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Expertly cutting orchids - important principles in the tutorial

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Author: Judy Howell
Date Of Creation: 3 July 2021
Update Date: 1 July 2024
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Q&A - Is cutting healthy Orchid roots to fit the pot a good idea?
Video: Q&A - Is cutting healthy Orchid roots to fit the pot a good idea?

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Old, dried roots should be removed regularly

Expertly cutting orchids - important principles in the tutorial

How often you should cut your orchids depends primarily on the species. This could be confusing and tricky for hobby gardeners with nearly 30,000 orchid species. How good that there are comprehensible basic rules for the cut care. Read in this tutorial when and how to properly cut your orchids.

Cutting inactive orchids

Some of the most beautiful orchids for living spaces thrive. These species include the furious Dendrobium, also known as grape orchids. The tropical beauties show off their blossoms only once on each shoot. This makes cutting care easy. How to best cut out one-seeded orchids:

Are you worried if you should cut a leafless and flowerless stem? Then just wait until the orchid feeds the shoot from tip to base. Removing completely dried plant parts also reduces the risk of infection and pest infestation to a minimum.


Cutting multi-leaf orchids

If orchids thrive multi-engined, a special cut is required. Phalaenopsis species and varieties are the undisputed leaders in the ranking of popular indoor plants. Furthermore, beautiful Venus shoes (Paphiopedilum) and various Oncidium species are presented as multi-leaf orchids. How to complete the perfect cut care:

Up to three times a green stalk can surprise with new flowers. However, some orchids challenge the patience of the gardener. Depending on location and season, several months drag in the country until new buds unfold. After remounting three times, however, it is finally over with the flower festival. The entire shoot dries and can be removed at the base.

Revolver blooms - non-stop blooms

Why these species of orchids benefit from the recommended cut care is illustrated by a short excursion into their botanical attributes. Phalaenopsis or Oncidium are dubbed as revolver blooms. Tirelessly, the orchids produce their flowers as if shot from a pistol. If a bud has unfolded on the stalk, the shoot grows a bit further to present the next flower bud. Under ideal conditions, the flowering period extends over months or years. Where a shoot is lush green, there are good prospects that buds and flowers will soon form.


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Cut activates dormant buds

It is not reserved for trees and shrubs to create a number of sleeping eyes as floral reserve posts. Popular orchids, such as Phalaenopsis and Dendrobium, also have the ingenious ability. Resting buds are mostly below the lavish flower spikes. Recognizing as a slight thickening along the stem, sleeping buds are usually activated by a cut. By cutting off blooming panicles, a juice jam is created, which acts as a wake-up call for the tiny bud plants.

Always cut off dried flower stalks

A basic rule applies regardless of whether it is single-flowered or multi-flowered orchids: always cut off dried stalks.

Once a former flower stalk is brown and dry, the floral life will never pulsate here. Cut the stalk without hesitation at the beginning. Have you discovered a brown-dried runner on the green main shoot? Then please cut off only the dead part and leave the green main shaft. With good care, there are good prospects that the orchid decides at this point to a flowering plant.

Cut lazy orchids

With a few flowers here and there, neglected orchids are a shadow of themselves. Unlike splendidly flowering peers, one can now Cut into green shoots be beneficial. By courageously cutting off the faulty stems, you breathe new life into a blooming orchid. Put scissors or knives on the drive base.

The cut clears the way for a new, strong flower stalk. In addition, we recommend a well-measured dose of orchid fertilizer with valuable nutrients in your luggage.

Tips

Traditional flower fertilizers do not tolerate orchids. The high salt content makes the epiphytic flowers difficult to manage. By administering a special orchid fertilizer, you bring the exotic flower festival into motion after a vitalisation cut. Liquid fertilizers are very suitable because they are simply added every 14 days to the pouring or dipping water. During the resting phase you should not fertilize your orchids.

Weaken wilted leaves better

Orchid leaves are not cut in principle. In the course of natural aging, individual leaves turn yellow, shrivel and dry. In the process you should not intervene, because residual nutrients are transferred to the roots. Only when a leaf is completely dead, it can be removed. How to proceed expertly:

For various reasons, leaf damage to orchids can occur. Sunburn, cracks due to dryness and congestion on the south window are among the most common causes. As long as the damage is limited to local areas and does not propagate further, a sheet should not be removed. Any cut into healthy leaf tissue causes pathogens to use the cuts as a welcome portal of entry.

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Breather is normal

It is not uncommon for orchids to take a break after cutting. For a few weeks, the beauties simply do not give any sign of life. That's no reason to worry. Rather, the rest period signals that the exotic flower is in a phase of regeneration. Over the course of a few weeks or months, popular orchid species and varieties collect fresh powers for a flowering period. Do not throw away seemingly dead Phalaenopsis and conspecifics. Pour less and do not give fertilizer until a new flower stalk expels.

Clean rootballs

Every two to three years orchids should be repotted. The change to fresh substrate and a larger pot revitalizes the flowering joy sustainable. If the root system is substrate-free, prudent gardeners will not miss out on the opportunity for a thorough cleaning action. How to skil orchid roots:

Are you forced to cut out several roots of earth with a white coating or black spots? Then please take special care because fungal pathogens are rampant. Disinfect the blade with alcohol after each cut so that no spores are transferred to healthy tissue.

Finally, put the plastered root ball in a new culture pot with fresh orchid soil. If the previous vessel provides sufficient space for the reduced root network, it should first be cleaned with hot water and Sagrotan.

Tips

Do you rattle when repotting with stubborn aerial roots? Then you order the unruly root strands a warm water bath. Dip the roots in soft, room-warm water for a few minutes. For a short time, the aerial roots are pleasantly flexible and can be integrated into pot and substrate.

Cutting aerial roots - when and how?

When orchids with long aerial roots gesticulate in all directions, anxious carpenters resort to premature failure. The long tentacles are often perceived as unaesthetic and disturbing. A cut, however, wants to be well considered, because aerial roots perform important tasks. Under what conditions a cut makes sense summarizes the following overview:

It sometimes takes a trained eye to distinguish healthy from sick or dead aerial roots. Not always is a silvery-white, dried root actually without life. Last doubt leaves a moisture test out of the way. Sprinkle the orchid root in question with decalcified water and wait a few minutes. If the aerial root turns green, it is not a case for the scissors. There is no doubt about the need for cuts in foul-brown roots.

Cut off a rooted child

Phalaenopsis astonish us when new leaves and tiny roots sprout up on the budded shoot. In this way, aged orchids like to produce their offspring. Likewise, Epidendrum, Dendrobium and Calanthe thrill the floral phenomenon. Orchid gardeners also refer to the Kindel as Keiki.Those who now rashly resort to knives or scissors rob themselves of the joy of a new butterfly orchid. When and how to trim an orchid keiki is summarized in this overview:

It is not mandatory to separate mother plant and offshoot. As long as both thrive healthy and vital, the orchid duo offer a picturesque spectacle at its peak. If, however, the stalk turns yellow with a keiki on it, you can not avoid a dividing cut.

Garden orchids cut like perennials

In the natural garden, winter-hardy orchid species with their lush flowers shine well into autumn. In contrast to sensitive room orchids, orchids, Orchis, Stendelwurz and Yellow Lady's Slipper have adapted well to the Central European climate. In terms of cut care apply similar rules, as for domestic perennials. How to properly cut garden orchids:

Please do not leave any clippings in the bed. Pathogenic pathogens like to use the fleshy leaves as winter quarters. Recommended is a protective layer of foliage and brushwood, to derive winter wetness from the roots.

Treat cuts

Cuts on orchids provide germs, bacteria and fungal spores an ideal attack surface. The risk also exists if you cut a dead stalk. They slow cunning pathogens and pests by treating open wounds in a timely manner. The following home remedies have proven themselves in practice:

Unless you run a charcoal grill, buy activated carbon powder. Also known as medical coal, numerous drugstores and health food shops offer the black powder at a great price. Activated carbon powder is produced from organic substances and makes itself useful as a cleaning agent, in the men's cosmetics and to prevent infections of all kinds. Applied to cuts on herbaceous plants, the agent acts as a bulwark against pathogenic agents.

Tool for orchid gardener

With the right tools and accessories you can concentrate undisturbed on the correct cutting of orchids. The highest premise for expert cut care of orchids is the use of sharp and clean cutting. The basic equipment consists of the following components:

Do not use a knife or scissors until the blades are freshly sharpened and germ-free. For disinfecting methylated spirits or Sagrotan are suitable. You play it safe if you hold the blade briefly in a candle flame and let it cool down.

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frequently asked Questions

My orchid has sticky leaves. Should I cut her off?

Sticky leaves signal that your orchid is under stress. The most common causes are too dry air in the living space and aphids. Strong temperature fluctuations, such as in the vicinity of tilted windows, also cause the damage image. A sticky surface is no reason to cut the leaves. Wipe each sheet with a soft cloth. Spray orchid leaves regularly with room-warm, lime-free water and avoid massive temperature fluctuations in the immediate vicinity of the site. Aphids fight with the classic soap solution from 1000 ml of lime-free water and 1 tablespoon of soft soap.

What do I do with flowered pedicels?

As a rule, you can cut down scented panicles of orchids quite deeply. An exception applies to multi-leaf orchids, such as Phalaenopsis. Species and species of this genus undergo a different cut, because they can bloom again on flowered stems. Shorten the stems by one third. Ideally, the incision is made over the second or third eye with a sharp, disinfected knife.

Can I cut off aerial roots when repotting my orchid?

Disturbing aerial roots can cut you off. Please keep the cutting depth to a minimum, as aerial roots turn into earth roots when they come in contact with substrate. In this form they make a valuable contribution to the water and nutrient supply of leaves and flowers. When cutting and repotting, make sure that the pot is one size larger than before. Soak aerial roots in lukewarm water. So they are supple enough to be placed in the culture pot.

After 3 years of beautiful flowering and healthy growth, my Phalaenopsis gets withered, flabby leaves. Should I cut off the leaves?

When phalaenopsis leaves become soft and flabby, it usually involves a normal aging process. This is especially true if the foliage additionally turns yellow and the lower leaves are affected. If, on the other hand, all leaves wither at one go, it is a nursing problem. After 3 years, the substrate is heavily densified and leached, so that roots are no longer fully functional. Cover the orchid. On this occasion, only remove those leaves that can be pulled off without any effort.

The roots of an orchid turn brown, but are still firm. What can be the cause? Should I cut the roots?

Orchid roots turn brownish and yet remain firm if you use water that is too high in salt to pour. A clear symptom of this cause is when the roots below, in the substrate, are little or not discolored. Never cut off the brown, firm roots. The damaged parts can regenerate if you pour immediately with low-calorie water and administer an extra low-salt fertilizer.

My butterfly orchid has such a magnificent inflorescence that the stem lays on the ground. What to do?

Two options are available to solve the problem. To stabilize the flower stem, insert a wooden stick into the pot. To attach the overloaded shoot in several places. Use a soft, flexible binding material that does not cut into the plant tissue. As a second option you can cut off the beautiful peduncle and place it in a vase. In the partially shaded spot, the flowering blooms long, if you regularly exchange the water.

The 3 most common cut defects

Serious errors in the cut leave a damaged orchid without flowers. In the worst case, the royal flower beauty dies completely. To save you from the floral nuisance, the following table summarizes the three most common misadventures and has tips for a skilful prevention:

Tips

If orchids rigorously keep their flowers under lock and key, a slight drop in temperature will help. Popular species, such as wonderful Phalaenopsis and opulent Dendrobium, react positively to a cooler environment around 3 to 5 degrees Celsius. Within a period of six weeks, the induction of flowering starts, provided all other conditions are right.