Orchid experiment - Is sap reused from flower spikes?

Рет қаралды 14,446

7 жыл бұрын

Today we make an experiment using blue dye on one of my Orchids! The point of this experiment is to observe its trajectory and we do have some results!
▼▼▼More info bellow!▼▼▼
I am using a mini Phalaenopsis that I color with blue dye in order to obtain flowers with a blue tint. I am making sure that the dye doesn't drip into the pot, but is inserted in the flower spikes.
So this will make it easy to see where it goes from there and, as you can see in the video, it mainly goes into the flowers. Surprisingly though it doesn't stay there but it is recirculated to an extent!
The newest leaf shows small blue veining, which proves the sap does recirculate! now it doesn't go to the older leaves or roots, so the re circulation appears to be limited, but it is there! Since the spike broke I cannot carry the experiment to the end, but at least we discovered that sap indeed circulates into other structures even if it is only inserted in the spikes!
Missed my blue orchid experiment? Watch it here • DIY Blue Orchid - How ...
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Пікірлер: 54

@Orquimaniaco 7 жыл бұрын

it's very kind of you that you sacrifice your blooms to teach us. Thank you very much!

@miche7032 7 жыл бұрын

Enjoyed learning something new ... Thank you for that experiment ...

@MissOrchidGirl 7 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it :D

@cincin5112 7 жыл бұрын

very interesting. ..thank you

@Fabdanc 7 жыл бұрын

After watching this video, KZfaq recommends that I should watch "We Need a Miracle: Discounted Nelly Isler Orchids & new Paphiopedilum." I think what is quite interesting is that the dye circulates to the newest leaf (or is most visible). I say this because the flower spike is well below that new leaf. So, it would appear, that the stem of the plant delivers recirculating sap to the newest leaf first. I am wondering if that means that disease can travel from the flower spike, down to the stem, and impact the first leaf... sort of like an early warning system? Not saying the stem would not be affected, but signs may be more visible in the leaf than they would be in the stem. Hmmm, lots to think about.

@terryklemesrud758 7 жыл бұрын

This was very interesting!! Thanks for doing it for us!! Have a Happy New Year!

@MissOrchidGirl 7 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it :D happy new year to you too!

@linda3808 7 жыл бұрын

I bought one of those blue orchids about three years ago. When the blooms died, I did not cut back the stem all the way. The leaves then started taking on a very deep blue color. It was strange looking, and I wasn't sure the orchid would survive. But the blue leaves eventually turned green again, and the orchid is still doing very well for me. I get huge, white flowers every year.

@MissOrchidGirl 7 жыл бұрын

Ow that is very interesting, so after the flowers dropped more of the dye went into the leaves? thaks for the info :D

@samkat56 7 жыл бұрын

Yes, the leaves got very blue once the flowers were gone.

@triinibonsaid5999 6 жыл бұрын

See experiment done. Question answered.

@sunahyun6339 7 жыл бұрын

Very interesting and thanks for the experimentation

@MissOrchidGirl 7 жыл бұрын

glad you enjoyed it :)

@blinkbunny9781 7 жыл бұрын

thanks for sharing

@johnjhill3 7 жыл бұрын

There may be an important reason for sap to return from the flowers -- Hormones. The whole plant needs to know if flowers have been pollinated and are setting seed. As those events happen in the flower it might be sending hormones downstream to let the leaves and roots know of the new needs for nutrients and energy. It would take a bigger laboratory than either of us could muster to investigate this. Or perhaps such work has already been done?

@johnjhill3 7 жыл бұрын

Indeed, there has been much more work done than I was aware of. Regarding the movement of one important group of hormones: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytokinin#Mode_of_action

@smallcatandtallcat5886 5 жыл бұрын

Such a smart way of thinking! I feel a little stupid now, because it seems so obvious after I read your comment! Thanks for sharing ❤️

@santiagotarrafetamartinez7886 7 жыл бұрын

Great video Danny!!! Sorry for your orchid... but it was a great experiment!!! I always thought that sap was reused from the flower spike. I thought this because of the way the flower spike dries out. It starts up and then it goes down until it arrives to the stem. If it did not reuse the sap, I think the spike would dry out all at the same time or not always like that. This is not conclusive at all, of course, but this is what made me presume that the sap was reused, or at least back into the plant. Regards from Spain!!

@ivesvietro7513 7 жыл бұрын

Hi. Interesting!

@ZaihasSyakhir 4 жыл бұрын

I actually dont mind the blue leaf. Then again im a foliage guy 😌

@PalestinianByHeart 7 жыл бұрын

Do you have any videos with orchids which you have added colour into the pot,,i kinda want to try that, not this with cutting the srem , im afraid i might damage the stem if i try this!!??

@Umla80 7 жыл бұрын

makes me wonder if its worth it if you have a sad orchid with spikes to keep the spikes but maybe remove buds and flowers? if it gives back energy to the orchid? (wish id seen this before i repotted my new Dendrobium Phalaenopsis, they looked great when i bought them but went sad super fast turned out they were potted in more or less normal peat and a wierd coconut fibre plug? they are repotted now but not sure they will make it i think they are a Anna Green and a Polar Fire or atleast simular looking ones).

@Zapton5 7 жыл бұрын

Hmm I don't know if it was the diy that killed the spike. It mite of been the cut. Or both. I had a friend hit one of my outside flowers... more of a weed but I like it. With a weed eater. It was so miner he did not know he hit it. And I did not think the plant would care. As it's a hardy and requires no care. But the growth fell over and died anyway. I think sometimes plants just react badly to things that would not normally bother them as much.

@edvinfranzen839 7 жыл бұрын

Then if you have a sick orchid should you just remove the flowers and not the spike sow the orchid can use the energy from the spike to recover

@liliansather683 7 жыл бұрын

Hi Dany how are you? Well I'm not going to user you experiment it's a complicated and don't like change my orchids natural color but if I find a blue light any species like some cattleyas or vandas love it, I'm worry for your orchids stressed because what happens with the roots and leaves when pass the time . Thanks for sharing this experiment to us and dyed your spike.

@sketch6774 6 жыл бұрын

So would you say that maybe we should not cut off spikes after flowering so plant can take back the sap

@troyling8304 7 жыл бұрын

danny i bought a phal that is huge and its white. it has purple color on the back of the blooms (slightly)

@shergiljose 3 жыл бұрын

Is there any specific type of food dye I can use??? I tried with jel type but it didn’t work for me. Any suggestions plz

@09csr 7 жыл бұрын

Very interesting. Did you consider using Blue Curacau ( the alcohol free drinkmixer, not the actual beverage)? It has a pretty intense blue colour, so might be sufficient to colour the orchid. No idea if its harmful to the orchid though.

@chrisislei-coyle1736 7 жыл бұрын

Very interesting videos. Maybe if you put dye near the top of a flower spike that has lost it's flowers but not yet dried up itself?

@Irieliciousness 7 жыл бұрын

I think this more shows that the orchid directs the sap to the other spike in which case it must use structures that are shared with leaves to get to the other spike...I think had both spikes been intact I think we would have seen the same thing happen where the dye migrates between the two spikes and lightly dyes the leaves in the process...

@juanderhixxy 7 жыл бұрын

Is it safe to repot phaleanopsis with new flower flower spike? Or starting to have flower buds??? Please help!!! :(

@sylwiaryzak646 7 жыл бұрын

I will do the experiment today so let see, and I will let you know.

@cameliamaria1055 7 жыл бұрын

What kind of food dye did you use? I thought of trying an experiment with blue dye for Easter egss... :D

@nikitatolochkov2223 7 жыл бұрын

I have a friend in a flower shop and she said,that they use blue INC

@artemis.and.aphrodite 2 жыл бұрын

I wonder if you can edit the other video to say not to cut it? I watched that one first and just cut 2 orchids to put the dye in 😪 luckily I'm trying to dry & preserve them immediately so it shouldn't matter as much if the plant dies from its wound

@sillypantses Жыл бұрын

Food coloring? Injected with a syringe?

@JohnJohn-hv4ef 7 жыл бұрын

Hi Dani. For the first time after 3 years, my Dendrobium Nobile has finally produced the little nodes that are going to become flower spikes. The reason it didn't flower in the past 2 years was because even though I did the winter dry winter rest correctly, it was in a northern balcony and the poor thing just didn't get any sunlight during the fall for it to produce buds. This September I moved to an apartment with southern exposure so it had both a good dry winter rest and sunlight and the result is spectacular. It has nodes an all the canes it had produced during the last three summers. Yeahhh! My question is, is it time to bring it inside now and maybe start watering it a little? Or should I still keep it outside and give it just a tiny bit of water until the buds actually form? There is not a chance of frost here in Greece but still, it is winter outside and nighttime temperatures are down to 3 or 4 deggrees sometimes. Is that too low for spiking? Would it be better to bring it in my kitchen which is unheated but very sunny during the day?

@MissOrchidGirl 7 жыл бұрын

Hi John, uuu congrats, it will be a great show :D yep I would bring them into the unheated kitchen, they will develop a little faster there and if there is any chance of an unexpected frost, better not risk it. Water can be increased now, but just wait for the canes to give some signs of shriveling, they will do that gradually as the buds develop so no need for any heavy waterings yet, the orchid will let you know :)

@JohnJohn-hv4ef 7 жыл бұрын

You were so right about the unexpected frost. It snowed tonight. Nothing dramatic but still, very very cold. Luckily, thanks to your advice, I had already brought it inside last night before the snow. Thanks, Dani.

@unlabuntenga 7 жыл бұрын

0:44 if you hated it give it a thumbs down lol ha ha! Even with all the flower destruction your videos always get a thumbs up from me. ;)

@MrFkoller 7 жыл бұрын

could it be the result of cutting the stem and applying the dye on tissue that transports sap up into the flowers and down into the plant? Would that be considered recirculation?

@MissOrchidGirl 7 жыл бұрын

Hi, I am not sure what you mean, but basically that is what I did, I made a wound on the stem for the dye to enter the orchid's vascular system yes.

@craig6903 7 жыл бұрын

Is that why purple phalaenopsis, typically have reddish purple veins on the edge of the new leaves?

@nerdnation1076 7 жыл бұрын

Craig I don't think so it might just be the actual leaf colour. My leaves do that too but turn completely green the older it gets.

@nerdnation1076 7 жыл бұрын

Try using a Syringe to force dye into the stem.

@MissOrchidGirl 7 жыл бұрын

Hi, that won't work well since there is pressure in the spike and whatever dye you inject will simply drip out, a dropper left there would have worked better though :)

@sillypantses Жыл бұрын

@@MissOrchidGirl what if you suck out some juice first?

@smallcatandtallcat5886 5 жыл бұрын

Maybe the plant would suck even more nutrients back down if it actually was in "flowerspike aboard mode"?

@jillianlemmond5491 7 жыл бұрын

maybe try injecting the dye into the spoke with a fine needle like a diabetic needle from a drug store? might work without tramatizing the spoke?

@kennethcross5572 3 жыл бұрын

Us a suringe or a eye drops

@cecilialord4448 5 жыл бұрын

I have a dyed phal I received from a florist. I felt so bad for it. The leaves are completely blue, and it has giant leaves. It reminds me of a whale.

@Orquimaniaco 7 жыл бұрын

try to dilute it next time