In short, if you haven’t trimmed many roots, then you can water an orchid normally right after repotting it. If you had to trim a considerable number of roots, then it’s best if you do not water, waiting about a week to let the open cuts in the roots have ample time to heal ..read more

Fish emulsion, or also known as liquid fish fertilizer, usually has a very low concentration of NPK, (5-1-1 or 5-2-2) so many orchid growers will switch every other week between their usual fertilizer and fish emulsion. The problem with using fish emulsion only is that it has such a high nitrogen count as compared to phosphorus and potassium that you will need to supplement those eventually. If not, the orchid will receive too much nitrogen and some future problems may occur ..read more

An orchid plug is a wrapping made of peat moss or coconut fiber mixed with sphagnum moss that is wrapped around the roots of young seedling orchid plants. The plug is specially made to protect the very thing, young roots as well as provide frequent airflow and retain moisture ..read more

Orchid bark has ranges of best to worst and not always will you get what you pay for. In most cases, the price is the main indication of good orchid bark, but not always. I decided to buy 5 of the highest-selling orchid barks and test them one by one ..read more

You just found out that there’s a huge orchid show a few states over, and it’s promoting international orchid sellers. Before you can even think, you’ve made reservations for flights and hotel and your bags are half packed. As in a slight hesitation, the thought crosses your mind: Can you travel with orchids on airplanes ..read more

Your orchid care has excelled in growth this year, now reaching the side of the pot. Its roots are so healthy that they spring out in all directions. Before you know it, the roots are crawling down the side of the pot and into the next one. Result: you need to repot this orchid as soon as you can. Yet, there is one exception: you just repotted last year. The potting media is still in very good shape and it’s not time to switch it out quite yet. So, what do you do? There is a solution called up potting, and it’s different in a few ways than repotting ..read more

So how do the growers induce Cattleyas to make more flowers? It’s all in the pruning. To prune Cattleyas, you are in essence inducing the production of new pseudobulbs. Pruning Cattleya orchids so they grow back bushier and with more flowers will involve: 1) finding the rhizome, 2) locating the active eyes, 3) making a tiny cut to sever the rhizome halfway through the orchid, and 4) sealing that cut with fungicide ..read more

To divide a Cattleya orchid, you will need to 1) determine the back bulbs from the front bulbs, 2) find any new active eyes that need special care, 3) separate 3-4 pseudobulbs that are healthy on each side, 4) cut the rhizome, and 5) place it in the new pot ..read more

What exactly is bone meal and how does it affect orchid care? Bone meal raises the pH of your orchid potting media, while it neutralizes high levels of iron, nitrogen, and mercury. Being high in calcium and phosphorus, bone meal helps your orchid blooms last longer. The downside of bone meal is that it can attract more problems than add benefits ..read more

Dolomite lime for orchids raises the pH in the potting media, correcting the overly acidic soil. It contains calcium carbonate and magnesium, two elements that orchids desperately need to grow. Dolomite lime, known to reduce fungal attacks on orchid leaves, also reduces the toxicity of iron, magnesium, and manganese in your orchid pot ..read more