Killing Your Orchids With Kindness

Honestly, I’m not the best gardener around, but I do have a green thumb and enjoy it.

One of my very favorite groups of plants are orchids. They are just so gorgeous, colorful, peaceful and perfect looking.

I asked my mother-in-law why in the world some of my orchids have died and aren’t growing proper stalks with flowers this year, the 1st year after originally purchasing them.

While I was asking her questions about hers that seem to be getting ready to bloom this year, I felt one of the leaves on the plant.

She immediately stopped me and told me that the oils from our hands kill the leaves and in turn, will kill the plant…

Sheesh…with all the looking around online about orchid care, I don’t remember reading anything about this, and I searched quite a bit about orchid care.

Mistake #1: Touching the Leaves
Leave the leaves alone! Not only was I touching the leaves to see how hydrated the plant was, I was cleaning any dust off the leaves either by wiping with my hands or with a moistened paper towel.

Mistake #2: Getting the Leaves Wet When Watering
Trying to use common sense, I thought about where orchids are indigenous and I thought they like very moist areas. So, I thought the orchids would like being sprayed with a spritzer of water. I tried to moisten the strange roots that love to be above ground.

This is fine, but the trick is to keep the leaves dry…So, all in all, not a good idea at all.

She says she makes a schedule of her watering. On Monday mornings before work, she fills a coffee mug and pours it into the pot being careful not to wet the leaves.

Now, I’m unsure as to why my stalks died after I cut them as prescribed online and by my mother-in-law, but I’m assuming it has something to do with the previous 2 mistakes.

When she cuts them, she does it after the flowers have bloomed right below the closest elbow of the plant on a diagonal with a very sharp instrument (knife, razor blade, scissors).

I did this, but about 1 month later, the entire stalk was like straw, dead and brown, so I cut it off at the bottom.

Now, the plants that haven’t died from my mistakes, are creating new stalks from new root growth, so this is taking much longer than if they could use the already grown stalks, if they were healthy.

Let’s see if I can make our orchids grow better this year into the next with fixing these two deadly mistakes of killing your orchids with kindness.

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I hope you enjoyed this Tropical Plants post on Home & Gardening Today! Until next time…

Enjoy Your Orchids,

Kimberly Edwards