By now, the genie has served dinner, promised stronger roots and survived a minor identity crisis over whether humus exists outside the laboratory. He might reasonably assume that the worst is behind him. But there is still the third wish: “Genie, make my orchid bloom.” And this is where the real magic begins. Not the…
Tag: orchid care
The Genie in the Bottle, or Three Wishes. Part II: Make My Orchid Stronger
The genie had barely settled back into the dark liquid when he heard the second wish: “Don’t just feed my orchid. Make it grow stronger.” This was a more serious request. Any well-formulated fertiliser can feed a plant. It supplies nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and the other essential elements, and—as we established in Part I—a root…
The Cold Treatment
For years, one of the most trusted pieces of advice on getting moth orchids to flower sounded almost like a recipe: give the plant warm days, cooler nights and a difference of a few degrees between the two. A flower spike should then appear on cue, as though the orchid came with a thermometer in…