DIY Blue Orchid - How blue Phalaenopsis Orchids are made

[@tamaraprevitali1990]

Hi Danni - for my son's sixth grade science project he made a white Carnation glow under a black light by taking apart a highlighter pen and using the center filament for his color - he put The filament in a glass of water and then put the Carnation in it and it absorbed the color but you couldn't see the color until we shined a black light on it. I was so proud of him because he thought of doing this all by himself.

[@MissOrchidGirl]

oh that sounds very neat congrats! :D

[@bubbler891]

Tamara Previtali now a glowing orchid would be pretty cool lol

[@rhythmandblues_alibi]

Wow what a kool idea!

[@trents.b6903]

Lies, all lies.

[@christeennone8361]

at a grocery store near me, they have blue, dark purple and hot pink . I have made friends with the florist there and she calls me when she is throwing out different plants. I just purchased several orchids from her ,most under $ 1 dollar each. I love saving plants of all kinds ....BTW I'm a fairly new sub. thanks for all the help xoxo

[@MissOrchidGirl]

oh gotta love cheap orchids :D yep my entire Oncidium collection was originally started with discounted orchids, didn't even know what they were :P

[@christeennone8361]

I just picked up my first Oncidium the day I wrote my first comment. I've only grown Phals. .I have heard Oncidiums are easier to grow. ...(I guess that all depends lol) ...it smell heavenly. Thank you so much for the reply...truly enjoy watching your video's xoxo

[@troolee]

Update: After watching the experiment with whether the sap goes back into the plant for nutrients, I was able to check the dried out stem, and I did indeed find the original wound that color was applied through and then taped over. I did not recognize it, but now I knew what I was looking at, thanks to you. The wound was quite high on the stem, so it stands to reason, the sap does indeed go back into the plant. This also could explain that dark blue node at the bottom. Another thing I noticed was that the dried out stem inside was blue/purple as well, all the way at the bottom where I had clipped it. Thoroughly enjoyed this topic. Thank you!

[@stoutzoo]

I am working on a blue orchid right now. I wasn't sure this technique would really work so I tried it on a white African violet first. By the next day I had very pale blue flowers on the violet. By day 3 more buds had opened and they were a beautiful darker blue! My orchid is still in the tiny bud stage but I have noticed they are picking up the blue. I used blue food coloring paste on mine and other then my fingers being a bit blue it hasn't made a mess on the plant.

[@orchidsadutchy4940]

Thanks, this was interesting to watch. I also thought they placed the pot into water with dye. It would have been interesting to see a time lapse of a white flower becoming blue. I didn't know it can happen that fast, overnight. It's interesting how the veining of the blooms show. It's hard to guess if the Millenium Magic is making new growths or spikes. For the time of the year, it could be spikes, but if it's still getting used to Cy's climate, maybe it's more likely new growths. But if it's new growths, that would mean it's two of them, and soon you will have a specimen size plant. :) Merry Christmas!! :))

[@Susan-mo9mr]

I think your colour is beautiful, I am not a big fan of the ones I see in the store but your colour is real pretty.

[@Nightswarmer]

Now all I can think of is to dye all my mom's orchids is weird colors till she comes home from vacation.. :'D

[@KhloesMomma0315]

I got a "blue mystique #5" orchid last year that is just now showing new growth. I knew it was just a white orchid dyed blue but I didn't know how it was done. I was kinda bummed that it wasn't going to grow back blue, but now that I know how to do it I'm going to try this when the stem gets a bit longer. Thanks!

[@bubbler891]

I recently saw a psychedelic looking phal on Instagram and I reckon it was colour fed but with more than one colour! It was crazy looking but beautiful. Maybe next project is to change colour every other day

[@angelmendoza5690]

OMG I LOVEEE THE VEINING🤩🤩I bough an orchid today just for this😭🤩

[@nicolaslotz7499]

"..you got a reaction, didn't you?" xD

[@sirfake]

Man of culture i see

[@mariettayusi5428]

hi danni.. i like watching your videos about orchids..since im just a beginner on orchids. lots of them dies. due to lack of knowledge how to take care of them..thanks,and more power on your channel..

[@raluhovarth]

Thank you so much for those recommendations ! I love the naturally blue / purple ones.

[@van0tot100]

They are wandas

[@troolee]

I am in the process of saving one of these "blue" orchids from the supermarket. I found there is a node that is possibly an aerial root. Unfortunately, it is a dark blue while the lower roots (what is left of them) are the proper light green. I have also found indications of blue dye in the leaf veins. This makes me wonder where the wound to make the blooms' color was placed. Interesting process, though. Thanks for the informative video!

[@marinacheong368]

Thank you Danny I watching your videos every day

[@flufflebut8781]

What food dye did you use? My concern is what effect different food dyes have on the plant, but if it is just the flower spike I'm more willing to experiment. I know it is unnatural, but it is cool to see and highlight the veins. Kids go wow and want to learn how the plant circulation works. And it is legit blue, unlike 97% of plants labeled "blue" but are actually clearly lilac, violet, or other purple. Even that famous "blue" rose that was genetically engineered to be true blue was still clearly lilac due to the other pigments messing with the blue color.

[@traceycanady4259]

I tried your technique and it worked. 💙

[@cameliamaria1055]

Very interesting, I knew they were colored somehow, but I had no idea how. Maybe I will try it myself with a mini. Thanks for sharing and happy holidays!

[@matthewwilliamson455]

🎶You got a reaction, You got a reaction didn't you? You took a white orchid, You took a white orchid and turned it blue🎶

[@finflwr]

The blue orchid my six year old son gave me for my birthday last year was dyed completely, roots, leaves and flowers. The only input of dye was a cut in the flower stem. There was no blue in the medium. Another controlled experiment perhaps to do? Personally, I propose that the plant is moving the dye to all parts of the plant from the flower stem cut, no matter how odd that sounds logically speaking ; ) The orchid my son gave me has grown a nice new green leaf now!

[@MissOrchidGirl]

+finflwr the experiment is already on the way, started it on the 21st and yep, signs show sap recirculates ;)

[@finflwr]

Awesome! Look forward to that one. Plants are not as cut and dry as we may think! No pun intended, lol!!

[@MissOrchidGirl]

lol it is an interesting experiment, I actually didn't think sap was recirculated but I was wrong :D kind of exciting to see what happens to it next

[@finflwr]

It could be more parallel to an animal circulatory system than we assume, accessing all the parts of the organism to deliver nutrients, liquids and gases to any part that needs it. Perhaps our experiences with cut flowers have conditioned us to think of it more as a one way system : ) When I studied plant science years ago, we learned of both up and down systems of sap in trees and such.

[@PalestinianByHeart]

I honestly, LOVE this experiment, very good, if you can please do other white plants into blue!!!????

[@marygorchidsmore2058]

Interesting. I don't like the idea of dying the orchid but yours one look kind of beautiful with all those veining . I had seen this experiment on you tube before but you shown it better. Thanks for sharing.

[@MissOrchidGirl]

Thanks :D yep I really dislike them too, but hope this video will help people know what these are and not spend a ton of money on one and be disappointed after :)

[@inspire734]

Now it is 2020. HEB in Texas has the deep blue ones, must have improved the dye they used. Things get better over the years.

[@susankolb354]

can you use disposable syringe to inject the dye?

[@truther3938]

Wondering the same thing

[@DrinkingStar]

In my area, they sell the blue orchids as "infused" orchids. I have seen a few videos on KZbin by orchid enthusiasts showing how they infused the orchids with dye. There was one video showing how multicolored flowers were infused. The attempts by the amateurs had less vivid colors flowers than those infused orchids bought in stores. For the colored dye to get up to the flowers, it has to travels in the tubes called Xylem which transport water and minerals upwardly throughout the plant

[@MissOrchidGirl]

Hi, isn;t it the phloem rather? the one that transports the elaborated sap? that's why I made the wound deeper, to get to that layer

[@DrinkingStar]

Hi Dani. Sap is the name given to the liquid material traveling through tubes in the plant. These tubes are called xylem and phloem. There are 2 types of sap. The sap is named according the tube it is traveling through. Sap traveling in the xylem is called xylem sap and sap traveling in the phloem is called phloem sap. The general direction of xylem sap is from roots to the stem and eventually to the leaves. Flowers are modified leaves. Phloem sap moves generally in the opposite direction from the photosynthesizing parts of the plant to the non-photosynthesizing parts of the plant. Xylem sap consists mainly of water and dissolved minerals(fertilizers/plant food) with some other things in lesser amounts. Phloem sap consists mainly of sugars dissolved in water. There are also others things in lesser amounts in phloem sap. The xylem and phloem cells are in close proximity to each other. They are located in what is called the vascular cylinder in the middle portion( center) of the plant's root, stem, and also, in the case of the orchid, the orchid spike. Because they are in the center of these plant structures, one needs to cut somewhat deeply into these structures to introduce or to remove material. Since the dye is traveling from the spike to the flowers( modified leaves), the dye has to be traveling in the xylem. The fluid conducting cells of the xylem are dead. They are hollow like straws but have perforations along the side walls so that the fluid can also move laterally to the surrounding cells. In the leaves and flowers, the xylem and phloem form the veins. The dye flows out of the xylem in the veins of the flower to diffuse into the surrounding cells. The veins will be stained darker until the concentration of the dye is equal throughout the flower.

[@laurieparis2203]

DrinkingStar Danny did a really thorough video covering the topic of Xylem and Phleom last month, I think? Check it out on her homepage, I think you will enjoy it!🌱

[@chelseylowry4400]

My dad really likes the blue Phals, so I tried making him one using this video (before I saw your update) and unfortunately the food dye I used (McCormick dye) desiccated all of the flowers & buds. :-( Hopefully I can find the right type of dye for them!

[@13371340]

Hi,may I ask you kindly what is the right type of dye for orchids, because my dye is not working on them,,,Thanks

[@omietopi]

I know it's just an experience but I think that it looks horrible ! I can't understand why they do that. It's just my personal opinion, nothing against you Danny...

[@MissOrchidGirl]

+Bettina no worries, I don't like them either, very patchy abs undefined coloring plus I don't like this ink blue shade at all in general

[@TheCaptaininsaino]

They do it because some people actually like blue flowers. Nobody is forcing you to buy them.

[@summerrobinson8411]

Crabby Pants what a huge disappointment it must be for the people who are in love with their “blue" orchid to find out at its next blooming that they just paid for an over priced white orchid. At least now they have an idea of how to repeat the process so their white orchid won't leave them looking sad and blue.

[@asagalen2031]

They do that to increase Sales :P you know business :P

[@summerrobinson8411]

Asa Galen yes unfortunately I do know how businesses scam people into believing that they have something of a higher quality than they do, just like those orchids some of the people running these businesses are not “true blue".

[@meocoi9506]

Great information as usual. The only thing is there is no break to breath, no pause in between sentences. I get tense listening. Thanks for sharing though.

[@agnesfejes4440]

Warning! I am a school lab technician and we dye flowers and celery sticks with food dye. Only water-based dyes use to work, the ones that have glycerol (glycerin) as the main ingredient, would not!

[@sunahyun6339]

Very clever, could be useful, thank you for sharing,

[@13371340]

Hey Danni, very useful page congratulations,I have a question for you, What is the suitable dye for orchids, and where can we find it? Thanks so much

[@BlackCat_2]

I am going to be in the camp that does not like this and now worried that any orchid I may buy (or have bought) is dyed. I have heard a rumor this past weekend that my local store sells dyed orchids. I plan to discuss that with the florist there next time I go. I definitely only want natural color orchids. - Heidi

[@susiewilliams9939]

I think it's beautiful

[@Harry-cy5vz]

Time to make a black orchid!

[@patrickurbanski9178]

Hi Danni! I love your videos and had a question about the blue phaleanopsis. If the plant were to shoot off a secondary spike from the dyed one, do you think it blue as well? Thanks!

[@quyennguyen536]

Yeah, thanks for showing...but I prefer the natural color as it's so so pretty already:)

[@CarnivorousPlantsAndGardening]

I do too but I bought some white orchids specifically so I could dye the flowers different colors when they rebloom

[@NesuChambers]

About the witchcraft orchid, could it be one new growth and one flower spike? I'm quite unexpirienced but I never saw a catasetum growing two new growths from the same bulb.

[@samuelruiz7377]

I have one that was a pretty crazy purple and i noticed the leaves were slightly colored. The orchid didnt have white blooms instead it was purple with white tips

[@AnimeReviewDDC]

This was great, thank you so much for making a video of this! The best results I have had is doing this experiment on a flower spike that is developing and not currently budding. That is how I got the best results. However, keeping the blue from dripping is very challenging. I had to use epoxy. Thanks ;)

[@MissOrchidGirl]

Hi, yes I think that the color is stronger when you start earlier with the dosage, but I wasn't keen on getting a blue orchid, I just wanted to show the procedure and see the blue in the flower, now I hope the next rebloom won't have hints of blue :P

[@AnimeReviewDDC]

Yeah I hope it won't have blue hints as well, and I hope the blue fades from the leaves. I see many blue orchids being sold with blue pigmented leaves. Not a fan, especially when they scam people and say that they are blue when they are just dyed. Very unfair and very overpriced. Thank you so much. Love the vid ;).

[@susancollins2486]

GREAT! Thanks so much. I was told that a special fertilizer was used........now I know the true story

[@itammarakam8836]

Where can I buy this ink/color?

[@lordorielrising4673]

I’m wondering if a very fine needle is used at a downwards angle. You could then fill the needle with dye using a pipette.

[@dianasorchids]

Fascinating, not quiet like dying eggs but good to know. Thanks!

[@MissOrchidGirl]

oh dying eggs is a lot more fun :P

[@phoenixfritzinger9185]

Could you try to make a DIY singolo? It looks like they just cut it off at the spike so it focuses all of the energy into the single bloom

[@TheKungFuPanda94]

Hi, hope you see my question and answer 😊 how does the puncture wound effect the hydration of the plant, shouldn't the wound be covered so that the stem doesn't dry?

[@konstantinachatzinikolaou7589]

You are amazing !!!

[@rubinakiss-ladjanszky2917]

Hi Miss Orchid Girl, i tried to paint my white orchid with the method you show here, but for some reason my orchid is not getting bluer at all :( what can be the reason, do you have some guesses? Thanks! I really like your videos, they are great!

[@bluepawn]

I see you have red (pink) lights leds in the background for your orchids... do you have the perfect led lights reference for indoor orchids but with the best strong white light (and not red like you have) ?

[@LadyAnyaRomanov]

just wondering if you could use this technique in order to produce coloured seed pods….so fake blue flowers to create blue seeds?

[@veenasahithi8981]

I tried to do the same with a red dye. Only one flower bloomed and all buds. But the color didn't show.😢

[@adrianomikami]

does black food colloring works too?

[@peachycatmira]

Black food coloring is just a saturated mix of all the colors, so the orchid would probably just turn dark green.

[@pboo2607]

I have a old single stem white phalaenopsis and the flower stem is about 6 or 7 inches long with the flowere buds just beginning to form. What would be a good time to apply the blue food colour ?

[@ratman4747]

I have a little question. What color did you use for the grouting ? What color is it?

[@rayocaballo6122]

Wow real interesting. Wonder how a hypordermic needle would work were you could shoot dye it in several differnt spots?

[@rubysch3534]

I tried that but the dye dripped out immediately when I took the needle out

[@laurieparis2203]

Ruby Sch yah, that's how I assumed it worked, too.

[@ryanc1037]

This is fantastic!! Nice work!

[@dralpharyderistheone]

so i can dye my orchid into any color i want, if i have that pigment. I am thinking the only natural pigment i can get is orange juice. Plus i can use extract color from rose flower petal.

[@ivesvietro7513]

I love this flowers!

[@nonoypaso9955]

Hello is this applicable to other plants to change leaf color?

[@bluepawn]

the video is great but the most interesting technical part has been cut and not shown in your video.

[@sylwiaryzak646]

Where I can buy the pigment?

[@roxanneparker9126]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Years to you and yours. Love your Channel I'm learning alot. I only have 4 orchids and there all phelanopsys.

[@MissOrchidGirl]

Happy Holidays to you too and hope you have a wonderful time :D

[@sugamin4553]

Can I do this with Cattleya Orchids?

[@laurieparis2203]

Such an interesting experiment, Danny! I always assumed they injected the dye. Aesthetically, I find them rather creepy, like blue dyed carnations or roses... they look so unnatural, nothing like the blue of cornflowers, flax flowers, hydrangeas, delphiniums... they look like they've been stained with methylene blue!😨

[@MissOrchidGirl]

Hi Laurie, well injecting won;t work due to the pressure in the stem, but I think they do use more specialized instruments, maybe a dropper inserted in the spike :) and yep they look really terrible and the price is absurd

[@laurieparis2203]

MissOrchidGirl well... in any case it was a good experiment... I won't be buying or dyeing them, but when that blue GMO Japanese phal eventually makes it to my grocer's, I'll be buying! Now THAT'S a beautiful, natural looking blue!

[@agnesfejes4440]

I tried it. The other spike got its flowers blue as well. Less than the one I dyed but still it did not remain white. Also the flowers became soft within a day and within a week started to fall off. So in spite of the nice color, it was a failure for me.

[@Shaselle1]

Could you show how you put the dye? What dye do you use?

[@flufflebut8781]

Fascinating. Thinking I could design and 3d print a tiny super cheap decorative IV drip. Closed system to minimize infection and spills. Not sure about getting a needle appropriate for sufficient dye delivery though. Maybe make the reservoir look like an insect perching on the stem.

[@mahakaalbhairavarmy738]

Which medicine is used to dye flowers

[@janicerodriguez1997]

Hi Dani, do you have any roses?

[@meyudam7290]

Hello! Miss OrchidGirl Can I ask for a name for the color of the medicine? thans.

[@Adriorquideas]

How can I get this blue product?

[@deliadahlia1847]

Thanks. Where can buy a pigment?

[@annagalabova1289]

Merry Christmas, Danny! :)

[@Cruz7883]

Should I throw out my orchids If the roots are yellow please help

[@vilijavasiliauskaite9444]

How long does it take to see the results 😍😍😍

[@tekkenvamp]

What did you use to change the colour

[@liliansather683]

Hi Dany , for me I don't like fakes color's in the orchids when seem they in markets A lots but really looks fake and expensive . Very interesting video,but never did it to my orchids.

[@MissOrchidGirl]

Yep they are really ugly :P no worries you don;t have to, it's just a video for awareness more than anything, reason why I didn't color all the orchid :P

[@esmeraldasmithsmith2631]

Hi . Where can I buy the dye !?🤗

[@marisacabrera3953]

What dye did you use? The name brand?

[@chrisgbrl28]

hello am from nicosia too , where can i find this dye for flowers??

[@lydiaperez3130]

What of dye you use let me know

[@mahakaalbhairavarmy738]

Please add the name of the medince

[@MissOrchidGirl]

Hi, it's not a medicine, it's a random food dye which you'll find at your local grocery shop. Multiple brands make it :)

[@liliansather683]

Happy holidays Dany you and your family,my best wishes,saludos.

[@MissOrchidGirl]

Hi Lidia, happy holidays to you too and all the best in the world :D

[@ashwinisagars.h3369]

can u tel me how to grow keikis fast

[@miche7032]

Once I gently rubbed the petals of a blue orchid at one of the big box stores here , my fingers were stained... Since , I never care to look at them because I know that they're not real ...

[@MissOrchidGirl]

That's a great tip as well for people who are thinking of buying them :D

[@tonyallan9861]

“U got a white orchid and turned it blue”

[@kennethcross5572]

Interesting why not use clingfilm with cotton and inject it at the top so it doesn't drip out of the bottom

[@betsymartinez3773]

I bought blue Orchids and they are blooming again unfortunately they are not blue and it’s too late to dye them blue

[@purplerain3457]

hi I saw a pure light green phal in a documentary in the UK it had no signs of it being dyed it was a smooth natural greenish white Is this a hybrid if so can you name it

[@Mr.EmeraldTheGreen]

somethingsadandrelatable I have an orchid book that describes the same description and if it’s the same one, it’s called “Emerald Fantasy”

[@xiaoxiaotai7303]

the blue orchids in the flour shops next to me are labeled "watercolour blue orchids"

[@sylwiaryzak646]

Danii where I can buy the blue pigment? I want do this experiment.

[@MissOrchidGirl]

HI, you can find it at any grocery shop, but mind you it is a drying agent for the orchid, I am currently losing this spike so maybe try a vegetable based coloring agent.

[@sylwiaryzak646]

MissOrchidGirl ok thank you I will try.

[@sirfake]

You took a white orchid, You took a white orchid turned it blue.

[@anitadesadier7287]

Wouldn't it be easier to inject the food color with a syringe....it won't damage the stem as much

[@MissOrchidGirl]

Hi, spikes are not like veins, it would not go in but spill all over :) things move slowly

[@mahae_16]

Miss Orchid girl e un canal din Romania? Ghiveciul are pret in lei ☺

[@goodtimewithtree2671]

Try test it with hospital Neil with drip straw

[@KylaA5952]

White Stripes “you took a white orchid, turned it blue”….

[@xanacosta6817]

Somebody try? And works?

[@tiokurniawanprasetio1469]

Kenpa vdieo diskip waktu aplikasi?

[@darth_autie_117]

Anyone else think this was a White Stripes reference?

[@roxanneparker9126]

I purchased one this year. What a bummer at $35.

[@MissOrchidGirl]

yep that is the price here as well, it's euros though :P 35 e.. just a rip off

[@roxanneparker9126]

Well, I've learned from your channel so I won't make the mistake twice. Thank you.💖 for your tutorials. I really Love them.

[@dancingnature]

I almost bought one. I think I ended up with a sanseveria

[@luisdunk136]

I saw it in Kroger

[@Zapton5]

Wow I like how that Worked out. This I can get behind. Blue Barry Oscar fish. No I find the cruel. I will not be doing this to my wight oscars. My orchids on the other hand. That mite be fun.

[@MissOrchidGirl]

Oh dear the injected fish, now that's something that really needs to stop :( I am not happy about died orchids either but heh, best way to fight it is to not buy them. Ps: the food dye I used is not completely harmless, you will see in my next videos.

[@laurieparis2203]

MissOrchidGirl Now that's a scary thought! But it's the reason why I read labels on foods, detergents, shampoos... anything that goes in or on my body. Looking forward to your follow up. 🌱