They accompany the fascinating flowers with lush green and keep your metabolism going. So that the leaves on an orchid can fulfill their diverse tasks perfectly, they need to be lovingly cared for. Our tips for the best leaf care show you how to do it using simple means.
How should orchid foliage care be carried out?
For orchid foliage care, you should use soft, lukewarm water or filtered rainwater and gently wipe the leaves with a damp cloth. To achieve a natural shine, you can use the inside of a banana peel or diluted seaweed juice. Avoid home remedies such as beer or oily products as they can clog the leaf pores.
Dewy and clean – this is how it works with water
At the natural site, the leaves on orchids are cleaned daily with short, strong downpours. The dust particles swirling around the room settle on the leaves on the windowsill. Regular spraying alone is not enough to keep orchid leaves clean. How to do it right:
- Boil tap water or collect and filter rainwater
- Moisten a soft cloth with lukewarm water
- Gently wipe the tops and bottoms of the leaves
Please only use soft water for leaf care. Normal tap water contains lime. Depending on the local hardness level, undesirable whitish stains may remain after spraying and wiping.
These home remedies ensure a beautiful shine
Oil-based care products have no place on orchid leaves. On the surface it creates a nice shine. In fact, the pores in the leaves stick together, making it more difficult for air to be exchanged in the leaves. With the following natural remedies you can avoid such problems and still create a subtle shimmer:
- Wipe off dusty leaves with the inside of a banana peel
- Dilute seaweed juice with lime-free water to wipe the leaves with it
Since algae juice also releases valuable nutrients to the orchid leaves, there is no need to add additional fertilizer.
Beer is unsuitable as a home remedy for leaf care
There is a persistent rumor among amateur gardeners that stale beer is suitable for leaf care on orchids. In fact, the treated leaves shine beautifully. However, this home remedy has similar negative consequences as oil-based cleaning products for plant leaves. In the long run, the air is cut off from the leaves with beer because the pores stick together.
Tip
The best foliage care will come to nothing if you expose your orchids to blazing sunshine. Especially in summer, the leaves suffer from severe sunburn within a short period of time. A place by the south window is therefore forbidden territory for the exotic flowers. Please choose a location on the west or east window with mild sun in the morning or evening.
