slimy, act immediately: cut off the rotten parts, sprinkle the cuts with cinnamon and transplant into fresh substrate.
And the last lifehack: orchids love classical music. Sound vibrations stimulate cellular metabolism.
Turn on Mozart for an hour a day and in a month you will notice new buds.
Author: Igor Zur