Phalaenopsis is one of the most flexible orchids, capable of blooming almost uninterruptedly. However, novice orchid growers often observe long pauses between flowering of this orchid. The proposed article will tell you about How do you get an orchid to bloom again and why this happens.
How do you get an orchid to bloom again?
if you want to bloom orchid again you need to take care of miskate during orchid flowering. here complete step by step guide on blooming your orchid again.
How do you care for a blooming orchid?
Despite their adaptability to any conditions of detention, phalaenopsis, like other plants, begin to release flower arrows only under certain conditions:
- Long daylight hours and intense sun exposure. In ordinary Russian apartments, where plants chronically lack sunlight for six months, this condition is not provided. Normal daylight hours for orchids are 12 hours. Therefore, starting in autumn, the missing hours of natural light must be filled with artificial.
- Daily drops in air temperature. Phalaenopsis are thermophilic orchids, but they bloom only with fluctuations in day and night temperatures. It should be warm during the day and cool at night, and the temperature difference is desirable within 5-8 degrees.
- Change of “seasons of humidity”. In tropical forests, where orchids of this species grow in nature, the change of the rainy and drought seasons is very pronounced. Hybrid phalaenopsis are better adapted to the absence of such a change, but still bloom better after temporary drying.
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Among the accompanying conditions for the normal flowering of phalaenopsis, one can name the age of the plant and the state of its health. It is understood that an orchid suffering from infections or pests, undergoing pesticide treatments, can take long breaks between blooms.
Important! Phalaenopsis, like other orchids, have a dormant phase, only normally it is poorly expressed in them. Therefore, you do not need to expect constant flowering from the plant. There are different phases in the life cycle of phalaenopsis, and a short break in flowering is necessary for them to build up roots and leaves.
A healthy phalaenopsis that does not bloom, but cheerfully grows roots and young leaves, does not need to stimulate flowering. At the end of the growth phase, the orchid will independently release a peduncle. The main thing is to maintain good conditions of detention.
Mistakes leading to inhibition of Orchid flowering
The long absence of flowering in phalaenopsis orchids is often caused by mistakes made by flower growers:
- Frequent and abundant feeding. Orchids should not be over-fed, especially with nitrogen-containing fertilizers. The nutritional requirements of these plants are much lower than that of any others.
- Failure to maintain a balance between humidity, air temperature and illumination. These three conditions must be clearly regulated. At a high temperature, there may be more light and moisture; in a cool apartment, watering and spraying should be rare, but the amount of light should be sufficient.
- Stimulant abuse. Even healthy vitamin supplements should be applied in moderation. Moreover, this applies to hormonal drugs, which in case of overdoses cause the opposite effect – not stimulation of growth and flowering, but oppression.
Blooming is also inhibited by such circumstances as the frequent change of the location of the orchid in the apartment, transplantation or treatment with potent systemic pesticides.
Stimulation of the formation of a peduncle in phalaenopsis
The lack of flowering in phalaenopsis can be expressed in different ways. The most common manifestation is the stubborn refusal of a plant to release a peduncle. At the same time, phalaenopsis can feel great, regularly give new leaves, branch out the root system. This is normal for 1-3 months, but sometimes this situation drags on for a year or more.
If the phalaenopsis does not release the arrow for a long time, you can force it to change the phase of the life cycle as follows:
- Artificial drought. At first, watering is gradually reduced to the orchid throughout the month. During this period, bathing in the shower stops, the pot is immersed in water, irrigation becomes rare and only through a watering can along the edge of the pot. After a month, watering and spraying completely stop. The dry period can be maintained from 3 weeks to a month.
- Decrease in temperature. This measure enhances the effect of artificial drought. For the duration of the drying period, the orchid is placed in cooler conditions than usual, and after the end of the dry period, it returns to its place.
Such stimulation is called “stressful” and is successfully practiced by many growers:
“In general, my phalaenopsis blooms regularly. But there was one stubborn person who, after the end of the store bloom, sat idle for a whole year. She felt sorry for him for a long time, but in the spring she decided to give him stress. I dried the soil, sent it to the glassed-in balcony, and left it there without water for almost a month. During the day, the temperature there was normal, about +25, but at night it dropped to +10. There is a lot of light. When the leaves began to wrinkle slightly, she returned the exile home, watered him with immersion, and fed him. The arrow hatched in 2 weeks”.
With the beginning of the growth of the peduncle, irrigation must be performed regularly. At this stage, prolonged drying of the substrate should not be allowed, but it is also not recommended to fill it. The soil should saturate the roots with water and dry out in a few hours. The next watering is 2-3 days after the whitening of the velamen layer.
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What to do when orchids have stopped flowering?
Another option for inhibition of flowering is less common. It is expressed in the fact that the peduncle that began to form suddenly stops growing. In this case, the problem is solved differently:
- The humidity of the substrate and air is checked. Watering is normalized so that the orchid is well supplied with water, but the substrate does not remain wet for more than a day. Air humidity rises to 60-70%.
- A phytolamp is installed above the orchid. In this case, the main luminous flux is directed to the tip of the peduncle.
- Foliar top dressing with boron fertilizer is performed. To do this, you can dilute boric acid in water (1 g per 1 l) or use a special complex fertilizer for orchids containing boron.
It is also worth checking the air temperature. At this stage, daily drops should be maintained, but too low night temperatures are contraindicated. During the period of peduncle growth, the optimal thermometer at night is +18 0 C.
A frozen, but lively peduncle should not dry out. If its top is dry, then flowering will not take place, and the arrow will have to be cut out.
Should you fertilize orchids when they are blooming?
Fertilizers play a secondary, but important role in the regulation of orchid flowering. Sometimes phalaenopsis refuses to bloom if it is depleted, and then the plant must be given one of the following fertilizers containing:
| Description | Application |
| Complete complex with good phosphorus and potassium content, enriched with boron, manganese, iron, zinc, copper, and molybdenum. | 5 ml of the drug is dissolved in 1 liter of water, watering is performed at the root. |
| The ready-to-use solution in the form of a spray containing a complete set of nutrients, enriched with B vitamins and amino acids. | Spray the leaves and aerial roots once a week. |
| An innovative formula with a full complement of mineral elements in the form of salts and chelates, enriched with succinic acid, amino acids, and B vitamins. | For irrigation 1 ml of fertilizer is diluted per 1 liter of water. For spraying 1 ml of fertilizer is diluted into 2 liters of water. |
For the start of flowering, an orchid needs a normal phosphorus supply. Therefore, during the growth of the peduncle, it is necessary to regularly apply phosphorus-containing compositions.
As soon as the phalaenopsis forms buds, feeding stops. Practice shows that the use of fertilizers shortens the flowering period.
Expert advice on How do you get an orchid to bloom again?
When an orchid refuses to bloom, there is a great temptation to use some kind of hormonal stimulant, for example, cytokinin paste. But it is better to refrain from using such funds:
“There is no need to smear the axillary buds of phalaenopsis with cytokinin. In most cases, the lack of flowering is associated with a lack of light, and hormones in such conditions only exacerbate the situation. Good light, correct temperature and moderate irrigation – and Phalaenopsis itself will bloom regularly and profusely.”
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how to get multiple stems on an orchid?
No way. A plant is a living organism, and independently regulates the number of arrows that it can grow. It is only necessary to provide the orchid with full care and suitable conditions, and there is no need to specifically interfere with the natural development process.
Here you have learned that when and How do you get an orchid to bloom again indoor. Follow all steps discussed above.
