Orchids are plants that probably every indoor flower lover has. They do not require complex care, although they are quite capricious, they feel quite well in the “climate” of city apartments, and everything you need to care for them - soil, fertilizing, special pots - all this is available in any gardening stores.
It’s not even worth talking about how beautiful these plants are during flowering: bright, elegant flowers on a tall, slender stem and several rich green leaves. Beauty and nothing more!
However, the orchid does not always please us with its flowering. The absence of buds and, as a consequence, flowers is explained by the following reasons:
- lack of light;
- excess moisture;
- low air temperature;
- insufficient air humidity;
- nutritional imbalance;
- damage by diseases and fungi;
- the appearance of pests.
Of course, all these problems need to be solved in different ways: feed the plant, place it on a window, place a saucer of water nearby, reduce watering.
However, there is one remedy that will help solve several problems at once and “make” the orchid bloom. This is watering the plant with garlic water with succinic acid. We kill two birds with one stone: we stimulate flowering and fight fungi, pests and infections.
Benefits of garlic water for orchids
Garlic has excellent antiseptic properties that will be beneficial to plants. This vegetable contains a lot of organic acids, antioxidants, mineral salts, macro- and microelements. All beneficial substances are quickly absorbed by the plant. Using garlic water to water an orchid solves many of the plant's health problems that regularly plague it.
Regular watering with garlic water allows you to:
- destroy dangerous parasites;
- cure bacterial or viral diseases;
- prevent fungal infection;
- disinfect the substrate prepared for planting the orchid yourself;
- speed up the adaptation of a newly transplanted flower to a new location.
You can water an orchid with garlic infusion to heal diseases and eliminate other problems, or to prevent them. Indications for using garlic solution:
- slow flower growth;
- lack of flowering or slow formation of flower arrows;
- loss of elasticity, wilting, yellowing or falling of leaf blades;
- deformation of leaves and root system, putrefactive processes and spots;
- infestation with bugs, midges and their larvae, and other parasites.
Garlic solution for orchids as a top dressing
Garlic water tincture is used as a fertilizer. To make it, garlic cloves are peeled and mixed with filtered water heated to +40 degrees. After infusion, an effective infusion is obtained, enriched with many useful elements.
Depending on the condition of the orchid and the method of applying fertilizer, different proportions of products are taken. To prepare the working solution, chop 1 clove of garlic and mix with 1 liter of warm water. The liquid is infused for 20 minutes before use. The concentrated solution is then passed through a filter.
Magic potion recipes
Wonderful water can be prepared as a concentrate that requires dilution, or it can be a ready-made infusion for watering.
Concentrated
Bark for orchids: examples of preparation and use cases
To prepare you will need:
- 85 g garlic;
- 0.5 l of water;
Garlic must be peeled and chopped using a crusher or knife. Pour it into a jar of water and put it in a warm place for five days. On the sixth day, the infusion is ready for use after straining. For irrigation, you need to dilute 60 g of concentrate per 1 liter of clean water.
Important! The concentrate cannot be used in its pure form for watering or spraying, as this will burn the roots and leaves of the plant.
Instant concentrate
To use the concentrate on the day it is made, you need hot water. The head of garlic is peeled and chopped in any convenient way. Fill with hot water and let stand for 20 minutes. After this time, you can mix in a ratio of 1.5 tbsp. spoons per half liter of clean water.
Important! Be sure to filter the liquid. If pieces of garlic get into the soil, they will begin to rot, causing the formation of root rot, the growth of fungi and mold in the soil.
Water for irrigation
To prepare a quick garlic solution for orchids, you need to take:
- 3 liters of water;
- 6 large cloves of garlic.
You can prepare an infusion that does not require dilution within a day.
Chop the garlic and pour into a 3-liter jar of water. Place in a warm place, maybe even in the sun, and let it sit for at least overnight, maximum for 24 hours. The mixture prepared according to this recipe can be used immediately for watering, washing the roots, spraying the foliage or stems of orchids.
Important! If for some reason the liquid smells sour or is covered with foam, then it cannot be used for watering orchids, as the plant will die.
Rules for using garlic infusion
Irrigation with garlic infusion is carried out after the substrate has dried. However, it is not used constantly so as not to burn the root system. The plant also needs clean water. Therefore, you need to alternate watering with plain water with irrigation with garlic infusion.
Important
It is enough to water the orchid with garlic infusion twice a month. With more frequent use of this stimulant, the root system suffers and the plant dies. You cannot use this fertilizer for orchids that are at rest or in the flowering stage.
With the correct use of a natural stimulant, a new flower shoot will soon develop on the plant. This usually happens within two weeks.
Precautionary measures
Epiphytes react sensitively to exceeding the dosage of fertilizing, and garlic juice has a strong concentration. For the plant, 2-3 waterings or external treatments with a solution are enough, then you need to return to watering with clean water. More frequent use may damage the thin roots or cause the buds to drop.
Important: garlic water should not be used during the dormant period and during flowering, unless treatment for a disease or pest removal is required.
How to water an orchid correctly
The orchid is treated by spraying the leaves and stems or immersing a flower pot in the prepared solution. To add garlic infusion, the concentrated solution is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10. This is the recommended amount, but other recipes can be used. For foliar feeding, the solution is poured into a spray bottle and the green part of the plant is sprayed, with the exception of blooming flowers. If garlic infusion gets on the buds, they fall off.
Fertilizing using the immersion method is carried out in a wide container with a concentrate diluted with water. A pot with an orchid is immersed in the liquid so that its level reaches 2/3 of the height of the container. Leave the plant in the garlic infusion for 40 minutes. This time is enough for all the beneficial substances to be absorbed into the orchid roots. Then the pot is removed and left on a wire rack or in a bath to allow excess liquid to drain out. After half an hour, put the plant in its original place.
Indications for use
An orchid needs feeding if:
- Doesn't bloom.
- Poor growth of leaves and roots.
- The leaves turn yellow and wither.
- Signs of a fungal infection are visible.
- There are small, unpleasant pests in the pot.
Garlic is the best disinfectant that can help both people and plants. One clove contains a storehouse of useful acids, mineral salts, and antioxidants. It nourishes the plant with useful substances, which helps it get rid of all sorts of diseases, strengthen the flower and disinfect the soil.
Note! Garlic tincture is often used as a growth stimulator, as a means of treating plants after illnesses. It gives impetus to the active growth of rhizomes, foliage, growth and development of buds.
Garlic has a pronounced antiviral and antibacterial effect. The essential oils and phytoncides it produces repel many pests from the plant. Therefore, after watering with garlic infusion, an orchid may not be afraid of pests or diseases.
The infusion should not be used during flowering, more than 2 times a month, if the infusion has fermented or has not been changed for more than 3 days. Do not exceed the dosage under any circumstances, otherwise the high garlic content may burn the plant. It is strictly forbidden to water an orchid only with garlic; this method is only suitable for rehabilitating a weak plant. Therefore, you should be careful and careful in your actions.
Possible mistakes
For some gardeners, the use of natural stimulants and fertilizers becomes the only way to care for orchids. But you cannot take garlic infusion as the only remedy for all problems with the flower.
In addition to using a water infusion of garlic, constant good care is important for orchids. Natural fertilizers cannot compensate for improper lighting, low air humidity, high or low room temperature. It is also important to observe the biological development cycles of the epiphyte and grow the flower in a substrate suitable for it.
When is it best to use?
Garlic water can be used to improve the health of your home beauty at any time of the year . It is advisable to carry out the treatment after active flowering: this completely reduces the risk of harming the orchid.
The purposes of using the infusion may be different:
- prevention;
- stimulation of flowering;
- pest control and others.
The orchid has stopped growing, it doesn’t bloom, but it doesn’t get sick and there are no signs of pest attack? In such conditions, you can change the location of the pot and monitor the humidity level. It is also recommended to start watering with garlic water. An infusion of garlic will stimulate the root system of the orchid and within 3-5 days the situation may improve.
Reviews
Valentina, 42 years old
My experiment with garlic water did not yield any results at first. I tried this remedy on a problem orchid whose growth had stopped. It did not produce new leaves, did not bloom, and generally had a somewhat lifeless appearance. After several feedings there was no result and I stopped watering with garlic. Improvements became noticeable only after a few weeks. The orchid began to grow and even a flower stalk appeared. Therefore, to see the result, you need to be patient.
Svetlana, 48 years old
Four months passed after purchasing my orchid, but the promised growth and flowering did not happen. It still stands with lifeless leaves. Then I decided to try pouring garlic infusion over it. I left it in the solution for 3 hours and additionally sprayed the solution on the leaves. The result of this treatment became noticeable after a couple of weeks. Several roots appeared and a peduncle began to grow. I didn't even expect such a result.
What does garlic do for orchids?
Garlic contains a large amount of organic acids and mineral salts, vitamins and antioxidants. The “Home Doctor” treats not only people, but also plants.
There are several reasons for the absence of a peduncle. Most Popular:
- improper care;
- poor soil;
- unsuccessful transplant;
- diseases and pests;
- fungus, virus, infection;
- natural reasons.
Chemicals are used to stimulate growth and strengthen the immune system. But this is not the only option. You can use garlic. This product helps restore strength after a long winter and prepare for the growing season.
What are the contraindications?
In some cases, treatment with the presented infusion can lead to damage or even death of the home plant.
In what cases is spraying prohibited?
Active flowering of an orchid . Treatment may lead to the death of the bud. Also during this period, it is forbidden to immerse the rhizome in the infusion (read more about the rules for feeding an orchid during flowering here).- Garlic water with the smell of mold, fermentation . The smell appears after the infusion is kept warm for a long time or due to long storage. The use of such liquid is prohibited.
- High concentration of garlic . This will lead to burns of the green mass.
- Frequency . It is forbidden to repeat the treatment more than 2-3 times a month. Be sure to alternate watering with garlic infusion and regular soft water.
The influence of substances on the plant
Succinic acid has antioxidant properties , is capable of removing harmful substances from the soil, increasing the activity of photosynthesis, and has an anti-stress effect on the plant.
Watering with garlic water is a method of prevention against the appearance of certain pests and diseases , strengthens the plant’s immunity, and increases resistance to unfavorable living conditions. This is an excellent antimicrobial agent that can reduce the effect of pathogens on the orchid in the shortest possible time.
What kind of feeding is this?
Every gardener has heard about the healing properties of garlic. Even if you eat one slice daily, your immunity improves and colds disappear. Therefore, garlic is very often used in the production of cosmetic and medical products.
Garlic water improves the immunity of flowers
Garlic water for orchids is prepared from garlic and ordinary drinking water, sometimes succinic acid is added. This common and easily available solution is used as a fertilizer for a flower; it is used to water the soil in a pot. Garlic for orchids is also used as a preventive measure against pests and diseases.
Important! When preparing a decoction, it is necessary to take into account the dosage of garlic so as not to harm the flowers.
Useful properties of the infusion
Garlic tincture for orchids in combination with succinic acid can quickly get rid of problems in growing a flower, if prepared and used correctly. The bush will quickly regain its strength and continue its active development.
How garlic and succinic acid benefit orchids:
- high efficiency in the treatment of bush diseases;
- low cost and easy availability of ingredients;
- garlic tends to release all its beneficial substances to water when infused;
- the solution has a detrimental effect on even the most dangerous parasites;
- the product can be used as a preventive measure against diseases and improves the general condition of house plants;
- stimulates the flowering of orchids;
- disinfects the soil in the pot, destroying infectious microorganisms.
Note! If you treat the soil with a garlic solution when planting or replanting, the flower will be able to absorb useful substances and quickly adapt to new conditions.
Garlic water has many beneficial properties
