Hydrangea Guide

Despite their delicate-looking blooms, it isn’t that difficult to grow and care for orchids in the home. The keys to being a successful orchid grower, as with any indoor plant, is to provide them with the right growing environment (temperature, light and humidity) and the correct care (watering and fertiliser). Plus, there’s knowing what to do when you encounter problems with your orchid, including pests and diseases. I explain what’s needed for healthy and strong orchids in this article. Two…

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To repot an orchid is a straightforward task if you choose the right pot, the correct growing medium and arrange it all properly. The trick is to know when to repot the plant for successful future growth. This article covers all of this and more, especially for the popular Phalaenopsis orchids, which are my personal favourite. Signs you need to repot your orchid Tangled roots Orchids have naturally tangled roots but tightly mixed up roots indicate a lack of air…

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First of all, be sure that your orchid has actually stopped blooming. Some orchids, after blooming, may take a break and then bloom again. Some species have a few flowers at the end of a stem (spike) and then will sequentially bloom again. Once you’re sure the blooming period is over, you need to cut the flower stem/spike back to encourage reblooming for phalaenopsis orchids. It’s not necessary to throw the plant out as there can be up to 10…

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I did a lot of research for this guide as traditionally, I have never watered my orchids with ice cubes, however, I have used ice packs on my outdoor pots in summer to great effect. The thing is, I still don’t know if you should water an orchid with ice cubes and if there is a real benefit. I’ve spent 20 years refining my watering techniques which I talked about here on how and when to water orchids. So this…

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So the quick answer to ‘Do orchids need special soil is Yes, orchids need special soil to grow in. The orchids that you find in most garden centres are epiphytes, which means that they grow on tree trunks and other objects in the wild rainforest. Ordinary potting soil is much too dense and heavy for these relatively delicate plants, as most orchids actually grow in the air attached to other plants. These are called Epiphyte orchids which I discussed here….

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The short answer to ‘are orchids edible? is Yes, orchid blooms are edible. As well as serving as decorations on delicious meals around the world as shown in the image above, they’re also an integral ingredient to the dishes in many cultures. In addition, many orchids are prepared as herbal medicines and are taken for various ailments, but I’ll leave that one up for debate. The one orchid flavour that you’ve probably heard of is Vanilla. Yes, the vanilla we…

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Orchids are not poisonous to cats and dogs If you have pets, it’s right to be concerned if orchids are poisonous to cats and dogs. And here’s a quick answer – the orchid plant is not poisonous to cats and dogs. In fact, the orchid flowers are edible and are used in cooking, health and wellness in many cultures. (See Are orchids edible? for more information.) What you do need to be aware of, though, is the potting mix that…

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