Orhid Tips

How to Make an Orchid Plant Arrangement

Orchid plant arrangements are currently one of the easiest ways to add a fun and dramatic feel to any type of décor. They are also the perfect plant for keeping indoors, actually one of the lowest maintenance exotic plants you can grow in your home. Here are some tips for sprucing up your living space with an orchid arrangement.

1.    To start making your orchid plant arrangement all you need is an orchid plant, any attractive pot you have in your home or garage, potting soil or mix, moss to cover the soil and decorative wood branches to add some extra flair.
2.    For someone who is on the go, I recommend using ready-made orchid potting mixes. These mixes are readily available from most garden shops or from the orchid growers themselves. I believe this works the best because it makes the potting that much easier and faster. Also, potting mixes are reasonably priced and are already blended to the suitable texture and acidity. If you wish to create your own orchid potting mix it can be a combination of any or all of the following components: osmunda fiber, ground tree fern stem, ground bark.
3.    Place the orchid potting soil mix in the chosen pot and carefully place the orchid inside the pot. Be careful not to fully cover all of the orchid's roots. Leave two or three above the soil to breath. This will help your orchid live longer.
4.    Place the moss on top of the potting mix and also add the decorative wood branches to stick out of the pot in various directions. Remember to keep a nice balance between the orchid plant and the decorative branches. Adding too many branches will make the arrangement look too dramatic and top heavy.
5.    Tape the stems with the plant tape to help keep the orchid upright.



How to Make Natural Orchid Arrangements

Orchids are bright and elegant in home atmospheres and bring an exotic touch to even the plainest of rooms. They require very specific care, but these beautiful plants thrive and live for years in the right conditions. Orchids make the biggest splash when they grow in groups and arrangements, with different colors and sizes of blooms. Choose orchids with similar growth habits, in a range of colors, and plant them in a large pot to build your own natural orchid arrangement.


1.    Prepare a wide, shallow pot with drainage holes for multiple orchid plantings. These plants don't need deep pots but do require drainage, air and room to stretch and breathe.
2.    Fill the pot three-quarters full of orchid-appropriate potting mix like gravel, perlite, fern matter, peat moss or coir. Use fern matter and peat moss for the most natural look. Orchids need plenty of air around their roots and don't do well in thick, traditional soil.
3.    Choose orchids with similar needs from the same family for the most successful growing experience. Well-known families like Phalaenopsis, Dendrobium and Cymbidium feature many cultivars in different colors and sizes for variety. Remove the orchids from their original pots and trim away any dead or rotten roots. Place the orchids on the new potting medium spaced about 4-to-5 inches apart and pack more potting medium over their roots to secure them and fill the pot after all the plants are placed.
4.    Place bamboo orchid poles in the growing medium next to each orchid to secure the medium. Clip orchid flower stalks to these stakes for support as they grow .

Put the arrangement in a location that gets bright indirect light or morning sun and afternoon shade. Maintain orchid family-specific temperatures for best growth. Orchids such as Phalaenopsis need warm temperatures, while Cymbidiums need cooler surroundings.
5.    Water the orchids with 2 inches of water every two-to-three days to keep them moist, but don't get water on the crowns or foliage. Add water-soluble 20-20-20 fertilizer to the watering once a week for nutrition. Switch to high-phosphorous 10-50-10 or 10-30-10 during the blooming season to encourage growth and blooming.


How to Replant a Cut Orchid Stem

Exotic orchids are fascinating to watch and make a fulfilling hobby for the avid collector; but, you don't have to be a collector to enjoy an orchid plant. Orchids are easy to grow, if you know the ins and outs of how to care for them. Repotting an orchid when it's outgrown it's original pot, or planting a cut orchid stem requires a little knowledge of how orchids grow.

a)    Choose a mature orchid plant that needs transplanting or dividing. Make sure the plant has completed blooming and is producing new growth before dividing or transplanting cuttings.
b)    Remove unhealthy roots from the plant. It is normal for orchid roots to grow outside the pot. Unhealthy roots are those that have developed root rot and are soft and mushy to the touch.
c)    Gather your supplies before starting to transplant. Sterilize all tools with either alcohol, a hot flame or a dusting of sulfur. Orchids are prone to infection and this protects the cuttings.
d)    Water the plant before repotting to make removal from the pot easier.
e)    Tip the plant on its side and remove it from the pot. Tap the bottom of the pot to encourage stubborn plants stuck in the pot.
f)    Discard old planting medium by gently removing it from around the roots with your fingers being careful not to break healthy roots.
g)    Trim away any dead leaves, wilted blossoms, old growth and rotten roots. Healthy roots should be white or tan. If they are black, hollow, mushy or look like wires, they should be discarded.
h)    Divide the plant making sure each section of cut stem has at least three healthy growths with leaves, and some healthy roots attached.
i)    Rinse the roots in water to make them more pliable for replanting.
j)    Dust all cut ends with sulfur to help prevent infection and encourage healthy new growth.
k)    Add the styrofoam peanuts and some new plant medium to the pot and place the plant firmly into the planting medium. Wrap the roots in sphagnum moss, made slightly damp and gently bend the healthy roots so they fit into the new pot.
l)    Label the newly planted cutting so you remember which plant is which if you are transplanting more than one breed of orchid.

How to Remove a Root From an Orchid Plant

     Orchid plants produce beautiful flowers in a range of colors such as white, yellow, pink, purple and spotted. The orchid family has the highest number of species of any plant family, with estimates ranging up to 25,000 species. These plants need plenty of air at their roots, and too much moisture or standing water can cause root rot. Healthy roots are firm, fleshy and white with green tips. Roots that are affected by root rot are soggy, mushy and brown. These diseased roots should be removed in order for the plant to thrive.

These are the tips :

• Turn the pot upside down to remove the orchid and expose its roots. Discard both the old soil and pot.
• Slice the root off with a razor blade that has been sterilized by holding it over an open flame for five seconds. Cut only the dead root, and avoid cutting into the plant itself. Continue removing the diseased roots until you are left with only healthy, live roots. Some roots may be so rotten that they fall off in your hands, but you still need to remove the remnants in order to maintain a healthy orchid plant.
• Scrape any remaining soil off the orchid, and remove any dead, shriveled leaves from the plant.
• Center the orchid plant in a new, larger pot, and add slightly moistened potting mix to it. For optimum results, use a potting mix that is designed for orchids, as these soils have certain characteristics that help the orchid plant thrive. Orchid roots need plenty of air, so avoid packing the potting mix.
• Wait seven days to water your orchid, and keep the plant in a shady spot during this time. After this first week, it is alright to resume your normal watering schedule. It is best to keep the potting mix just slightly damp, as orchids are better off being too dry as opposed to too wet. If the leaves start to crinkle, it is a sign that your plant needs more water.

 I hope these tips can be useful for you..:)