I used to have a rock wall that had wonderful blooming orchids (see old post on orchid eating bird pest) that were happy enough in spite of those dang bulbuls eating buds. However, I did something very stupid and decided to feed those healthy orchid plants coffee grounds. Perhaps a little might have worked but I fed them a lot. In a matter of weeks, they died. Almost all of them except for a couple of oncidium plants that were quite strong. Every since then, my wall of orchids became just a rock wall.
I kind of stopped acquiring orchid plants after that since I felt guilty about being a killer. The few plants that survived were just surviving and not thriving, and for me, surviving was good enough UNTIL some youtube videos crossed my radar. One grower (I think he is Thai) used the rinse from rice water to rejuvenate orchids. I just tried it and now my orchid plants have new roots and look stronger! It was also SO easy – which is good for me because I am lazy.
Take the first rinse after swishing and rinsing the rice and save it in a bowl or bottle. Since I cook rice a lot, that was easy enough. Then, instead of using it to wipe leaves, soak roots, grow new plants from just a leaf etc. as the Thai man would do, I just watered the orchid plants with it and had happier orchids. Hurray!
Well, just today, after watching a video on an Avazzia device and improving eyesight (a post for the future because I am an Avazzia believer), I saw a youtube video on the side bar about orchids. I watched it, and then watched more of other orchid videos and was blown away. I didn’t know I could propagate new plants from the spent flower spikes such as my favorite phalaenopsis (moth) orchids using simple ingredients that I have in my kitchen and plastic throwaways from the grocery store. This is exciting information and I look forward to using this knowledge to build up my orchid inventory again!
You can watch it here. I am very grateful to him and now follow Happiness Garden. He has other videos with several other different (yet similar solutions). And, I will NOT torture my orchids with coffee grounds ever again.
I have this orchid that started blooming in January. I told my brother to be sure to take a photo of it when it died during our trip.
Well dang! We got back on Sunday and the flowers were still blooming. And it’s still blooming!!! I’ll write a blog post when if finally gives up.
So amazing!
I’ve seen posts about using rice water, in fact even Kat said she does to keep her cyclamen going.
My boss swears by coffee grinds but for citrus.
I have orchid eating birds, slugs and african snails devouring my poor plants.
Worst is the green lizards (day gold? looks like the geico one) eating all my strawberries as the are just turning red. These are the amaou and I forget which else that Donki imports from Japan. I planted the seeds and they grow very well, flower very well and the lizards really enjoy the fruit. Grrrr
I gotta build a screen enclosure!
My MIL, the orchid whisperer, doses them occasionally with rice rinse water and coffee grounds both. I’m not sure how often she does either but I have seen her do both on occasion.