Valentines day is right around the corner, and as a florist my view is not so pretty. With high gouge prices and less than perfect product, it’s sometimes hard to provide quality to clients. My best advise is save the roses for a birthday or anniversary. On valentines day buy a beautiful plant. My choice is an orchid; normally they are expensive but on Valentines day they are less than roses. Most people say orchids are too hard to take care of, but after many years of trial and error and visiting orchid growers I have found the easy keys to keeping mine alive for several years now. So for this Valentine, I am here to share with you the tricks and tips to making this plant a part of your Family. Here is a step-by-step to repotting your orchid when your special someone brings yours to you. Make sure to read all the way to the bottom for the most secretive, crazy but proven way to get yours to re-bloom.
Step 1: You need a ceramic pot, plastic cup, watering can and a bark/charcoal orchid mix (buy at local greenhouse or online)
Step 2: Orchids do not like to be in soil. Many places that sell you orchids will ship them in soil to help last until the destination. Please, buy a bark/charcoal orchid mix. The roots need to breath and stay away from too much moisture. 
Step 3: turn your plastic cup upside down to make a platform for your orchid to sit on.
Step 4: If your orchid has dead dried roots cut them off so the new growth has room.
Step 5: Gently set the mass/cluster of roots on top of the plastic cup and let them cascade down to the bottom of the pot.
Step 6: Fill in and around the roots with the bark until it reaches the top of the pot
Step7: water so that the water flows down to the bottom of the pot. As the water evaporates the roots will soak in the water from the humidity in the air. Don’t fill up to where the roots are, just below. Orchid come from humid hot places. I’ve learned the hard way to not follow the “set an ice cube on the roots”, you just end up with frozen and dead roots. Follow these steps and you won’t have to worry about watering. The leaves will tell you when it needs water by starting to droop.
Step 9: I fertilize with a orchid food or flowering plant food once a year and only when the plant is not blooming.
The secret, and proven trick, to getting a orchid to re-bloom came straight from a orchid grower. When asked, she said, “Orchids are a very jealous plant. Stick a silk or fake stem of orchid flowers in with the beautiful green leaves and it will start to re-bloom.” I’ve shared this trick with many friends and it truly works. Just keep your plant watered, don’t move it from its well lit space and it will stay very happy.
Happy Planting
Victorian Gardens 