Its bright blue flowers magically attract us to garden centers and supermarkets. A mysterious magic surrounds the blue orchid because it is extremely rare in nature. You don't have to be an orchid expert to guess that Mother Nature has messed with her work here. We explain how the blue color gets into the flowers. There are also tips for coloring yourself.

Deep blue orchids are always colored

Dutch breeder with blue dyeing patent - Here's how

We owe the blue flowers to the stroke of genius of an orchid breeder from the Netherlands, which we usually look for in vain in tropical regions. The inventor patented the dyeing technique so that the procedure was not made public down to the last detail. Anyway, you can use the following overview to visualize how to do it:

  • A pure white Phalaenopsis orchid acts as the starting material
  • At the time of budding, the flower stalk is connected to a drip via an infusion needle
  • The drip is filled with a secret blue liquid
  • The IV needle is inserted into the stem near the base

As the buds develop, the butterfly orchid remains attached to the drip. In this way, it continuously absorbs the blue liquid that is distributed throughout the entire plant via the pathways. This process can be recognized by the fact that the aerial roots also turn blue. If everything goes according to plan, blue blossoms will unfold.

Maintenance requires a special extension

Not least because of its undemanding frugality, the Phalaenopsis was chosen to act as the parent plant for blue orchid flowers. To ensure that the unique tint is retained over a long period of time, the normal care program is expanded to include an important aspect. That is how it goes:

  • During the flowering period, immerse a blue Phalaenopsis in lime-free, warm water if it is dry
  • Add blue food coloring to the dipping water

Please do not let the water penetrate into the heart of the plant or into the leaf axils, as this can cause rot. When there are no more air bubbles, let the blue immersion water drain well before you put the orchid back in its planter.

Blue flowers with a short half-life

Without expanding the care program to include the addition of blue food coloring to the irrigation water, the blue coloring visibly decreases in radiance over the course of the flowering period. Halfway through the time, the color changes to light blue. When the flowers are dropped, the blue magic is finally over. The next generation of buds bloom in pure white.

Dye a blue orchid yourself - tips for the chameleon orchid

It is not surprising that you have to pay a significantly higher price for a blue orchid in the trade. The inventor-breeder invested a lot of money and even more time in the development of his patent. He also emphasizes that the dye is a sophisticated chemical that cannot be bought. The tinkerers among the orchid lovers have tried anyway. This is how the plan works:

  • A white flowering Phalaenopsis orchid is well suited
  • Attach a 10ml syringe of blue food coloring to a freshly sprouting flower stalk
  • Carefully slide the needle at a slight angle to the middle of the stem
  • Fasten the infusion needle to the shoot with scotch tape or other binding material
  • Refill the syringe regularly until the blue buds open

If you only apply the infusion when the orchid is already in full bloom, you will be disappointed with the result. In field trials, the white flowers only turned a pale, light blue color. If, on the other hand, the blue food coloring flows through the Phalaenopsis while it is already sprouting, there are better chances of a rich blue tint.

Alum unsuitable for coloring

What works so easily in the garden to turn hydrangeas blue ends in a fiasco with orchids. In order to color the popular flowering shrubs in the bed blue, the pink flowering hydrangea varieties are given a special fertilizer based on potassium aluminum sulfate - alum for short. This trick is useless on orchids, since the aerial roots die out within a short time due to the high salt content of alum.

Dyeing orchid panicles in the vase blue - this is how it works

If the coloring of orchids by infusion is too delicate and complicated, you don't have to do without the blue flowers. While ink is unsuitable as a dye for the plant, ink water can be used in the vase without hesitation. To do this, cut off a white flowering Phalaenopsis panicle and place it in an opaque vase with a mix of lime-free water and ink.

tips

In contrast to the blue Phalaenopsis, a Vanda coerulea produces charming blue flowers without the use of chemicals. Above all, the magnificent variety 'Vanda Royal blue' repeats the royal flower spectacle every season with professional care. The most important premises are a bright location with 25 to 28 degrees Celsius and a high humidity of 60 to 80 percent.

Category:

Indoor plants