Orchids are one of the most beautiful and popular tropical plants around. The delicacy and color of its flowers, as well as the sweet fragrance given off by its petals, are some of the characteristics that we love so much. And of course, we care so much that they are in good health, that it is normal that certain doubts arise over time.
For example, we could ask what to do when orchid stems dry up, because when this happens, the plants can lose some attractiveness. And it’s logical: the most beautiful thing about them are the flowers, but when they fade, only the leaves remain, in addition to the roots. What do we have to do?
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Do orchid stems need to be cut?
It is generally customary to cut as soon as the flowers fade. This is common practice in nurseries and florists, as it increases the chances of these plants being sold, but in a house it is not something that should be done without having thought about it well beforehand. And you have to keep in mind that anything green is because it still contains living cells and chlorophyll, so it’s still photosynthesising.
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants transform solar energy into sugars and starches, that is, into their food, which they will use to grow. For this reason, even if a stick dries out, if it’s still green, I don’t advise cutting it, unless you want to cut off what is dry.
What should I use to cut them?
Whenever we are going to cut or prune orchids or any other plants, we must be aware that there are microorganisms that we cannot see with the naked eye, but which can do a lot of damage if we take the necessary precautions. Of course, I am talking about pathogenic viruses, fungi and bacteria.
For it, we must clean and disinfect what we are going to use to cut the stems of our orchids with, for example, washing-up liquid and a little water. Then they are dried and can be cut.
Now, what is most useful for removing stems? As they are very thin, we can use kitchen or sewing scissors; that is, it will not be necessary to buy secateurs for this, since the ones we have at home are enough.
What types of stems do orchids have?
We cannot confuse the flower stems with the roots, because they are very different:
- wand flower: grows between the leaves, grows upwards and is green. It has a very short life expectancy, because when the flowers fade, the stem dries up.
- Domain: they grow under the leaves and tend to do so downwards, that is, penetrating the soil or substrate. In addition, they are whitish green in color and live much longer than the flower stalks; indeed, we will only see that they are wrong when the orchid has a problem (excessive watering for example).
As it dries out, as the flower stalk begins to turn yellow and then brown, the roots seem to “lighten” and appear dark white or sometimes black, depending on whether the orchid is epiphytic (like Phalaenopsis) or terrestrial (like Ophrys).
How to care for orchids after cutting their stems?
Now that the orchids have no more flowers, we might want to know if we have to take care of them in a special way or not. The answer to this question is that it depends on whether we have fertilized them and the temperatures it is doing, since if, for example, it has been fertilized, now that it no longer has flower stalks, we will have to stop doing it; and if we are already in autumn or winter, we will have to make sure that the plant does not get cold put it in the house if we had it outside and if frosts are registered in our area.
As you can see, there are several factors to consider when caring for orchids, as there are many species and different types, depending on where they grow. But In general, you should know that these are plants that must be protected from the sun or direct light, that they need a rich and light soil.and that they must also be watered with rainwater or drinking water every few days, except during the cold months, which will be when we space out the irrigations.
So even if they don’t have stems, we won’t have to worry too much because if we give them this basic care, we will surely see their flowers again when the time comes; that is, in spring and summer.
Orchids are plants that can be difficult to maintain, but they are so beautiful that they are definitely worth the time spent on them. Therefore, we hope that when you see a dry stick again, you will know how to act by following the tips we have explained here.