Cut Your Orchid and Force It to Bloom More Bountifully
Thursday, January 1st, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
You might find that you have an orchid that seems to go on growing, year after year, yet never brings forth more than one flowering pseudobulb. If you desire to increase the number of blooming growths, you might be able to do so by using a method of cutting in order to produce back shoots. With luck and a suitable type of plant (those from the Cattleyas family are best), you will eventually have a really spectacular orchid.
Proceed this way: Take an orchid plant having at least four or five back pseudobulbs. Slice the rhizome in two between the bulbs, taking care not to otherwise disturb it. That’s basically it, but here are some things to keep in mind:
- The best time to cut most orchids is during their resting phase, usually fall or winter. When they next enter into their growing stage, you may observe them sending forth two growths from one pseudobulb at the place where you cut it.
- Cutting should not be attempted on an orchid that is not in good health. Cutting, as outlined above, will not hurt a healthy orchid, but could prove too stressful to one that is sickly.
- If you cut the same plant for back shoots every year, you will eventually have an orchid that is both bigger and more stunning that it would have been without the knife. This is the way some of the astonishing specimens are produced that you see in orchid shows.
There is more that can be said about the art of cutting to produce more blooms, as well as the process of taking cuttings to start more plants. To learn more about these and other secrets of orchid cultivation, a respected guide such as that written by Nigel Howard is highly recommended.
The most up-to-date guide to modern orchid cultivation, beyond question, is Mr. Howard’s Orchid Care Expert, which is available to be downloaded online. Mr. Howard’s ebook is a complete course of study, helpful for beginners and more seasoned fanciers alike. Also, visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing library of information on many aspects of orchid cultivation.
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