A plant lover is showing Instagram viewers a trick to keep orchids healthy.
The plants, which are perennial herbs with no permanent woody structure, are popular in many households, but they also require maintenance and some tricks to keep them in good shape.
The scoop
Krystal Duran (@_plantswithkrystal_), who has 454,000 followers and says she helps "beginner plant parents feel more confident", explains to viewers that "orchid blooms will die off; it's part of its bloom cycle."
Duran starts the Reel by assuring orchid owners that they can easily "repot and fix it up" when orchid blooms begin to die off.
She removes the plant from the pot and shows viewers all the orchid's parts, from the leaves to the roots.
Duran presents the viewer with a choice about what to do with the stem, saying, "If you decide to trim it a bit, you'll have smaller but faster growth." She shows viewers exactly where to trim the stem and how it is also best to trim away any black or mushy roots.
The enthusiastic Instagrammer places a small plastic pot into a bigger one and shakes it before telling viewers to "water thoroughly after, just avoid watering crevices, and that's it."
How it's helping
Knowing how to revive a plant that may seem dead will keep it thriving in your home and out of the landfill. This means that instead of contributing to the nearly 300 million tons of trash American households create yearly, it can continue beautifying your home.
Not only can orchids be a beautiful addition to your space, but having a variety of plants in your home can also benefit your health and the environment in some interesting ways.
Plants can purify the air in your home, and they can also mitigate noise pollution from outside. During the increasingly hot summer months, plants can also help cool the indoor temperature, which would reduce the need for air conditioning, saving you money and helping the environment since artificial cooling systems require lots of energy.
Some studies have even shown that plants can reduce our levels of stress and increase feelings of well-being.
What everyone's saying
Commenters had plenty of questions and comments in response to the dynamic Reel.
"My orchid desperately needed this video," one person admitted.
Someone else added that "the most logical way to cultivate them is to let [orchids] attach onto something and hang them."
Another commenter offered some alternative advice, saying they "never trim the flower stems unless they've gone brown and dead. They can continue to grow from the tip as well as the lower shoots the cutting you recommend can produce. Let the plant decide when it is done with the stem."
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