In botany, orchids are part of the immense family of monocotyledonous plants that has more than 25,000 species. Probably the most popular and highly demanded indoors, the “Phalaenopsis” orchid, better known as the “butterfly orchid”, is very easy to grow at home. With simple maintenance and without too many constraints, it can be kept for a long time and prolong its flowering. It flowers fully in an environment around 20°C (never less than 10°C) and tolerates the summer heat. Light as butterflies, its flowers are very beautiful to look at, oscillating between various colors ranging from white, pink, yellow, and orange. Some hybrid orchids may even borrow perennial hues like purple, violet, or electric blue.
This tropical plant is hardy and is ideally grown during the winter period. In the bulb or rhizome stage, it adapts quietly to cool temperatures. After the cold months, the orchid prepares for its vegetative awakening. But how do you take good care of it to give it everything it needs and stimulate its flowering in spring?
In this article, we are going to reveal the best natural fertilisers to help your orchids bloom (or rebloom) faster at home according to the advice of Romain Le Tallec, a florist from Lyon.
Banana peel to make your orchids bloom
To boost the flowering of your orchid, there is nothing like adding a little fertilizer to its substrate. The most popular natural fertilizer for these types of plants is banana peel. This is exactly the nutrient you need: rich in vitamins B6 and C, mineral salts such as potassium and magnesium, banana peel is the little push you need to grow and flourish serenely.
Take a banana peel, wash it, and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Then put them in a bowl with 2 liters of water and let them soak for about 48 hours. Finally, strain the mixture.
The liquid obtained will absorb all the nutrients from the banana peel, then you can use it as irrigation water for your orchids.
Eggshells
Widely used to hunt all the undesirables that revolve around plants, eggshell is also a natural fertilizer packed with calcium and potassium. By very finely crushing the husks and sprinkling them on the bark of your orchids, the soil will quickly absorb all these essential nutrients and minerals for flowering.
The Ash
Do you like to create a cosy atmosphere in winter around the fireplace? So little tips, don’t get rid of the ashes! You may not know this, but you can recycle them into fertilizer for your orchids. It may seem strange to you, but the ashes of the fireplace are very rich in calcium, potassium, phosphorus and trace elements. In other words, a cocktail of nutrients that your plants need!
Ideally, you should add these ashes directly to your orchid’s soil. Do this after watering. The ash promotes flowering and also takes the opportunity to suffocate the insects that flutter around the plants. However, it lacks nitrogen and phosphorus, which you’ll need to supplement with other fertilizers. Warning: As ash is a bit caustic, it is best to wear gloves when handling it.
Banana Tea
Another ingenious method with this same ingredient: take a banana peel and cut it into small pieces. Then place them on a cutting board and expose them to direct sunlight for about 48 hours. You will notice that the skin becomes dry and harder. Then put the peels in a blender and you’ll get a powdered mixture.
Use a teaspoon of this product, pouring it into about 200 ml of hot water. Stir. Then let cool. You’ve just made a banana tea: let it cool and pour it into your orchid.
banana powder
This method is also very convenient. In this case, after drying the banana peels in the sun, you should put them in the oven at 70°C until they are completely dry. Then take them out of the oven and grind them into a powder. You can then use this banana powder as fertilizer to help your orchid grow better.
Don’t throw away your banana peels, as you can see, they are much more useful on your plants than in the trash!
Cooking water
Another unexpected fertiliser alternative: vegetable cooking water. You’re sure to make it for every meal! So stop flushing that water down the drain and save it to water your orchids. Because, you should know that during cooking, these foods release a lot of nutrients into the water. And it turns out it’s a great natural fertilizer for your plants!
NB: You should not use salt water, at the risk of killing your orchids!
When to use these natural fertilizers?
These natural fertilizers need to be used very carefully. If you use them too often, you risk damaging your orchid. During the winter months, fertilize once a month at most. Start fertilizing more frequently as new shoots develop.
Why doesn’t the moth orchid bloom indoors?
If you notice that your orchids develop their leaves well, but do not give flowers, it means that the conditions are not optimal for their flowering. Generally, it’s a light issue: your plants need light, but not direct sunlight. On the temperature side, avoid drafts and install them in a warm but humid place. Lack of humidity can prevent flowering.