Instructions for coloring - This is how it will (not) be a blue miracle
The necessary materials can be obtained quickly. You need blue food coloring, such as brilliant blue FCF (E133), infusion set with a container and a white Phalaenopsis orchid. The buds must not have opened when you start coloring. If the plant is already in full bloom, you will be bitterly disappointed with the result. How to do it right:
- Pour the blue color into the infusion container and hang it up slightly next to the orchid
- Prick the syringe downwards into the flower stem, but do not pierce it
- Fix the syringe to the handle with scotch tape
also read
- This is how the blue orchid gets its color - tips for coloring yourself
- Are there blue orchids?
- How to bring color to the world of flowers - coloring a rose
So that the color is absorbed by the orchid, it must be diluted with lime-free water if necessary. When buying food coloring, please ensure that it is a water-soluble product. Refill the infusion container regularly. The addition of the color must not be interrupted so that the buds actually open in a deep blue.
Blue color lasts a season
Orchids only boast of blue flowers for one season. The next buds unfold again in innocent white. This applies regardless of whether the plant was colored by a breeder or by yourself. The rare, blue-flowered Vanda orchids (Vanda coerulea) are an exception. These floral rarities retain their blue color for the life of the plant, even if not in the intensity of a colored Phalaenopsis.
Coloring orchids blue in the vase - it's that easy
In contrast to the coloring of potted orchids, ink can be used in the vase. The questionable ingredients are dissolved in the flower water to such an extent that they can be used as the color for the cut flowers. Please use cartridges for school fountain pens, as this ink is usually non-toxic. The individual dosage depends on the amount of water and the number of orchid panicles.
You can also use this method to color numerous other cut flowers, such as carnations, tulips, amaryllis or dahlias. The color is not limited to blue. Any ink color that is commercially available will transform the flowers into the desired tone.
Tips
Coloring an orchid does not require modifications in care. Water, fertilize and spray your blue orchid as you normally would. The extent to which the addition of blue food coloring to the irrigation water ensures that the radiance is retained for a long time is controversial among experts.
