The orchids not only fascinate with their delicate flowers, but also with their shiny, dark green leaves. To ensure that they retain their attractive color, leaf care plays a crucial role. A home remedy can help with this. In today's article we will explain to you what lemons do for orchids and how you can make a spray with lemon juice yourself.
Lemons bring these benefits to orchids
Lemons are a natural source of malic and citric acids and fructose. Citric acid in particular plays an important role in the nutrient cycle in plants. It supports cell formation and the storage of the energy gained. Lemon juice enables rapid absorption of nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium and improves photosynthesis. The positive effects quickly become noticeable:
- The orchids grow faster
- The leaves turn a saturated green shade and become shiny
Citric acid still has a decisive advantageother home remedies: their aroma keeps aphids etc. away. If you also water the plants with diluted lemon juice, you will make them more robust and resistant to disease. You can even regulate the pH of the substrate with lemon water if necessary. This is especially important if you use a nitrogen fertilizer for orchids.
This is how you use the home remedy correctly for leaf care
First of all: To ensure that the orchid has green leaves, daily care also plays a crucial role. After the end of the flowering period, the plant thrives best in a sunny, but still bright place. It needs significantly less water and no fertilizer during the rest phase. In principle, it is enough to treat her to a bath two to three times a month. To prevent the leaves from becoming limp and losing their shine, you can spray them every two days with a homemade spray containing lemon juice.
Make your own spray with lemon juice
For the spray, fill a clean 1 liter spray bottle with tap water. You can use decalcified water, but you don't have to - because the lemon can soften it. By the way, you can also use rainwater. Squeeze half a lemon and add 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice to the water. Close the bottle and shake to dissolve the lemon juice. Spray the orchid leaves with the lemon solution and let the water soak for about 5 minutes. Then carefully wipe the leaves. By the way, you can also mist the orchid with it - in this case you don't need to wipe off the leaves. Store the solution in the refrigerator for a week.
Lemons for orchids: dipping bath with a difference
Regardless of whether you spray or mist the orchid regularly, you should also water it every 8 to 10 days. Orchids are not watered like other plants, but rather placed in the water with the plant pot until the roots become saturated. To do this, fill a bucket or sink with water and add 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice to the water. Mix well and leave for about 30 minutes. Then dip the orchid into the bath and leave it there for about 15 minutes. The roots should turn dark green - this is a sure sign that the plant has become waterlogged. Then remove the orchid from the water and leave it in the bath for about an hour until the excess water drains away and the orchid stops dripping.
How long should you water orchids with lemon water?
In principle, you can water the orchids with lemon water all year round. You shouldn't overdo it, especially before and during your rest break. It is sufficient if you mist the plants or spray the leaves. The first positive effects become visible after three to four weeks. The leaves should turn dark green. It may also be that the orchid sprouts and produces new leaves.
The lemon water has no negative effect on the plant. You can give these regardless of the fertilizer. The lemon water has no direct effect on the length of the flowering period. However, it can promote sprouting and growth also promotes flower formation. So if you consistently supply the plant with lemon water, the orchid will bloom profusely.
The lemon water is just an additivefor healthy plants. This will not cure orchids that are overwatered or suffering from disease. If the location is too sunny or too dark, this can directly affect photosynthesis. So if the orchid is not doing well, its leaves are limp or brown, then you cannot revive them with lemon water alone.
