Dividing your orchids is an important step in expanding your collection as well as ensuring healthy growth for the future. There are a number of reasons why you may need to divide an orchid such as: (1) out growing an existing pot and (2) the deterioration of potting medium over time. How Often Should You Divide? Most orchid medium starts to deteriorate within two to three years. Refreshing the potting medium is important for the plant to absorb fresh nutrients and avoid root rot, fungus or bacteria. Depending on the orchid variety, most plants will be ready for splitting or a larger pot within two to three years of active growth. There are two recommended times to divide your orchids:
Steps to Take When Dividing Your Orchids:
As orchids have increased in popularity, so too has their availability at traditional nurseries, home improvement stores and grocery stores. So with more choices available, how do you know that you are selecting a healthy plant? Whether you are just looking for an arrangement that will last longer than traditional cut flowers, or you plan to nurture the plant for years of enjoyment, it’s important to take a few extra minutes to pick the right plant. What to Look For When Selecting Your Orchid Buds and Flowers
Roots
Foliage
Pots and Potting mix
Orchids Deserve Treats, Too Although the growing season is winding down as we head into fall, that doesn’t mean you should stop feeding your orchids. Routine, year-round feeding promotes healthy growth, bigger blooms and happier plants. So how should you “treat” your orchids? There are several ways to go about feeding your plants and selecting one method over another really depends on how much time you have to spend with your orchids. Weakly Weekly The weakly, weekly method is probably the most common method for gardeners who have multiple plants and time to fertilize. This approach is typically performed with a water soluble or liquid plant food whereby you reduce the concentration of the fertilizer by diluting it with additional water. With our Better-Gro® Orchid Plus plant food, we recommend one teaspoon per gallon of water when feeding with the weakly, weekly method. First and Third Friday Feedings Other growers prefer the less time-consuming method for providing plant food by picking a particular day to fertilize. One way to remember this may be to always feed on the first and third Friday of the month. Place a reminder on your calendar and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for mixing your plant food. When usingBetter-Gro® Orchid Plus®, twice monthly, we recommend mixing a half of a tablespoon of plant food per gallon of water. Continuous Release If you are always on the go and have limited time, don’t worry. You don’t have to deprive your plants. We suggest a continuous release formula like our Better-Gro® Houseplant, Bromeliad & Orchid Food because it that will feed your plants with one application for up to 12 months. Specially-formulated pellets release nutrients over time, so you don’t have to worry about over- or under-feeding your plants. Extra Treat for You and Your Plants If you really want to treat your plants and treat yourself to bigger, better blooms, try including Better-Gro® Orchid Better-Bloom® into your feeding routine. This plant food formula includes a high content phosphorous that serves as a powerful blooming agent. Your plants will produce more blooms, deeper colors and larger blossoms. We recommend giving your plants Better-Bloom every fourth watering. Don’t forget your orchids this Halloween. They like “treats” too! Boo-Yah! Happy Blooming and Happy Halloween from Better-Gro! |