After spending so much time and effort growing the perfect Phalaenopsis orchid, you will surely want to show it to other orchid lovers. Joining an orchid exhibition is the best way to share your pride and joy with fellow enthusiasts, and it can also help you establish a reputation as a great orchid grower.
Here are tips on how to prepare your orchid for an exhibition:
- First of all, you have to make sure that your Phalaenopsis orchid is well-groomed. Although flower quality is the main criterion for judging an orchid, the overall condition of the plant matters too. It can affect the judges subconsciously when they are evaluating the flowers, and it has a significant influence on the exhibit score as well.
- To make your orchid look perfectly healthy, you have to remove all the dried flowers sheaths, dead leaves, and dead plant materials. Cut off the tips that have become dry and brown, and remove all the weeds in the plant medium. Place a layer of new medium on top to improve overall appearance.
- Look for pests in the plant and remove them. These insects will suck the life out of your orchid and should be controlled with a light spray of horticultural oil or insecticidal soap found at any garden center diluted with water.
- Next, use milk, lemon juice, or other mixtures to clean the leaves. You can also try using this mixture: one cup of water, one tablespoon of dishwashing liquid soap, and one tablespoon of powdered milk. Then, dip a soft paper towel or a piece of cotton in the mixture and wipe the leaves with it. Use a clean piece to dry the leaves. If there are lime deposits or water spots on your orchid, remove them using a mixture made of one cup of water and two tablespoons of vinegar, and use the above mixture for shining. Make sure all these mixtures do not come into contact with the flowers.
We will share more exhibition preparation tips in our next post. Visit our orchid care section to get more orchid growing tips.
