Orchids are one of the most beautiful and the most rewarding plants to care for, in my opinion. There’s nothing like putting in tons of care to learn how to make orchids rebloom, and then being successful in your endeavors. Plus, in many cases, the more an orchid reblooms, the more blooms it puts out. In this post, I’ll walk you through how to make orchids rebloom every time so that you can fully enjoy every aspect of your orchid plant.
How to Care for Orchids
As a whole, Orchids are one of the most low-maintenance plants available on the market. They prefer bright, indirect sunlight (especially when blooming). While orchids are extremely easy to care for, most people go wrong with orchid care by watering incorrectly. Though some bloggers will recommend watering via an ice cube once a week, this is a great way to dehydrate your plant. Never use an ice cube to water your orchids. In fact, water them just as you would anything else—fully and until the extra water runs out the bottom.
Another important thing to mention is that how you care for orchids will depend on whether or not it is in an active state of blooming. To learn more about caring for an orchid in each state, check out this orchid care guide.
How to Get an Orchid to Rebloom
To ensure a rebloom next season, first cut off the old flower spike as soon as your orchid has dropped its last bloom. Use a pair of clean scissors to trim the stalk 3-inches from the other plant growth. Trimming the stalk will prevent any fungus caused via growth and decay, and this will also induce the plant to produce more spikes down the road. Immediately after blooming, I find it best to give my orchid a hearty dose of fertilizer. Orchids like to be fertilized at least once a growing season, but can be harmed by more frequent fertilization.
If you want consistent reblooms on your orchid, you’ll have to ensure that it’s receiving proper care all year long. Ensuring that your plant is in an orchid-specific medium (I like this one best) is a good place to start. Additionally, as I mentioned earlier, consistent, deep watering is key. Orchids tend to like to run dry, and should only be watered when their roots look shriveled and wrinkly. Plump roots are a sign that the plant isn’t thirsty and has plenty of water.
Additionally, orchids are like most plants and benefit from a cooler period to help induce blooming. Move your orchid to a cooler spot that hits around 60 degrees at night to help induce a flower spike. After a week or two of cooler nights, you should notice a new flower stalk beginning to form.
What To Do If Your Orchid Isn’t Reblooming
Orchids typically bloom once every Spring. However, given the right conditions they can bloom multiple times per year. If you are due for new blooms and aren’t having luck, here are a few tips:
- If your orchid isn’t reblooming, move it to a cooler area at night. This is a surefire way to trigger blooming.
- Additionally, with the cooler temps, move it to an area of bright, indirect light during the day. Orchids love tons of indirect light, and their blooms will benefit from it in no time.
- Make sure your orchid is in total darkness at night. Solar lights, skylights, etc. all need to be immediately darkened. The darker the better.
