If your orchid is looking a little worse for wear, a gardening expert has shared a simple trick that could bring it back to life and guarantee its survival.
In a short video from @growithjessie called ‘How To Keep Your Orchid Alive For 20 Years’, Jessie shared her tip for ensuring the tricky plants last longer.
She said: “Orchids have a bad rep because they die so easily but I figured out a way to keep them alive basically forever… Or at least 20 years.
“I heard if you put your orchid in water and leave it there for eternity, it will thrive a lot more than it does sitting in bark or soil.
“Here’s the thing, orchids require bright light and they also are seasonal bloomers which means the flowers fall off in the winter but they grow back in the summer so a lot of people think they need to throw them out when the flowers fall off but they don’t because they grow back.”
Jessie removed her own orchid from its pot. While the top of the orchid looked like it was dying, the roots were bright green and clearly had a lot of life left in them.
By checking the colour and condition of the roots, orchid owners can tell which ones are salvageable.
The gardening expert untangled the roots gently so they weren’t a large mass.
Jessie then put the orchid back in its pot without any bark or soil and filled it with water.
Growing orchids in water is known as “water culture orchids” or “hydroponic orchids”. The technique involves simply growing the plant in water rather than potting mix.
According to experts at Gardening Know How, the technique can improve the health of weak or dying orchids.
Most orchids will grow well in a bark-based potting medium, however, if the plant’s roots become too soggy, they can suffer from root rot.
While it may seem contradictory, removing the potting medium and instead growing them in water can stop orchids from common moisture-related issues.
Usually, when orchids are planted in water, they are rotated between being wet and dry which means they may spend a few days in the water and five days drying out.
