Feb 13th, 2009
When to Cut Your Orchid
Do you have an orchid that keeps on growing, one year after another, but that never produces more than a single blooming pseudobulb. If you wish to increase the number of blooming growths, you might be able to do so by using a method of cutting in order to produce back shoots. With luck and a suitable type of plant (those from the Cattleyas family are best), you will eventually have a truly spectacular orchid.
Proceed this way: Take an orchid plant having at least four or five back pseudobulbs. Cut the rhizome in two between the bulbs, being careful not to otherwise disturb it. That’s basically it, but here are some things to keep in mind:
- The best time to cut most orchids is during their resting phase, usually fall or winter. When they again enter their growing phase you may then observe them producing two growths from one pseudobulb where you have cut it.
- Don’t ever cut an orchid unless you are sure it is in perfect or near-perfect health. Cutting as described above will not harm a healthy plant, but could be stressful to a weak or sickly one.
- By cutting the same plant for back shoots year after year, you will end up with an orchid that is both much larger and much more stunning than it would have been otherwise. This is how some of the amazing specimens are produced that you come across in orchid showings.
There is more that can be said about the art of cutting to produce more blooms, as well as the process of taking cuttings to start more plants. To learn more about these and other secrets of orchid cultivation, a respected guide such as that written by Nigel Howard is highly recommended.
The most complete guide to today’s orchid growing, beyond question, is Mr. Howard’s Orchid Care Expert, which is available to be downloaded from the web. Howard’s clearly written guide will provide a complete education on the subject. Also, visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which contains a growing library of postings on many topics of orchid cultivation.
