If you intend to become an orchid grower sometime in the near or far future or if you have already started the exciting journey, you must realize that pruning is an essential part of your job as a caregiver to your orchid plants and for that you must have the proper orchid pruning shears.

I shall endeavor to address the issues of why you should prune, when you should prune, what you should prune and how you should prune very shortly but first let us talk about the tools — orchid pruning shears.

Orchid pruning shears come in various styles but the best are those that feature a rather long needle nose and very sharp blades. The long needle nose will enable you to easily get in between leaves or a root system and the sharp blades will give you the clean cut which will not tear or damage that part of the plant that you are pruning.

Now, you must be sure to keep your orchid pruning shears in pristine condition and never take any action with them unless they’ve been thoroughly cleansed. Although it’s for the plant’s own well being, pruning any part of your orchid plant opens wounds through which bacterial, viral and fungal infection may be transmitted if the shears are not sterile.

Now that I’ve told you about the pruning shears, you will find answers to the why, when, what, and how within the bullet points below:

• As soon as the flowers of your orchid plant show signs of aging, shriveling and dying; prune them off and you will be rewarded with an extended blooming period and/or an entire re-blooming.
• When your orchid plant has completed its blooming and is now preparing to sprout new leaves, prune off the entire stem at the base of the plant.
• Periodically check the roots of your plant which should be thick and succulent in shape and white or off white in color with bright green tips. Prune off any roots that have dried up or darkened. This action will keep your plant healthy, strong and vibrant.
• Whenever leaves begin to show signs of distress by turning yellow or brown prune them off as soon as possible. This action will prevent the spread of bacteria and fungus and will keep your plant looking beautiful.

The short video below will demonstrate the best method
by which to prune your orchid plants. Don’t miss it!

As an alternate to orchid pruning shears, a razor blade, a very sharp knife or a sharp pair of scissors may be used but those too must be disinfected and you must never forget that orchid plant are rather fragile and should be handle very gently to avoid physical damage. Never ever attempt to prune any part of your orchid plant when the leaves are wet because you will be putting it in risk of mold which could potentially kill it.

For more information about orchids plants and their care, browse through all the pages of our Orchid Care.org site. We are committed to updating our site regularly and to adding more and more valuable information — come back to visit us often and you will always find something new.

Filed under: Orchid Supplies

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!