Updated at: 11-10-2022 - By: Sienna Lewis

Two simple methods can teach you how to turn orchids blue. When it comes to changing the color of orchids, submersion and infusion are two popular methods. Blue orchids are sought after in gardens and greenhouses because they are so scarce in nature.

As it turns out, it’s extremely difficult to cultivate orchids that are blue in hue, and even Vanda orchids fall into this category. Grow your orchids in a greenhouse to ensure that you get the best blooms possible. Once you’ve tried both of the ways below, experiment with the color concentrations until you get the blue hue you’re looking for.

Guide For How To Dye Orchids Blue

Orchids can be dyed blue using one of two methods. The submersion approach is the best option if you plan to use fresh flowers. However, because of the way it spreads the blue color in the orchid, the little more precise infusion process yields a superior effect.

Submersion

Submersion is the quickest and most convenient method for turning your orchids blue. If you’ve ever dyed tulips or roses, you’ll be able to use the same procedure to orchids. Submerge the cut white orchid blooms with their stalks in the colored water and let them dry.

Submersion can be achieved by using food coloring that is water-soluble. The intensity of your blue orchids will be determined by the amount of colorant you use. When it comes to dyeing, using cut flowers isn’t always an option.

How Do Dyed Orchids Get Their Color?

Even if you were to use live orchids, the results would not be as appealing. After all, these flowers’ roots don’t do a great job of collecting water. Even if you manage to properly dye living orchids to your desired shade of blue, the results can last for a long time.

Infusion

When dyeing orchids blue, you may achieve a better outcome if you use infusion rather than spraying. Creating blue butterfly orchids with this method is a popular practice in the industry. It’s easy to tell them apart because of the gradual blue hue of the aerial roots and the spot on the pedicel where the infusion occurred.

Dyeing orchids by infusion involves inserting a needle straight into the flower stem and injecting the dye. Using a hypodermic needle, you will cut a small hole on the stem of the plant. The only difference is that this procedure calls for the use of a unique dye.

Take note that it takes 24 hours to detect a difference in the color of young orchid buds that have not yet blossomed. You’ll also need to apply a layer of wax to the hole you’ve just injected. Even if the end result is more realistic-looking, successful orchid infusion requires practice and sometimes the assistance of a specialist.

Use the correct dye, and make sure it is evenly distributed in the flower. ‘ Otherwise, you could harm your orchids by injecting them incorrectly. As a whole, the infusion process is more complicated, but the end effect is more pleasant.

What Happens When Dyed Orchids Rebloom?

Orchids that have been dyed blue will have striking blue blossoms. There is, however, a chance that your care for these plants in the greenhouse could cause them to be destroyed during dyeing, which would be a shame. What will happen to the orchid when it reblooms if you use the procedures outlined above?

White flowers are ideal for dying, and your plants’ subsequent blossoms will be white as well. The best way to ensure that your flowers are as fresh as possible is to dye them in the bud stage. Although the color will be less bright, don’t anticipate it to be the same intensity.

How To Care For A Dyed Orchid

It is not a natural procedure to dye orchids. As a result, the plants should become more sensitive to changes in their environment. For example, harm can be done more easily than ever before due to changes in light and temperature.

Keep your dyed orchids vivid and healthy with the help of a greenhouse that manages the temperature and humidity. For coloured orchids, there aren’t any special techniques you need to follow. Just to be clear, they are more vulnerable to environmental changes than other species are.

If you want to keep your dyed orchids looking their best, treat them like any other orchid. The temperature and humidity shouldn’t be extreme, and the plants should be well hydrated. After dyeing orchids, make sure to plug the needle hole with wax.

Methods For Dying Orchids Blue At Home And Dyed Orchid Care

If you want to keep your dyed orchids looking their best, treat them like any other orchid. The temperature and humidity shouldn’t be extreme, and the plants should be well hydrated. After dyeing orchids, make sure to plug the needle hole with wax.

Care for your dyed orchids the same way you would care for any other type of orchid you may have. There should be no extremes in temperature or humidity, and the plants should be adequately hydrated. If you decide to dye orchids, make sure to cover the needle hole with wax afterward.

Methods For Dying Orchids Blue

Orchid blooms can be dyed blue in one of two ways. The initial color is applied to the petals’ surface. Floral aerosols are utilized for this purpose.

The second approach utilizes the plant’s internal conducting system to supply pigment to the bloom. You have a choice of two methods for making this delivery:

Methodology for coloring flowers
The evaluation of efficiency

Surface
Under the peduncle, a paper “collar” is attached to the flower, and an aerosol floral paint jet is directed onto the petals.
Advantages: Quick staining; No mechanical harm to tissues; Intense, permanent color; Dye remains on the petals’ surface and does not permeate other organs’ tissues.

how to color a white orchid blue - YouTube

As a result of these drawbacks, the flowers appear artificially blue, and their life spans are reduced; new blossoming buds need to be re-staining every time they open.

Watering is a method of delivering pigment.
Irrigation water dissolves the dye, which must be added to the solution before the orchid pot is placed in it for 15 minutes.
With this method, no mechanical harm is done to tissues, and closed buds as well as open ones can be dyed.

There are a number of drawbacks to using dyes on orchids. These include the following: the staining of orchid roots, leaves, bulbs, and peduncles, as well as a reduction in the length of flowering time. This is due to the dye reacting with natural pigments in specific parts of flowers, resulting in brown spots.

Injecting pigment into the skin
The lower lateral bud of the peduncle is liberated from the integumentary scales, and a particular dye is taken into the syringe. A dye is injected into the kidney at an oblique angle.
Color is given to the petals in a short period of time; not only are processed flowers but also closed buds stained.

If possible, professional florists will inject color into the peduncle of their orchids rather than paint them. Despite the possibility of infection, this staining technique is the most used.

Dendrobium Orchid Potting Medium is a good option.

Important! The paint must never be introduced into the orchid’s root collar. More than 90% of the time, the plant dies as a result of this process.

Choosing A Dye For Coloring Orchids

Flower farmers are experimenting with a variety of chemical dyes to color their orchids, from stationary inks to culinary paints. Plants respond differently to these compounds, as we’ve seen in the field. There is also a difference in the staining quality:

  • Dyeing of stationery (ink, ink, gouache paints, etc.). The most hazardous to the safety of plants substance. Alcohols, viscosity and wettability agents and acids are some of the ingredients included in stationery paints that might harm plants. The orchid will die if it is colored with these compounds.
  • Colorants in food. Paint for Easter eggs is commonly taken by flower gardeners. Dyes ranging from E130 to E139 are designated for blue hues. As a result, they pose a threat to plant tissue as well as coal and oil extraction processes.
  • Floral aeration. Because they are solely sprayed on the petals’ outer surface, they have no phytotoxicity. If you’d want to color orchids in blue, you can use the paint “Spring pro florist,” which comes in “Soft Blue” and “Royal Blue,” respectively.
  • Flowers painted using floral liquid paint. There are some unscrupulous orchid growers who employ the use of this product in order to achieve a variety of hues in their orchids. Due to the pigment’s strong solubility in water and rapid dispersion through tissues, dyeing can be completed quickly and with high quality. Within a few hours of the injection, the orchid blossom is fully colored.

It’s possible that you’d be interested in learning how to construct an orchid greenhouse?

Liquid floral paints that have performed well include:

It is best to test the dyes on white kinds in order to ensure that the color of the dyed orchid is as pure as possible.

How To Look After A Dyed Orchid

Staining an orchid necessitates the best possible care. There’s a lot of pressure on the plant right now, so it needs your support to get through it. Attention to these microclimate characteristics will assist the orchid.

  • There is a moderate temperature in the air, between +18 and +25 degrees Celsius. There are no drafts allowed in this design.. Forced ventilation is the only way to get air moving.
  • A consistent 60-70 percent humidity level can be found in the air. The shorter the flowering period, the greater the risk of fungal infection of the injection site if the air is sufficiently dry or humid.
  • The substrate has a moderate moisture content. Adjusting the watering schedule will allow ample time for the substrate to dry completely. The plant will die quickly if its root system is compromised in any way.

Colored orchids must be sprayed gently so that the injection site does not become overly moist. A flowering colorful orchid does not require any more fertilization.

Following blossoming, color-changing orchids fade in intensity. The petals will return to their natural hue when the plant removes the pigment.

Florists Reviews About Plant Paints

The professional floristic pigments are the preferred choice of florists who have experimented with the coloration of their orchids:

A blue orchid was what I had in mind, and I wanted to surprise everyone.” She wouldn’t calm down, not even after injecting stamp ink into one of her phalaenopsis. I decided to explore with another that had an unattractive, vague yellowish color. I used a syringe to inject rose paint that I borrowed from friends who work at a flower shop. The buds of Phalaenopsis were well-dyed, and the color spread uniformly across the plant. “Vase Color” was the name of the paint.

The perfect humidity for phalaenopsis orchids in the home is recommended for you.

Expert Opinion On The Artificial Coloring Of Orchids

Remember that orchids are living beings while creating and experimenting with plants.

Blue Orchid Flowers: Are They Real? Do They Exist Naturally?

The use of dyes to color potted plants is something I consider to be a form of cruelty to nature.” In the intensive care facility, the Phalaenopsis was injected with the coloring solution, which was then attempted to be flushed out of the plant through the stomata during transpiration. There were splashes of color in every corner of the room. The factory was destroyed and will never be recovered. Shots of the peduncle aren’t any better. The conductive system spreads solutions not only from the bottom to the top, but also in the other direction. This is an extremely hazardous line of work.”

Conclusion

You might have considered growing your own blue orchids if you’ve ever seen one in person. However, the secret to these beautiful blossoms rests in the two procedures used to color orchids blue. There aren’t many flowers that are blue, and orchids are no exception.

Submersion and infusion are used to turn white orchids into a darker shade of blue. Even at the bud stage, you can dye orchids so that the new blooms will have a lighter blue color. For submersion, cut flowers are the best choice, while fresh orchid buds are great for infusion.

It’s important to keep in mind that dyeing orchids makes them more vulnerable to environmental fluctuations, so take extra care with them. Make sure to avoid harming the plants if you decide to inject them. There are many advantages of using a greenhouse, including the ability to grow strong plants that can withstand dyeing, and the ability to maintain a constant atmosphere for protecting dyed plants.