The orchid’s flowers vary in color from pink, purple, yellow, white and red. The reason for this is because orchids have two types of pigments : one is called anthocyanin which gives them their blue-purple color; the other is called chalcone which gives them their pink-yellow color.
Once the dye has made its way into the stem, the hole is sealed by covering it with wax. After these three steps have been taken, the orchid’s blooms will usually start to change color about 24 hours later.
You can make your orchid any color, and any shade of any color, that you like. You can also have an orchid with one flower spike of white flowers and one spike of any other color, which would be stunning to see. The most common dyed color is blue. You may see these advertised in a store or garden center as Blue Mystique orchids.
Why are my orchid flowers turning darker?
It’s also possible that the color of your orchid’s flowers can change very slightly, very gradually, as the bloom ages. This is a natural result of the aging process as the flower loses water. Losing water makes the color of the flower more concentrated, which consequently makes it appear darker.
Extreme temperaturesA drop in humidity levels. Ethylene gas from propane or kerosene heaters poisons orchid buds.
How do you care for orchids after they bloom?
Return to your regular watering and fertilizing schedule. There is no concrete rule on watering orchids, and it’s very easy to over-water the plants. The American Orchid Society recommends only watering when the soil has dried out. Water by placing your plant in the sink and running the water for about a minute. You should fertilize your orchid about every 2 weeks.
You can follow these guidelines below: For healthy, green spikes: Find the knot underneath the lowest blooming flower. Trim 1 inch above that node. Cut all the way back to the base of the plant for unhealthy brown spikes. For double-spike orchids: Cut one spike right at the base of the plant. Cut another spike 1 inch at the top of the node under the lowest bloom .
How to prune orchids?
How to Prune an Orchid, and phalaenopsis orchid. Make sure you have super sharp pruning shears to use on your orchid. The sharper the shears, the cleaner the cut will be. If your orchid is fairly young, you want to encourage it to grow bigger roots and blooms. If your orchid is a Dendrobium type, trimming is a little different.