The farmer's orchid, also known as the split flower, has nothing to do with the real orchid. Both plants belong to completely different plant families. In contrast to real orchids, farmer orchids are not grown as perennials, but rather as annuals and are sown anew every year.
Farmer orchids cannot be grown as perennials
Farmer orchids can tolerate frost down to minus seven degrees, at least for a certain period of time. The plant, which comes from the Chilean highlands, is not winter hardy and will not survive a harsh winter outdoors.
You can of course try to overwinter a farmer's orchid indoors to grow it as a perennial. However, it's not worth the effort. Farmer orchids survive the winter indoors under favorable conditions, but they no longer bloom the following year.
You therefore have to sow the pretty ornamental plant with its multi-colored flowers every year.
Sow split flower every year
The farmer's orchid blooms very early in the year if you sow it in the fall of the previous year:
- Fill the seed tray with potting soil
- Sowing seeds thinly
- cover lightly with substrate
- place bright and warm at 22 to 25 degrees
- Prick out after emergence
- Plant outdoors or in pots from March
Find a good location
So that the split flower can develop its many beautiful flowers, it needs little care but a favorable location. It should be sunny to partially shaded. You are welcome to place them under trees or bushes where other flowering plants rarely develop their flowers.
Waterlogging must be prevented at all costs, as the otherwise very robust plant will then die. Mix the soil in the flower bed with sand and create drainage in planters.
You only need to water outdoors if it is very dry for a long time. In the pot or flower box, ensure that the substrate never completely dries out. Fertilize the farmer's orchid outdoors with a little mature compost and in the planter at fortnightly intervals with a little liquid fertilizer.
Tip
The farmer's orchid is not hardy, but it can tolerate temperatures down to minus seven degrees for some time. She is therefore allowed to go outdoors from March. You should only protect plants in pots from frost.