As you know, the blue orchid sold in stores does not exist naturally. These are dyed and over time unless it is reactivated it will lose its blue color.
But have you ever wanted to have blue orchids at home? Do you know what can be done without a problem? Although it is not the best for the plant, if you feel like trying it, We are going to give you two methods which are the ones that work the best.
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Aren’t there blue orchids?
Not really. The closest thing to a blue orchid is the Vanda orchid but this one is not really blue, rather purple. The only thing that sometimes is a shade so dark it almost looks like navy blue.
But in the case of the usual orchids that they bring to supermarkets and you see in many plant stores, these blues do not occur naturally. But there are methods to achieve this.
Dye an orchid to make it blue
The first question that may arise when dyeing an orchid is whether it is damaged. We’re not going to say no, but with proper care, he doesn’t have to die. Depending on the technique used, you could be told that you will have more or less luck. and that in either case he can survive and even recover. But how do you do that?
immersion techniques
We will explain the immersion technique to you. It is mainly used to dye roses and tulips. For example, perpetual roses in black, or multicolored, this system is used to achieve this, and in principle it focuses on flowers that have already been cut.
In the case of a blue orchid it would be necessary to cut the floral stem with all the flowers to be able to realize it.
As an advantage, it does not treat the plant itself, which will maintain its health. Although it can also be used directly on it, although the results are not very good.
dye flower stick
In case you decide to dye the flower stalk of the orchid, the first thing you will need is blue dye. In the market they can sell you a lot, but our recommendation is that you use a food coloring based one as it is a bit softer and won’t damage as much.
Just fill a container with water (a vase, a pitcher…) already dyed. The more blue you add, the darker it will be on the flower. Of course, it is better to go ahead and make the water very dark because when it goes up the flowering stem it will lose intensity and it may take on a paler blue.
Dye the whole plant
As we have already told you, with the immersion method, you can also dye the plant. But we also pointed out that the results are not very good.
That is why orchid roots are not good at absorbing water. And as the technique consists in putting it in bluish water so that it tints naturally, sometimes this is not possible.
If you still want to try it, it is better to try the white orchids since they are the ones that are used to get a blue orchid.
Put it in tinted water and wait for a few hours. If in the end you get it, this result will be long term and you can maintain it over time if you repeat the process from time to time.
infusion techniques
The next technique you can use to make a blue orchid is the one used in the market to create and sell them. Actually, it’s easy to tell if they used this technique because you’ll see a kind of little hole in the flower stalks and that they are a little darker. Indeed, the dye was directly injected into it.
Unlike before, when we told you to use blue food coloring, in this case it can’t be used, because it doesn’t work, and you have to resort to another special that works.
This one isn’t hard to get, although you have to be careful with it. once you have it, you should also get a syringe and a hypodermic needle wide enough to allow the dye you are going to apply to the plant to pass through.
With these elements, it is enough to take the plant, already with the floral and flowering stems, and to prick the needle with the syringe to introduce the dye. Do this at the bottom of the stick, so that the hole is hidden by the leaves it has. When you’re done, to keep it from coming out, what you do is seal it with wax.
It takes 24 hours to get them dyedand you always get better results if you do it with the buds of the orchids (which haven’t come out yet) than if you already have the flowers open.
And the blue orchid then? Will he die later?
One of the most common questions people have before doing this technique, or buying blue orchids, is what will happen to them. That’s to say, when new flowers bloom, will they turn blue? Will it die losing the flower stalk due to the “poisoning” of the dye?
By proceeding in parts, you must understand that:
- You introduce a chemical dye into the plant. In this case, only on the flower stalk, so once it stops flowering and wilts, it shouldn’t affect the plant itself, which can continue to live. Now it all depends on whether the dye was well distributed along the stem and did not go to the roots.
- When it blooms, while the dye is still active, the flowers will be blue, although it is possible that each time they lose more intensity until, finally, they return to having white flowers. Only if you repeat the process from time to time will it maintain this type of color in your flowers.
- Care is the same as for other orchids, although it is a bit more delicate because of this dye, so you will have to be more aware. For the rest, watering, lighting and preventing pests and diseases will be the main thing.
- As for irrigation, you can try to apply the immersion technique at the same time. This might lengthen the hue of the blue flowers a bit more, and even new ones are coming out in this color.
Do you dare to have a blue orchid made?