Orchids are valuable accent pieces to any home or office space, as their beautiful blooms significantly enhance their aesthetics. Besides, orchids’ natural air-purifying properties help them clean up the harmful fumes in their surroundings. But, most species of orchids bloom 1-2 times a year, lasting for several weeks to months. This is followed by a resting period known as the dormant phase. Proper care is important during this phase to help the orchids rebloom.
1. Provide sufficient humidity
Like other plants, orchids require a certain amount of humidity for their proper growth and development. While this humidity is essential, orchids only need watering about once every 5-12 days or a week. These plants are classified as epiphytes, meaning they absorb humidity from the surrounding air. To optimize the humidity content in orchids, misting the plant periodically is a solid solution. Orchids tend to live and grow in large bunches. To adequately humidify entire ecosystems of orchids, all one needs to do is place a humidity tray underneath the plants. Doing so ensures they receive ample humidity without leaving the roots in standing water, which may harm the plant.
While watering orchids, one must ensure that the liquid drains out of the pot’s bottom to ensure a consistent bloom. One must also make sure that the potting medium dries on top between each watering session.
2. Delay repotting until the orchid finishes blooming
It is normal to think that new plants must be repotted immediately after buying them. But, for orchids, it is best to delay this until after the blooming has ended. This is because repotting the orchid plant right after buying may cause the ongoing bloom to drop prematurely.
Once the last bloom has dropped, most orchid species will enter their active growth phase, which is when they start growing new leaves and roots in preparation for the next bloom. While repotting, one must properly clean their scalpel to ensure they are free of any microorganisms.
Typically, orchids do not need a large pot to bloom. They usually grow better in a smaller pot, and their roots snugly fit the inside of the pot to attain stability. For this reason, the new pot should not be more than an inch bigger than the pot the orchid previously came out of. Orchids do not grow in regular soil. So, one must use a specialized potting medium for the plant to grow in the perfect environment.
3. Use lighting strategically to aid blooming
Along with humidity, light is another major component plants need to grow and develop. Insufficient access to light is one of the key reasons why orchids do not bloom adequately. At first, the sagging growth of orchids due to a lack of adequate light will not be immediately apparent. Orchids tend to be deceptive as their leaves look green even if they are not getting enough light. To ensure quick reblooming, people need to move their orchid plants to a location, preferably an east-facing or south-facing window, where they will have sufficient access to sunlight.
Orchids are very sensitive to reducing light intensity. Even a thin layer of dust and dirt on the leaves blocks light from entering the plant. The same applies to the windows as well. To ensure that orchids get the best amount of light, one must frequently clean the windows of the room they are placed in. One can check the color of the orchid leaves to determine if they are receiving enough sunlight. If the leaves are a lighter (or medium light) shade of green, then the light received is adequate. On the other hand, if the leaves are dark green, then it means they are not getting enough light. Furthermore, it is important to avoid placing these plants in direct sunlight as it tends to damage them.
4. Use timely cooling
Certain kinds of orchids, such as moth orchids, bloom throughout the winter and into the spring. These plants tend to grow better when they are exposed to a marked change in surrounding temperature. For such plants, the bloom period occurs when there is a 10 to 15-degree change in temperature between daytime and night-time. One can use strategies like placing the orchid plants in a cooler location at night. This will ensure that the temperature in a plant’s surroundings drops, facilitating blooming.
5. Apply fertilizers tailored for orchids
Not all fertilizers are useful for the growth and development of orchids. Depending on the species of a given orchid, using the correct type of fertilizers can stimulate its growth and help it bloom faster. People must look for customized products that contain large reserves of elements that aid orchid growth. If one uses dry fertilizers, it is important to dissolve them in water before application. Doing so helps avoid burning the plant’s roots.
6. Trim old spikes
To enable the fast reblooming of orchids after their dormant phase, people need to take the stress off the plant by removing old spikes and any faded blooms. Removing these parts reduces unnecessary energy expenditure, helping the plant channel nutrients toward producing new flowers.