- Basic rule serves as a guide
- Prune wilted grape orchid or not?
- Cut aerial roots only in exceptional cases
With its flower-covered bulbs, the Dendrobium orchid steals the show even from the ever-popular Phalaenopsis. In the uncomplicated care program, beginners sense a gardening stumbling block when it comes to cutting. These instructions get to the heart of how to properly cut the grape orchid.
Green shoots on the dendrobium should never be cut off
Basic rule serves as a guide
Pruning a Dendrobium is based on a simple basic rule that eliminates any gardening uncertainty. If you keep the following premises in mind, you will always prune your grape orchid correctly:
- Do not cut off green leaves and bulbs
- Ideally, pluck off faded flowers
As long as a part of the plant on your dendrobium orchid is still green, it fulfills an important function in the plant's metabolism. If green leaves or shoots are removed, this intervention weakens the grape orchid and jeopardizes the next flowering period.
Prune wilted grape orchid or not?
At the end of the flowering period, the pseudobulbs are initially without flowers and later without leaves. In this case, please stick to the basic rule. As long as a leafless shoot is still green and vital, there are good prospects for further flowering. Only when a bulb has dried up and died should you cut it off with a clean, sharp knife. The incised wound is dusted with charcoal ash for disinfection.
Cut aerial roots only in exceptional cases
Aerial roots are significantly involved in the supply of your Dendrobium, so they are also only cut in the dead stage. Since they differ in growth from the herbaceous parts of the plant, it is not always clear whether the roots are still alive or not. A vitality test brings light into the darkness. That is how it goes:
- On an affected aerial root, scrape off the upper layer of tissue with the knife
- Green tissue signals activity
- Brown tissue has died
If you don't want to attack your grape orchid with a knife, spray the aerial roots with soft water. When the strands turn green or cream-white again, scissors or knives are not used.
tips
For a Dendrobium nobile to create its flower buds, a cool resting phase is important. From October, the rainforest beauty wants to stay at temperatures between 5 and 12 degrees Celsius. At the same time, it is only rarely watered so that the root ball does not dry out. Without this wintry time-out, your grape orchid won't bloom.