Tips For Buying Orchid Plants, Choose One That Has The Following 5 Criteria

Illustration of tips for choosing orchid plants (Unsplash/Pawel Czerwinski)

JAKARTA – Buying plants need to choose according to criteria. Like choosing healthy ornamental plants, beautiful flowers, and easy maintenance. When choosing orchids, it turns out that you need to recognize a number of factors that mark this ornamental plant with the scientific name Orchidaceae growing healthy and decorating your home with flowers throughout the year.

Orchid flowers can flower for a long time. Unfortunately, after flowering, it can turn wither and die. As reported by The Spruce, Wednesday, September 15, to decide to buy an orchid that is in bloom, try to reconsider and choose according to the following criteria.

1. Roots stick firmly

Usually, the planting media used for orchid plants include bark, charcoal, styrofoam, and other inorganic and organic materials. If the roots have not been attached or grow strong on the planting medium, then do not choose.

Choose one that has grown firmly on the planting medium. How to check it, shake gently so as not to damage the roots. You can choose orchid plants whose roots are sticking out, as long as after arriving home they are repotted in a more suitable container.

2. Healthy roots

Healthy orchid roots absorb water quickly and are optimal in the process of photosynthesis. For epiphytic orchids, their natural habitat is designed to stick to rough surfaces or anchor to tree trunks.

Identify healthy orchid roots by the characteristics of the roots being light green when dry and dark green when wet. Also choose roots that grow long, pointed, shiny, and green. The longer the roots, the healthier the orchid plant.

Meanwhile, dead orchid roots are brown when wet and white when dry. Orchid plants with dead roots will not survive.

3. Thick, hard, and light colored leaves

There are various species of orchids with different leaf shapes and structures. But in general, the leaves of a healthy plant are thick, hard, and light-colored. Choose a leaf color like green apple or slightly yellowish-green.

If the leaves are shiny green, they may have too many nutrients and it may take a long time to flower. Also, check for insect attack marks by seeing whether or not there are stains on the leaves.

4. Plump and fat Rhizome

There are two types of epiphytic orchids, which grow at one point called monopodial, and sympodial which grow from creeping rhizomes. If you choose a sympodial orchid, make sure the rhizomes are plump and plump.

5. The amount of the flowers

If you fall in love with an orchid that is already in bloom, consider it before buying it. Avoid choosing orchids with flowers that have all bloomed. Because orchids can last a month when they bloom. But if you choose flowers that are still buds, the blooms can last longer.

What needs to be considered again, do not buy orchid plants with wilted flowers. Most wilted flowers are a sign that they are about to fall off.

In addition to the five criteria above, know the complete orchid plant to be purchased. Starting from the type of species, the name of the hybrid, to the last time the shop was given nutrients.