To have a flowering orchid like never before there is a sponge method known only to a few people. Here’s what it is.
In our homes there are many plants and flowers which, in addition to beautifying and adorning our homes, have a positive function on our organism and our mood as well as helping the environment.
Many of them, in fact, thanks to chlorophyll photosynthesis tend to release carbon dioxide and absorb excess humidity in the rooms, avoiding the formation of condensation and mould.
Furthermore, the presence of plants and flowers in our homes and especially on balconies helps insects during pollination, a very important operation for safeguarding the planet.
Orchid: the sponge method
One of the most widespread plants in our homes is the orchid due to its resistance and because of its flowers of various colors which are used for many events and ceremonies and because of the elegance of its flower.
However, not everyone knows that to have a vigorous flower there is a method called the sponge method which only the most expert nurserymen know and which we are going to illustrate to you step by step.
Even a plant that apparently seems dead can come back to life and regain vigor with an incredible result: you start cleaning the plant that is about to die by removing all the dry or rotten parts.
Then you need to remove it from the ground and free it from all the bark that is there and then with sterilized scissors remove all the other dry parts that cannot be removed by hand.
Don’t worry about removing parts that you don’t know if they are rotten or not, it is always better to remove parts that are in disrepair than to keep them so that the healthy part can reinvigorate after the treatment.
The central part, still viable, will appear with a small root and perfect leaves if they are not completely dry. It may happen that live parts are created where fungi and bacteria can enter and must be closed with cinnamon which heals and helps form new roots.
You need to drop the cinnamon on the cut part and leave it to rest for 48 hours in a sterile and dry environment, placing the plant on a clean tissue on a serving plate.
What happens to the plant
Once this time has passed, cut the bottom of a plastic bottle , approximately 10 cm, and pierce the bottom, creating 4 or 5 cuts that will allow the water to drain. Inside, prepare a bed for the seedling.
To do this you can use moss or lichen or if we do not have these organic materials insert a sterilized sponge. Once you have this, wet it and insert it into the bottom of the cut bottle.
After inserting the plant, place it in a plastic bag and close it, so that a real microclimate is formed which will tend to help the plant to refresh itself and revive itself.
Place it in a place where it can get a lot of light, being careful not to place it under direct sunlight for about 50 days . After these two months or so we can see the results.
The plant will become vital with hard, green and shiny leaves and there will be no mold and bacteria and the root system will be perfect and the remaining roots will have grown a few centimeters forming others.
Then place some bark inside a plastic pot with holes in the bottom and, being careful not to break the roots, insert the plant slowly, adding more bark until the pot is full.
Then use a vaporizer or a spray bottle to wet everything, but being careful not to wet the leaves, at least in the first few days. In this way the plant must be treated like any other orchid plant.
After another three months the plant will grow both in terms of leaves and roots and will grow more and more, subsequently growing flowers that will make everyone envious.
