Some of you have either bought an orchid for yourself or received on as a gift.
If your luck as anything like ours, it usually waits a casual month or (if you’re lucky) two before it kicks the bucket. Or, at the very least, all of the pretty flowers wither and fall off and you’re left with a leafy green thing with a long stem. But don’t trash your failed attempt at orchiding just yet, we’ve found some great advice from Rad Megan’s blog on how to rehabilitate your poor orchids back to life and, with the proper care, enjoy for years.
Megan’s recipe for success/orchid rehabilitation:
- Bright, indirect sunlight
- A moderate temperature (something you would be comfortable sitting in without a sweater)
- Distilled water
- A good potting mix
Megan’s Orchid potting mix:
- 3 cups orchid bark
- 1 cup perlite
- 1 cup spaghnum moss
Tip #1: It’s not uncommon to find packing peanuts in the bottom of a store-bought orchid, and you can add these to your mix if you don’t have access to perlite or spahnum moss.
Tip #2: When an orchid starts to look crummy, there are several things that could be happening. Re-potting an orchid is a great way to determine what is ailing it, and will often be the fastest way to cure it.
When repotting your orchid and you notice:
- Bugs: Aphids are notorious for attacking the flowers and new buds, while mealy bugs like to attack new growth or hide in deep cracks in the orchid’s leaves. If you see aphids, wash them off with water and a weak soap solution. If you see the mealy bugs, dip a Q-tip in rubbing alcohol and lightly rub the areas where they are infesting (this will kill them).
- Rot: Often times there will be rotting sphagnum moss stuck between roots, so just shake of the old potting soil before replanting in the new mix. You don’t want to cut any roots unless they feel limp. Healthy orchid roots look white and turn green when wet.
Tip #3: If you are re-using an old pot for your orchid, be sure to scrub it with bleach or a strong soapy solution. Fungus and insect eggs may be hiding in old, dirty pots so take the time to clean them out before adding your orchid mix.
Once you’ve cleaned off and pruned your orchid and cleaned the container, place a layer of the soil mixture at the bottom and plant your orchid on top. Stabilize with more soil on the sides and add a layer on top, covering the roots.
Love,
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