Falsely believed to be very difficult to grow, orchids require only a few good gestures to offer us beautiful and generous flowering. It is enough to master watering and find an ideal place for them. When it comes to tips for stimulating the flowering of orchids, there are several methods: from banana peels, to potatoes, to eggshells… But do you know why exactly put garlic in the orchid? I will explain everything to you in the following paragraphs. As a bonus, I reveal my professional tips for successfully maintaining your system. Let’s go !

Why put garlic in the orchid?

If you think you need to put garlic cloves directly into your orchid, think again. On the contrary, it is an infusion prepared with water and garlic, but the addition of other beneficial ingredients is also possible. But why opt for this unexpected approach? Garlic is a food that contains a large amount of nutrients including sulfur compounds, minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, macro and micro elements. These substances are particularly beneficial for the orchid. Here is a list of benefits of garlic water:

• Prevention of fungal and viral diseases.
• The parasites are far away.
• The plant enjoys better immunity after repotting.
• The roots are well nourished.

Additionally, garlic water helps speed up the flowering of the orchid and make it last longer. That said, this method is very useful for reblooming an orchid in cases where the plant has not produced flowers for a long time. According to experts, the aerial part of Phalaenopsis should be sprayed with such an infusion even if the plant is healthy. How to prepare and use it correctly? Decryption below!

Caution  : While garlic is an ideal natural ingredient for pampering the health of your orchids, a large amount can harm them. It is therefore important to use the infusion in moderation.

Put garlic in the orchid: how to prepare and use the infusion correctly?

How to enhance orchids so that their beautiful generous flowering can naturally decorate our interiors? Using non-chemical ingredients that act as a natural fertilizer for orchids. And this is especially true of garlic. Check out the recipe below.

To use garlic for your orchids, you must first prepare an infusion. Plan the amount of water needed based on the number of plants you need to water. Two small cloves of garlic are enough for one liter of water. Peel and crush the garlic with a press and place in a heatproof container. Then pour boiling water, close and leave to infuse for an hour away from light. Then strain the preparation and dilute it in a bucket of water before watering as usual or spraying the leaves.

Another effective recipe is to dissolve a tablet of succinic acid in boiling water and leave to cool. Next, add one pressed garlic clove to 500 ml of water and pour the cooled solution into it. Mix, cover and leave to infuse for an hour. Filter before use and dilute in a bucket of water.

Orchid care: my professional tips for a well-cared for plant

Now that you know why and how to put garlic in the orchid, let’s also see some simple tips for successful cultivation of the plant. As I mentioned earlier, orchids are falsely accused of being difficult to care for, but this is not the case at all. Here are the key things to remember:

• Location:   The latter is of great importance for the correct development of the plant. The orchid appreciates abundant, but not direct, light, as well as temperatures between 18°C ​​and 20°C during the day and up to 15°C at night.
• Watering  : Controlling orchid watering is simple. I place the plant in a large bowl of non-limestone water (at room temperature) for 30 minutes during the cold months. Allow about an hour in summer. In this way the plant gets the amount of water it needs. Then let it drain well before putting it back in its saucer.
• Fertilizer  : Fertilizer supplies are essential for the spectacular flowering of the orchid. Fertilization is added to the irrigation water and is carried out every 15 days except in the winter period. I advise you to give particular preference to natural products such as garlic, banana peels, cooking water and more. To prepare a natural fertilizer for orchids, you can click on the pink link I indicated above/garlic infusion preparation section.