Orchids typically tend to bloom once a year but are incredibly long-lasting as they can flower for months at a time with the proper care.

It is important to keep on top of an orchid’s lighting, watering and temperature to keep it flowering, but you can also speed up the process naturally using only items in your home.

One gardener has insisted that fertilisation plays a big role when it comes to getting orchids to flower and that you can give this houseplant the nutrients it needs with kitchen ingredients.

Tiffany, a gardening expert and founder of Coconut Mama, has shared her “simple” and homemade fertiliser that will “strengthen an orchid’s roots and allow it to bloom more often”.

She said: “A regular fertiliser routine, along with being kept at a warmer temperature in bright, indirect light, will keep this gorgeous exotic plant happy for years to come. Seriously – orchids can live up to 20 years!”

What to use to make a homemade orchid fertiliser 

It turns out that many kitchen scraps you would have otherwise thrown away can be used to make an orchid fertiliser as they are rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which are nutrients plants need to stay healthy.

Tiffany said: “Milk, eggshells, tea bags, rice water, and molasses can be diluted in water to dispense critical nutrients.

“For this homemade orchid fertilizer recipe, we used molasses. Molasses is high in potassium and micronutrients that help strengthen the orchid’s root system.”

Molasses, also called black treacle, is a thick dark syrup often used in baking to make cakes but high in potassium as well as micronutrients such as calcium, iron and magnesium.

Potassium is essential in flower development as it helps the plant grow, helps improve water uptake and also supports plant hormone production to help orchids produce longer-lasting blooms.

However, while many leftover foods can be used to help boost plants it is important to not use coffee grounds on houseplants as they cannot naturally dissolve in the like they would outside and will just clog up the soil

Tiffany said: “Coffee grounds need other organic material (and worms!) to break down and release their nutrients into soil. Because orchid pots are mostly mulch that do not encourage decomposition, the grounds will be ineffective.”

How to make a simple homemade orchid fertiliser 

You will need: 

Half a teaspoon of molasses (black treacle)

Empty spray bottle

Method:

Place the black treacle in a spray bottle and fill it with water, then shake it thoroughly to combine.

Give your orchid a deep watering and then spray the fertiliser around its roots and leaves to mist the plant.

Use this fertiliser once a week three times a month, but make sure to give the plant a break once a month so you do not overfertilise it.

Tiffany said: “Only fertilize three out of four weeks of each month. The last session should be used to flush the orchid’s roots with fresh water only to remove any potential buildup.”

Store the fertiliser spray at room temperature and it will last up to six months.