Cut orchid usually remains fresh for 12 days, but through a research, Dwi Amiarsi and Yulianingsih of Indonesian Ornamental Plants Research Institute (Balai Penelitian Tanaman Hias) discover a way to keep the orchid remains fresh for 20 days. Here is what to do. Submerge cut orchid in a solution containing 50 ppm silver nitrate, 10% sugar cane, and 15 ppm citric acid for 90 minutes. Those substances are easily obtained in chemical shop. Normally growers only submerge it in soil water. The submerging solution discovered by Amiarsi and Yulianingsih is a source of carbohydrate that serves as an energy source for orchid life continuity. The solution also serves to protect peduncle against microorganism attack. The percentage of the blooming bud into flower is also high, 78,16%. Generally it is less than 50%.***
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Cocopeat to Stimulates Roots
Roots hold a prominent role for a plant as water and nutrition absorber to maintain its life continuity. To accelerate the roots of Aglaonema rotundum originated of Sumatera, as an example, A method done by Josialazuardi, an aglaonema hobbyist in Tangerang, Banten, can be adopted. Plant rootless aglaonema in media of cocopeat and put it under shading net 65%. After a month, new roots will emerge. The reason is that it does not only serve as growing media, cocopeat also contains root stimulating hormone. If other media used such as burnt husk, raw husk, or a compound of cocochip, cocopeat, and burnt husk, new roots will emerge after 2 months. ***
