With more than 35,000 species of orchidsnow available, there’s little wonder they are such a popular flower. Thesedelicate flowers easily brighten up your day, and they come in a variety ofcolors to enjoy. If you receive some as a gift and you’re wondering how to carefor them after you put them in a vase, not to worry because they are easierthan you think to care for this way.
What Are Orchids?
Orchids are from the family Orchidaceaeand are all perennial herbs. They have no woody structure and grow in one oftwo forms. These include monopodial and sympodial.
In addition to 35,000 species, orchidsalso have more than 800 genera. They are also found in almost every habitatexcept for glaciers. This means they are found in places such as North America,Europe, temperate Asia, and the tropical areas of Asia, Africa, and America.
Orchids are so popular that there are evenorchid clubs that get together regularly and share information about thesebeautiful flowers. Although they have a reputation of being hard to grow, theyare a lot easier than you think once you learn a few important tips.Overwatering orchids seems to be the most common mistake, but it’s easy tolearn how to water them properly so this doesn’t happen.
When you grow them in your garden, theyneed regular attention, but this doesn’t mean they are difficult to grow. Ofcourse, once you cut them and bring them inside, the care they require will bea little different.
Getting Started
When you receive a gift of orchids, you’llnaturally want to keep them around for as long as possible. Although on theirown, orchids can last for several weeks, if you give them some special care,it’s possible to keep them for more than that. One of the main ways to do thisis to add something extra in the water, something that acts as a preservative.
Oddly enough, there are several DIY“recipes” for these preservatives. Many of them can even be made with items youhave around the house, so they are both inexpensive and easy. If you’re curiousabout these “preservatives” for your orchids, keep reading.
The Lemon LimeMethod
You start by washing the vase with warmwater and soap. You do this not just to get the vase clean, but also to removeall of the bacteria that could harm the flowers. Make sure you rinse the vasethoroughly and dry it before you go any further.
Take a two-quart pitcher and empty anentire can of lemon-lime soda into it. To this you’ll add seven or eight dropsof hydrogen peroxide, one teaspoon of sugar, and one liter of lukewarm water.Stir the mixture gently to mix everything together well.
Take your orchids and cut the stemsdiagonally with either a sharp knife or some pruning shears. Don’t use scissorsbecause they might crush the stems and prevent the flowers from taking in waterthe way they’re supposed to afterward. When you’re done, put the orchids intoyour vase.
Pour the water-soda mixture into the vaseuntil half of the stems are covered with it. Check the vase every couple ofdays and replenish the mixture whenever you need to do so. Cover the containerwith the mixture in it until you need it next time.
The Bleach Method
With this method, the first thing you’ll want to do is wash the vase with warm, soapy water to make sure it’s super clean. This is also a great way to get the bacteria out so the flowers can stay healthy once you put them back in there. Make sure the vase is as clean as possible.
Next, you’ll want to cut the stems at anangle diagonally, and you should never use scissors to do this. Scissors cancrush the stems and can affect the flower’s intake of water. Instead, usepruning shears or a sharp knife because they work much better.
Mix together one quart of lukewarm water,one teaspoon of sugar, and one teaspoon of chlorine bleach. Place the mixturein a two-quart pitcher next. Afterward, add two teaspoons of fresh lemon or lime juice to the watermixture.
Finally, fill up the vase with themixture. As you pour, you’ll want to make sure you put enough water in there sothat half the stem lengths are covered. Keep an eye on the water level andrefill it each time the level goes down.
The good thing about this solution is thatit won’t go bad. This means you can replenish the supply for a very long time.If you need to, you can make another batch of it so that you don’t run outwhile the flowers are still looking good.
What Else Can YouDo for Cut Orchids?
In addition to making a preservative foryour cut orchids, there are other things that will work. If you don’t rememberanything else about taking care of orchids, remember this tip: never, everoverwater them! Even once they get to your vase, it’s crucial that they not gettoo much water or it can kill them.
If you remember that earlier, it wasmentioned to cover the stems only half-way with water or a water mixture, andthis applies to all cut orchids as well. In fact, if you aren’t sure how muchwater to put in with your cut orchids, start with just 1/4 cup. It may seemlike it’s not enough, but considering that orchids aren’t huge fans of H2O,this should be just enough to keep them healthy.
Of course, too little water can also be aproblem. If the leaves, stems, or petals of your orchids start looking a littledull or they turn colors such as yellow or gray, it’s time to add more water tothe vase. But again, don’t add too much or you’ll have even bigger problemswith your orchids.
Orchids also love a little humidity, soit’s best to keep them away from low-humidity areas. Remember, these areflowers that originated in tropical areas, so they can handle high humiditylevels. This means they should never be placed in a room with a dehumidifier init, but they’ll absolutely love being put in a bathroom or kitchen!
Some PracticalTips
One of the things that directly affect the longevity of your cut orchids is the growing zone where you live. If the orchid you received as a gift is one that does best in zones 10 or 11, and you’re in zone 8, the flower may not last as long as you want it to. However, if you live in the “right” zone and treat the orchids right, they could last for up to one month sitting in a vase.
Some orchids are also sensitive toethylene, which is a plant hormone that regulates fruiting and death in plants.You might have ethylene in your home if you have ripening fruit somewhere. Ifthis is the case, just keep the cut orchid vase away from the bowl of fruit soyou can keep them much longer.
Yet another tip to keeping cut orchidslooking good for longer periods of time is to cut the flowers as they’restarting to open, not when they’ve already opened. Of course, if the buds arecompletely closed, this is not the time to cut orchids either. In other words,cut the orchids when there are a few open buds (two is a good number to lookfor) on the stems and when the petals are just starting to open, but haven’tcompletely done so yet.
In case you haven’t figured this out yet, keep in mind that cut orchids really do like cooler temperatures. Considering they are a flower that got their start in tropical temperatures, this may seem a little odd. Although cut orchids do fine in room temperature, they usually last even longer when the indoor temperature is 59° to 86° Fahrenheit.
You can also empty the water out of thevase every two to three days and replace it with fresh water. Make sure thewater you put back in the vase is tepid, and if you’ve added plant food or apreservative before, do the same thing this time as well. Also, remember thateach time you refill the vase with water, you should also cut off a little bitof the stem beforehand.
Make it Easy onYourself
All of these things may feel overwhelming,but it doesn’t have to be that way. If you can, find out exactly which type oforchid you’re receiving before you start to care for it. This gives you theopportunity to get specific information on the type of orchid you have so thatyou can give it the care it needs to last a while.
Thanks to technology, we can find out justabout anything nowadays, and that includes how to care for a flower or plant.The little bit of extra work that it takes to care for orchids is always worthit in the end, especially when you see how beautiful your cut orchids are. Italso helps in keeping them around longer, so it is a win-win situation.
Other Things toRemember
One of the first things you need torealize is that not all orchids do well as cut flowers. Thick and heavy orchidsthat are almost waxy in texture will last a lot longer than other more delicateorchids. Other factors affecting how long your orchids last include the varietyand the care the flowers receive both before and after they are cut and placedin a vase.
If your orchids start to look a little wilted,you can always submerge them in some warm water for several minutes. Cut offroughly 1/2 inch from the bottom of the stem with a sharp knife or pruningshears before placing the flowers back in the vase. Remember also to keep freshblooms away from direct sunlight and other heat sources.
Then again, there is another DIY methodthat doesn’t come from the experts, but which seems to work for a lot ofpeople. When you get your orchids, put cold water in the vase up to the rightlevel, then drop an aspirin or two in the water! You can use the aspirin alongwith any preservative or plant food you’ve decided to add if you like, becauseusing more than one method usually works just fine.
In fact, all orchids survive much longerwhen the indoor temperature is a little on the cool side. This does not includecool drafts, however. In fact, cool air from an open window when thetemperature outside is cool will make the flowers suffer.
Conclusion
Orchids can be a little more challengingto grow than the average flower, but that doesn’t mean they are impossible togrow right. Cut flowers can be a little more complicated because some of thethings that affect their longevity are out of your control. This includes howthe orchids were grown and how well they were treated before they got to you.
Fortunately, there are tips andsuggestions that can increase the likelihood that your cut orchids will besticking around for much longer, and they are really easy tips once you getused to them. The temperature, humidity level, and even the way they are cutall affect how good they look and how long they’ll last. Fortunately, these arethings you can control and can make keeping your cut orchids around longer awhole lot easier.
Orchids are beautiful flowers and althoughthey may look delicate, they are really fairly tough. They do, however, like tobe treated a certain way, which is why it is so important to learn what they doand do not like. Further online research can help you learn even more aboutthese amazing flowers, making it easy for you to enjoy your cut orchids evenlonger the next time you get some.
