We are torn apart when an orchid spike falls off the plant. It happens to the best of us, and we awaken anxious to check if the spike has blossomed. Instead of joy, we discover the orchid on the ground.
The spike is broken and snapped, with half of it still attached to the orchid and the other half containing unopened buds a foot from the pot. Find out what you can do to save this orchid before you actually kill the cat.
The orchid spike can break off completely or just partially. I’m sorry to say it, but there are very little chances of saving this orchid. However, it’s preferable to try something than to give up right away.
If they work, they work. If they don’t well, at least we tried. It depends more on how badly the spike is broken than anything else because I’ve had both success and failure using all these techniques.
I’ll concentrate on saving the partially attached orchid spike and repairing the broken spike in the first half of this article. I’ll concentrate on what will transpire with the completely severed orchid spike and how the orchid will respond in the second half.
How to Grow Orchids From Cuttings Step by Step
It’s different from growing other plants from cuttings to grow orchids. You can’t just cut off a piece of an orchid, put it in water, and wait for new roots to appear. But even though growing orchids from cuttings requires a little more work than growing other plants, it’s still worthwhile to give it a shot.
Here’s how to go through the process step by step.
Although the hands-on portion of propagation does not require much time, you will need to wait a while for the new orchids to grow. Learn when your tiny orchids are ready to be transplanted and how to best care for them by reading on.
It’s time to consider the best soil to use when your tiny orchids are ready to be transplanted. You want to make sure that these new orchids survive after spending time and effort on them.
The soil that you use for your orchid matters. It’s crucial to choose quality soil for your orchids because without the right elements, they won’t be able to get the nutrients they require to thrive.
You cannot use regular potting soil for orchids. In the wild, most orchids don’t grow in the soil. Instead, the majority of them cling to tree branches, giving the roots plenty of air access. Ordinary potting soil would not be the ideal environment for orchids because it is far too dense.
The perfect orchid potting soil mimics orchids’ natural environment. Good orchid potting soil usually includes a mix of moss, tree bark, and other organic matter.
One of our go-to brands for orchid potting mix is Sun Bulb’s Better-Gro Phalaenopsis Mix. This product contains materials that allow for good drainage and proper airflow to your orchid’s roots.
Numerous other high-quality orchid potting mixes are also offered. Making sure that you select a mix that is intended for orchids is crucial. When it comes to orchids, other kinds of potting soil just won’t do.
Just now, we discussed how orchids require good drainage and airflow to thrive. As we mentioned earlier, selecting the right potting soil aids in ensuring adequate drainage, but the right container is another crucial aspect that influences drainage.
You must select a pot with drainage holes unless you have superhuman abilities that allow you to know exactly how much water to give your orchid each time you water it. This makes it possible for extra water to drain from the bottom as needed.
Don’t be drawn in by the pots without drainage holes because there are many lovely pots available with them. You could also prepare to add drainage holes before planting anything in it if you do purchase a pot without any.
Make sure to select potting soil and containers that aid in drainage because orchids do not like it when their roots remain submerged in water for an extended period of time.
You might believe that a larger container for your orchids is preferable, but this is not the case. Larger orchids require large pots, while smaller orchids require smaller pots.
There may be too much potting soil in a large pot if you plant a small orchid there, which could prevent proper airflow and harm the roots. Orchids need to be moved to larger pots before they get root-bound, but the new pots shouldn’t be much bigger than the old ones.
Most orchids need a pot between 4-6 inches large. However, because they are not yet as mature as the orchids for sale commercially, you might need to transplant your new orchids into even smaller containers when you first move them.
Is it Possible to Fix a Broken Orchid Stem?
It doesn’t matter if the cat knocked the pot off the windowsill or you simply forgot to stake the stem to help support the heavy blooms, you faithfully cared for your orchid and took the time to give it the proper amount of water and light, but the stem broke! Don’t worry; there is still hope for your orchid, so keep it instead of throwing it out. Depending on the type of harm your orchid has endured, you will need to take different measures to try to save it.
A severed stem isnt the end for your orchid.
Because their bloom is disproportionally large for the spindly stem, orchids are an unusual flower. If not given proper care, orchids are vulnerable to snapping or breaking because of the nature of the bloom. It is best to start over and cut off the damaged area if the orchid’s stem is completely severed or hanging by a thread.
The best course of action is to give the stem of your orchid additional support, which you could do either horizontally or vertically. If the stem of your orchid is bent or snapped but not completely broken off, there may still be hope for your orchid in this season.
The Cut Straw Method for Saving Broken Orchid Spikes
The cut straw technique, which is equivalent to the earlier method, works with partially severed and attached spikes. The spike is still functional and green, just badly bent.
There must be additional support holding the two components together to ensure that the spike will still hold and not completely break. The weight of the blossoms will cause flimsy straw to fold.
The use of a sturdy plastic drinking straw makes this technique work. Soft flimsy straws will not work. I found that MacDonald’s straws are the best.
The straw makes the ideal “cast” for the bent orchid spike if you cut it significantly larger than the spike and slit it down the middle. Airflow can still reach the plant cells, unlike the band-aid method, which will not cause cell death.
The disadvantage of this approach is that, unlike the Band-Aid method, the straw does not exert pressure on the broken area to encourage reattachment. The increased weight will cause the buds to be pulled away from the spike once they begin to bloom. The more the buds open, the greater the chance that the spike will break.