Guess what it is: it smells and is colored like chocolate, but isn’t chocolate? You’re right if you said chocolate orchid. This exotic and surprising species of orchid is not only beautiful but super fragrant. And if you’ve ever had the opportunity to smell this plant, you know exactly why it has that name.
Do you want to know more about the chocolate orchid and also learn how to care for and plant it? Keep following the post with us.
Origin and meaning of the chocolate orchid
The chocolate orchid, also known by the scientific name Oncidium Sharry Baby, was born in 1983 in England by the grower Dorothy A. O’Flaherty.
This is because this species of orchid does not exist naturally in nature, it is considered a hybrid, the result of crossing other species, in this case, the Oncidium Jamie Sutton and the Oncidium Honolulu.
How to care for the chocolate orchid
Despite being an exotic species, the chocolate orchid is one of the easiest to grow, being very suitable for those who are just starting to venture into the world of orchids.
You need to pay attention to two main points in the care of the chocolate orchid: watering and lighting. Follow all the tips below:
Lighting and temperature
To be successful in the cultivation of the chocolate orchid, it must receive good natural lighting. But that doesn’t mean she should stay in the sun. On the contrary, this type of orchid suffers if exposed to the sun’s rays.
Therefore, the idea is to grow it near a window, for example. The chocolate orchid prefers mild climates, not too cold, not too hot. The ideal temperature for it ranges from 10ºC to 18ºC, on average.
On very hot days it is important to check the humidity of the air since the plant does not grow in dry places. To keep the chocolate orchid beautiful and flowery, it should be grown with humidity of around 40-60%. If the humidity drops too much, use a room humidifier to keep the air in the right conditions.
Watering
Another important need for the chocolate orchid is watering. Keep the substrate slightly damp. Too much water can rot the roots, while too little water makes the plant suffer.
The ideal is always to touch the substrate to check the humidity. If it is completely dry, water it, otherwise, wait a few more days.
Fertilizing
The chocolate orchid needs regular fertilization, on average, every fifteen days. You can use both organic fertilizers and chemical fertilizers such as the NPK type. In garden stores, even, there are special fertilizers just for orchids.
An important tip: fertilize in the early morning or late afternoon, avoiding the hottest hours of the day. With correct and periodic fertilization, the chocolate orchid can bloom more than once a year and keep its flowers beautiful and healthy for up to 45 days.
Pruning
It is important to perform maintenance pruning on the chocolate orchid. Start by removing dry, dead, and yellowing leaves. Dried roots must also be removed to ensure more health and vitality for the plant. Regarding flower stems, it is recommended to prune them when flowering is over. Even so, note the color of the stem.
If it has a brownish tone, it is a sign that it is already dead and will not give any more flowers. But if the stem is still green, wait a little longer, new flowers may appear. When cutting the stem, it is important to sterilize the pruning shears to avoid contamination with fungi and bacteria. You can do this by keeping the scissors exposed to a flame of fire for a few seconds, or by cleaning them well with alcohol.
After sterilizing the pruning shears, cut the stem, but always close to the root height.
