Orchids for Christmas
Orchids are the perfect gift for any time of the year but at Christmas they can be extra special. Recently, Love Orchids, based on the edge of the New Forest, has launched its own Limited Edition Christmas Range, available online from their website.
Love Orchids is the UK’s largest orchid grower, run by family-owned Double H Nurseries, established in 1961. They supply over 4.5 million indoor plants to UK retailers, including orchids, roses and poinsettias.
The orchids are ideal for sending to loved ones to remind them you are thinking of them – even if you can’t be with them in person this Christmas day. The plants are grown in their New Forest nursery and there is a selection of gift arrangements with on-trend accessories and containers.
Love Orchids Care Tips
Phalaenopsis orchids – pronounced Fal-en-op-sis and commonly known as moth orchids – are the UK’s most popular indoor plant with millions sold every year. Here are Love Orchid’s top tips on keeping your plant blooming for weeks on end:
• Water weekly & feed fortnightly (or so) – run your orchid under a tap or let it soak in the sink for a few minutes. Wall-watered roots have plump green roots, if they look silvery grey or shrivelled, pop the plant under the tap. Orchids don’t require feeding but use an orchid liquid fertiliser feed every 2-4 weeks and they will really thrive. Quick hack – add a few ice cubes to the surface of the bark instead of watering, avoiding the leaves.
• Don’t let it shine – orchids love a bright window but they are not keen on direct sunlight. East or west-facing windows and bathrooms are best. They also don’t like sitting near fruit bowls as some fruit emits ethylene when ripening!
• Keep’‘em flowering – after the flowers have dropped, move to a cooler location and whilst watering give the leaves a clean to improve growth. Only cut back the stem if it turns brown. It can take between 8-12 weeks for an orchid to re-flower.
• Rooting them out – if you don’t like their look, you can cut off dry, shrivelled roots sticking out from the bark. If they are green and healthy, leave them alone – orchids are meant to have aerial roots.
• Rarely re-pot – orchids only need re-potting every 4-5 years, or if the bark has begun to compost down, whichever comes first. Make sure you use specialist orchid bark and don’t worry about gaps as orchid roots love air just as much as they love water! Expect it to take a week or two for the plant to become stable and regain its foot hold.
• Loving our homes – Orchids originate from warm tropical Asia, so our homes are perfect environments for them as they really thrive at temperatures between 17 and 26 degrees. If you water sparingly every week, keep them in a bright location away from direct heat, they should keep blooming for years.
For information on Love Orchids full range please visit their website where you will also find care tips and accessory information: https://www.loveorchids.co.uk/