Orchids Pruning: Why they need it?

Orchids pruning is a task that must be done as part of the basic care of your orchid plant. Orchids pruning can be a bit intimidating to a novice gardener, if it is done correctly it will not cause any harm to the plant. In fact, orchids pruning is an important part of keeping your plant healthy. Correct orchids pruning is essential to the overall health of the orchid plant and it is an opportunity to remove dead and diseased parts of the plant, to shape the plant and control its size, to encourage healthy flower development. Orchids pruning may seem contradictory that cutting away part of an orchid will make it healthier, pruning away unnecessary areas will allow the plant to focus its nutrients and energy on maintaining its health and producing new growth.

How to identify when orchids pruning is needed:

Orchids pruning is needed then you lift the plant from the pot and if the roots are brown, that means that  they are dead. Healthy roots have a grayish appearance.

When is Best Time To Prune Orchid

The best time for orchids pruning is in late fall, since it is easier to spot dead branches. Orchids pruning in the fall is always a good choice, but it can also be done periodically throughout the year.

The only reason for orchids pruning when you may not want to prune is a green orchid plant.That is why you may lose some flower stalks that were going to bloom. If that risk doesn’t bother you, feel free for orchids pruning to maintain the proper shape.

Orchids Pruning Techniques

If you decide to do orchids pruning just the top of the bloom stalk, to about 1/4 of an inch from a node, you may retain enough of the stalk for the orchid to bloom again. In some instances, the nodes on the orchid stem will produce new shoots or even baby plants that can be transplanted. There is no guarantee this will occur after orchids pruning, so you may just wish to prune the entire flower stem or spike. To do this, wait until the flower stalk has turned a brown or yellow color at the end of the blooming season. At this point, you can be sure that the plant is not going to bloom again that year. To prune orchid, cut the flower spike about an inch from its base, near the plant’s leaves.

Orchids Pruning Tips

Before you begin the orchids pruning process, make sure you have the proper tools. While you don’t need many and specific tools for it, the ones you do need should be sterile and of a good quality. Wash your hands before you orchids pruning, or wear a pair of sterile gloves. You will want to use a pair of scissors or pruning shears with sharp, sterile blades. You can sterilize the blades for orchids pruning by washing them in a solution of diluted bleach. It is very important that you use sterile equipments to keep your orchid plant healthy. In general, if you want to maintain a healthy, blooming plant, you cannot skip the task of orchids pruning. Another thing is to know which type of orchid you are dealing with before you start prune orchids. These are basic guidelines for orchids pruning, but there are some varieties of orchid that should be pruned differently. Some drop their dead and yellow leaves without intervention by physical cutting.

Once you know what type of orchid you have you are ready for orchids pruning, all you need to keep your plant perfectly pruned is a sharp pair of pruning shears and a pair of gloves. Prune at  once a little and stop if you discover you are cutting into live roots. Orchids pruning is not complicated at all when you know how to do it.