Alan Titchmarsh’s simple ‘trick’ to looking after orchids - will flower ‘beautifully’
Orchids can be hard to look after, especially when the seasons change. Luckily, Alan Titchmarsh has shared the "trick" when caring for this houseplant.
Orchids: Expert shares tips for looking after plant
Alan Titchmarsh has shared lots of gardening advice throughout his career, including how to look after indoor plants.
The moth orchid, which is the most popular variety of orchid in the UK, is native to tropical regions in Asia and Australia, loving a warm climate.
This can be hard to replicate in the UK, especially with the fluctuating temperatures. In a YouTube video, Alan shared top tips on looking after the plant.
Alan said: “There’s one group of flowering plants which until recently terrified the pants off people because they thought they must be difficult to grow - the orchids.
“Then a few years ago, along came the moth orchid, phalaenopsis. Well, to be absolutely honest, it’s been around for a long time. These flowers will last not weeks, but months.
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“The trick is looking after them. Mainly not overwatering them, because if you look right down at the bottom you’ll see most of them come in a transparent pot.
“That’s because these roots here, well they’re coated in something which is called phellogen.
“It absorbs atmospheric moisture but it also quite enjoys being exposed to light, so these transparent pots will allow the light to get through.”
The gardening expert said the moth orchid is a great option for any beginner houseplant owners.
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Whilst they are quite hardy, certain mistakes such as overwatering can kill them, due to root rot.
Alan added: “By growing them in, not really compost but chipped bark, because this is not a terrestrial orchid, one which grows in the ground, it’s an epiphyte.”
When it comes to watering an orchid, the gardening expert warned owners that they should leave it sitting in water.
Make sure the water can freely drain through the compost and out of the bottom.
The gardening pro said: “If you look back at this orchid which is flowering so beautifully, you’ll see that it isn’t the first time it flowers.
“It flowered before up here, the stem was cut back… this bud grew out, and turned into another new flower spike, and that’s the key.
“If you look down the stem, you’ll see scales every so often, and they’re actually surrounding buds.
“If you cut back to where the stem has died a little, not going any further than that, then other stems can grow, just like this one, from these buds.”
