Orchid owner achieves ‘magnificent blooms’ when watering with two staple food items (Image: Getty)
typically bloom for a couple of months at a time and then will bloom every eight to 12 months.
However, there are some ways to make them repeat bloom sooner, and this includes focusing on lighting, feeding and pruning.
According to one online orchid owner, watering and play a huge role when it comes to encouraging your to flower again.
Taking to the Orchids Tips and Tricks Facebook page, one woman claimed to have seen fantastic results by using two ingredients in the water she uses for her moth orchid.
Alana Steele wrote: “For the past few months, I’ve been feeding my orchid tea and rice water, and I’m finally getting the magnificent blooms I imagined.”
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Banana peels contain a variety of nutrients which are beneficial for orchids, including potassium phosphorous and calcium.
You can make banana peel tea by steeping fresh banana skins in water for 48 hours, then dilute them with four parts water.
Alternatively, you can dry out banana skins in the oven or in the sun during summer and then grind them into a fine powder.
This can then be sprinkled onto the top of orchid bark or, if repotting, mixed into the growing medium.
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Rice water is a great feed too, and it can provide similar results to banana water or banana tea.
As rice water contains lots of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium as well as starches, it makes a “very good” organic, homemade fertiliser.
To make it, start by soaking any type of rice in water for 30 minutes or more. Next, strain the water into a bottle or jar, letting it ferment for one week.
Make sure to keep it out of direct sunlight and let it breathe by loosely screwing the cap on the bottle or covering it with a cloth to allow airflow.
Keep an eye on the rice water in order to make sure there isn’t any mould or anything growing in it.
After one week, dilute the solution with an equal amount of water and spray on the roots and leaves as a fertiliser.
Rice water feed can also work as an effective insecticide for the houseplant, which is important throughout the winter months.