Flower aficionados and gardening enthusiasts alike may be heartbroken when their beautiful orchids stop blooming. However, phalaenopsis, one of the most common varieties, fortunately has the impressive ability to produce new flowers from old stems – even in home conditions. With a little work and the right tools and tactics, you can bring your stunning orchid blossoms back to life in no time.
Just follow these tips on how to make orchids re-bloom:
- First of all, you’ll need to take humidity and watering into account to ensure your orchids bloom properly. Specifically, never let the roots completely dry out in between watering. As your house may get dry from your heating system during the winter, you might want to consider setting your orchids on a specialized humidity grid or a pebble-lined tray.
- Additionally, it’s crucial that you stick to a consistent fertilization routine. Once a month is typically enough, or you could break it up into weekly fertilizing at a quarter strength.
- As much as water and fertilizer important, light is also something to consider. Orchids typically flourish in bright light, but direct sun can be too harsh. Aim to place them near windows that face east or west, where the sun rises and sets. You can also set them under full-spectrum grow lights to help them thrive.
- Orchids are sensitive to temperature, and will grow best when it drops to about 55 to 60 degrees at night. So you might move your flowers to a colder setting, such as a north-facing windowsill or a screened in porch, for four to six weeks to see if it helps promote new flowers.
- Sometimes, despite all of this effort, your orchid still won’t blossom. In that case, trim the flower stem about halfway down with a clean, sharp blade. Then dab melted candle wax onto the cut so that a bacterial infection does not occur. You can also use cinnamon powder to seal it up.
- Place the plant into a tight-fitting pot and allow it fall back into its growth cycle. Keep watching for green tips on the white roots, and then move the plant to a larger pot so that it has more room.
- If you continue to care for your orchid properly, you should see a re-bloom within about eight to 12 weeks, which will then thrive for about three to four months.
