4 Compelling Reasons to Incorporate Baking Soda into Your Orchid Care Routine
Discover why adding baking soda to your orchids is a game-changer.
If you’re passionate about nurturing your orchids like I am, these insights will resonate with you.
The revelation of the benefits of baking soda for orchids came from my trusted nursery expert.
Since introducing it to them, the transformation has been nothing short of remarkable.
Here are four persuasive reasons to introduce baking soda into your orchid care regimen:
- Baking soda ignites orchid blossoming
Orchids boast stunning blooms, yet once they wither, maintaining their allure becomes a challenge.
Reviving their flowering process can be tricky, but there’s a solution – baking soda.
To stimulate the blooming of orchids such as Bamboo, Phalaenopsis, or Cambria, concoct this blend:
- Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda in 1 liter of room temperature water.
- Thoroughly blend and apply at the plant’s base, preferably through spraying, about a month after the flowers have wilted.
While some suggest adding dishwashing liquid for cohesion, I personally opt for a more natural approach.
- It serves as a natural fertilization method
Despite their exquisite blooms, orchids are fundamentally plants and occasionally require a nutritional boost to thrive.
Mixing 1 tablespoon of baking soda per liter of water and administering it to the plant achieves just that.
This regimen should be followed three to four times consecutively, approximately a month after flowering, and repeated annually if necessary.
Baking soda functions as a natural fertilizer, but moderation is key. Residual fertilizer should remain, and most importantly, refrain from application when the plant is budding or flowering.
- It prolongs the orchids’ lifespan
Similar to any fertilizer, baking soda enhances the longevity of plants by providing essential nutrients crucial for their sustenance, particularly sodium and carbon.
Administering this treatment once or twice a year proves beneficial beyond measure, especially outside the flowering phase.
- It adjusts the substrate’s pH level
An equally significant benefit, baking soda aids in regulating or rectifying the pH level of the potting soil or substrate – a vital factor in orchid care.
Given their affinity for slightly acidic environments, with a pH range of 5 to 6, maintaining the optimal pH balance is imperative for orchids’ well-being.
If tap water used for watering leans towards acidity or alkalinity, a pH imbalance may occur, adversely affecting the orchids.
Conduct a pH test of your water using strips; if it’s too low, incorporate baking soda into the watering regimen to restore equilibrium.
It’s advisable to prepare watering water in advance, allowing the baking soda to dissolve overnight for optimal effectiveness.
