How to care for Cattleya after flowering
Are you wondering how to care for Cattleya after flowering and the topic of ornamental plants for home cultivation? The following is a detailed introduction for you.
Cattleya has a relatively long flowering period. If purchased before the Spring Festival, it can generally bloom until the end of March or the end of April. However, some orchid enthusiasts may have bought Cattleya early, and the flowers naturally fade early, possibly withering by the end of February or early March. After Cattleya's flowers fade, it begins to prepare for new buds. Proper care can result in more new buds, turning one pot into two, and more flowers next year. So, how to care for Cattleya after flowering to promote more new buds? It mainly starts with the following three points.
Timely pruning and potting
After Cattleya's flowers fade, it is necessary to剪掉 the remaining flowers and flower spikes to save nutrients and prepare for new buds. If the bottom old leaves are yellowing, they should also be剪掉. If the Cattleya has few original plants, each plant is strong, and there is still room in the pot for new buds to grow, you can delay potting and pay attention to later care. If the original number of Cattleya plants is large, filling the pot completely, or even with withered plants, it is necessary to repot after flowering, otherwise, there will be no space for new buds to grow. Especially for Cattleya purchased this year, which is packed in a simple black pot, it is necessary to repot after flowering. When repotting, you can剪掉 rotting roots, empty roots, and already dead plants, then disinfect and plant them in a larger pot.
Appropriately increase lighting
After Cattleya's flowers fade and growth resumes, it is necessary to appropriately increase lighting to promote photosynthesis, which is beneficial for the germination and healthy growth of new buds. If Cattleya is still cared for in a too shady place, new buds are not easy to germinate, or even if they do, they are not strong and weak, affecting the ornamental value. However, under strong sunlight, Cattleya's leaves are prone to yellowing, so it is best to shade 30%~50% of the light or avoid the midday strong light, and expose to direct light in the morning and afternoon.
Appropriately increase watering
After the temperature rises, Cattleya's growth speed accelerates, and the evaporation of water increases, so watering for Cattleya should also be increased accordingly. Otherwise, insufficient watering not only fails to promote the germination of new buds but may also lead to empty roots and yellowing and drying of old leaves. Watering should follow the principle of watering when the pot soil is dry, and the water used each time should be collected and exposed to the sun for one or two days in advance. It is best to water in the morning during spring, and not to water during rainy days or sudden temperature drops.
How to care for Cattleya after flowering
Reasonable fertilization
If you want Cattleya to produce more new buds, fertilization is indispensable. If Cattleya has been repotted, you can add a little balanced slow-release fertilizer to the soil during repotting, and after the pot has settled, just water a little well-rotted organic fertilizer. If not repotted or no bottom fertilizer added, when the temperature is higher than 15 degrees and Cattleya has resumed growth, you can apply a little nitrogen fertilizer to promote the germination of new buds. Fertilize every 15 days, consecutively for two times, and after the new buds germinate and the leaves unfold, switch to a balanced compound fertilizer with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Cattleya is not very tolerant of fertilizer but likes it, so fertilization should be frequent. No matter what fertilizer is used, it should be kept away from the roots and avoid the pseudobulb.
The above (Green Plant Enthusiast Network) introduces how to care for Cattleya after flowering and related contents of home cultivation methods, for reference by green plant enthusiasts, hoping to solve your problems in green plant and flower management.