Orchids will bloom healthier and stronger flowers if fed the right fertiliser (Image: Getty)
Orchids are one of the most popular due to their eye-catching flowers, and it is very easy to make the blooms last longer if you feed them properly.
These beautiful are most likely to in late winter to early spring once the weather gets a little warmer, and these have more exposure to sunlight.
It is incredibly important to ensure your has the right during its growing season to give them the energy they need to grow healthier flower spikes.
Luckily, the experts at have shared you do not need to spend lots of money on flower feed as you can make a homemade fertiliser with one common kitchen leftover.
They said: “Dried chicken bones can be an incredible source of calcium and magnesium for your orchids.”
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Crush chicken bones up to turn them into a natural houseplant fertiliser (Image: Getty)
Chicken bones can make a fantastic fertiliser for flowers as calcium helps the roots grow stronger while magnesium helps the plant store more energy for flower production.
They are also an excellent source of phosphorus, the main ingredient needed for flowering. Thus, you are more likely to get bigger and longer-lasting flowers.
However, to use chicken bones properly, you will need to make sure they have fully dried out and there is no meat left on them; otherwise, you can attract pests.
It is best to dry them out by placing them on a paper towel on the windowsill and leaving them for one or two days.
Then, you will need a mortar and pestle to grind them up until they have a sand-like consistency, which means they have been turned into bone meal.
Only add chicken bones to an orchid pot if they have been ground up. This means they will break down slowly in the soil, while whole chicken bones can risk over-fertilising the plant.
Make sure to mix your homemade fertiliser with water then give it to your orchid (Image: Getty)
If you wish, you can also mix other common household ingredients with the chicken bone meal to add more nutrients to the orchid soil and make a homemade fertiliser.
The expert said: “Add green tea leaves for nitrogen. Add milk, which brings in natural nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. Add a teaspoon of molasses.
“Stir thoroughly until your concoction turns brown. Pour in rice water, which has trace amounts of niacin, riboflavin, [and] thiamin that orchids need.”
Then, mix one part of the homemade fertiliser with one part clean water to thoroughly dilute it and then pour it on the orchid soil.
Feed your orchid this simple fertiliser once a month during its growing season, and it should encourage it to grow stronger flowers that you will be able to enjoy for much longer.
These ingredients, combined with the chicken bone meal, will give your orchid a nutrient boost, but it should be used sparingly as too much will over-fertilise the plant and damage it.