Orchid Flowering Secrets | How to Successfully Bloom Orchids

Wondering how to ensure your Orchids bloom all the time? Here are some amazing Orchid Flowering Secrets that surely work!

Orchids look the best when they are flowering all the time! But what are the tips and tricks to ensure they bloom just right? Have a look at the Orchid Flowering Secrets to find out!

Orchid Flowering Secrets

1. Correct Light is the Key

Like every flowering plant, orchids also need the right dose of light to produce ample blooms. However, unlike other flowering plants that need direct sun, this plant requires indirect light for the best flowers.

Keep the plant safe from the direct afternoon light and expose it to plenty of indirect light throughout the day. It is the key to successfully making them bloom year after year!

If natural light is insufficient, you can use artificial light. Choose full-spectrum bulbs, especially those designed for plants, as they provide the red and blue light orchids need.

Place artificial lights a few inches away from the orchid to avoid giving too much or too little light. Orchids should get at least 12 hours of light daily, preferably in the morning and afternoon rather than the evening.

Pro Tip: Place your orchid by an east-facing window where it can get some mild morning sun.

2. Are You Watering them Right?

Watering holds the secret key to unlocking the best blooms in an orchid plant. Avoid watering it every day, which can result in root rot.

The best way to water the orchid is around once a week. Keep its pot below a slow-running tap and saturate the growing medium well. Avoid wetting the crown and leaves, as it can lead to crown rot, which can kill the plant.

Room-temperature water works best for orchids, but ice cubes are also safe. Once a week, place up to three ice cubes on the potting mix, making sure they don’t touch the leaves. As the ice melts, it slowly provides the right amount of water for your orchid. Read more details about watering orchids here.

3. Regular Garden Soil is a Big No!

Orchids cannot thrive in regular potting soil because they are epiphytes, which means they naturally grow on trees and rocks. They absorb moisture and nutrients from the air.

Their roots require excellent airflow and drainage, which is why a unique orchid potting mix is essential. A bark-based blend, made from chunks of fir or pine bark, provides good aeration, drainage, and moisture retention.

Sphagnum moss is another popular choice, as it holds moisture well and drains efficiently, especially when combined with materials like bark or perlite to enhance airflow.

Adding perlite or vermiculite to the mixture improves drainage and keeps the growing medium loose, preventing compaction. Together, these components create the ideal environment for healthy orchid growth.

Also, it is a good idea to change the growing medium every year to keep the plant safe from potential diseases.

4. Feed Them!

Orchids need specific nutrients to grow and bloom, including nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), along with smaller amounts of magnesium, calcium, and iron. Nitrogen supports leaf and stem growth, phosphorus aids in strong roots and blooming, and potassium enhances overall health and disease resistance.

Use a fertilizer specifically designed for orchids or a balanced one like 20-20-20. During the growth phase, a high-nitrogen formula like 30-10-10 can boost foliage, while a bloom booster such as 10-30-20 is ideal for encouraging flowers.

Fertilize once a week, ensuring the potting medium is moist beforehand to avoid root burn. Flush the medium monthly with plain water to remove salt buildup.

Avoid fertilizing during dormancy, after repotting, or when buds are forming to prevent nutrient issues. For stressed orchids, pause fertilizing and address the problem first. Find more when you don’t have to feed orchids.

5. Use the Right Pot

If you have just bought a new plant, it’d be a good idea to re-pot it into a new pot that’s one size bigger and has drainage holes at the bottom.

The plant’s roots must get plenty of air, so it’d be a good idea to get a container with more than 3-4 drainage holes at the bottom.

Remember, the plant’s roots don’t need much space to expand and grow, but they do need somewhere to go!

6. Specific Temperature

Orchids need a specific temperature range to start blooming. They often need slightly cooler nights to trigger flower production. If it’s always too warm or too cold, the orchid might not bloom. Keeping the right daytime temperatures and cooler nights can help them flower. However, sudden changes in temperature can stress the plant and stop it from blooming, so it’s important to keep their environment steady.

Keep daytime temperatures between 65-75°F (18-24°C) and let it get 10-15°F cooler at night. Keep orchids away from heaters and cold drafts.

7. Consider Rest Period

Many orchids need a rest period to bloom well. During this time, their care changes—they need less water and no fertilizer. Skipping this rest can lead to fewer flowers. Here are some orchids that need a rest period:

• Cattleya: After blooming, they need a drier winter.
• Dendrobium: Especially Dendrobium nobile, which needs cooler temperatures and less water in winter.
• Oncidium (Dancing Lady Orchid): After flowering, reduce watering significantly.

Providing these conditions helps recreate their natural environment and encourages blooming next season. Each type of orchid has its own rest requirements for best results.

When the orchid stops blooming, water it less and stop fertilizing for a few months. This copies its natural conditions and helps it bloom again.

Making Your Orchids Rebloom

Orchids enter into a stage of dormancy after they finish blooming. Take it as a resting stage for the plant, where it will spend its sweet time replenishing the nutrients it has lost during the blooming process. It can last anywhere between 6-9 months.

• Start fertilizing the plants once they enter the dormancy stage, using a balanced liquid fertilizer, diluted to 1/4 of its strength, once a month.
• Keep the plant where it gets plenty of indirect light. Also, ensure the temperature stays between 55-70 F. Continue this till you see it growing a new flower spike.
• After it grows a new flower spike, wait till it attains a height of 4-5 inches. Then, use a stake to support it by tying it using a string. Move it where it gets bright and indirect light all day long.
• Once it starts to re-bloom, continue following the tips mentioned in the article!