It's very frustrating to stare at an orchid and long for blooms that don't appear. What's even more frustrating is when an orchid develops buds that shrivel and fall off without ever opening. Is your orchid not blooming? Learn how to fix the problems that are preventing your plant from thriving with a few adjustments.
Orchid not blooming: causes and simple solutions
To get the orchids to bloom again, you should imitate their native climate. Mainly related to temperature and light, but we will also discuss other important factors in this article.
Adjust the air temperature
If your orchids haven't bloomed for years, it's often because the temperatures are too high at night. They require a temperature at night that is 12°C cooler than during the day to trigger the growth of a new inflorescence and encourage flowering. If there is no temperature difference between day and night, the orchids will not bloom.
This can be particularly problematic in our homes, as the use of heating systems often causes temperatures to rise in the evening instead of cooling down.
To stimulate flowering, it is important to place the plant in a pleasantly cooler place in the evening, e.g. B. on the windowsill or the veranda.
Aim for a temperature difference of at least 5°C at night for 2 to 4 weeks to encourage the development of flowers and flower spikes.
Orchid not blooming: Not enough light
One of the most common reasons why orchids stop blooming is insufficient light. Phalaenopsis and Phaphiopedilum orchids are usually happy with filtered light on the windowsill, but many other species require more light. Dendrobium, Cattleya, Oncidium and other orchids with medium to high light requirements require additional grow lights or spending time outdoors in the summer to get the amount of light they need to bloom. But make sure that they do not tolerate direct sun.
The roots need attention
The good roots bring good flowers. An orchidcan have beautiful leavesbut their root system may still be in bad shape. The root problems are often the result of overwatering or a lack of repotting. The orchid's roots need oxygen to survive, and without oxygen they suffocate.
It is also very important that the orchid substrate is changed regularly, as even the best substrate breaks down over time. Often, fear of repotting causes an orchid to stay in the same mix for far too long. This can result in it not having enough vigor to bloom.
Cut the flower stalks
Most orchids only bloom once on each flower stalk. Only Phragmipedium and Phalaenopsis are the exceptions. The Phragmipedium orchids can bloom on the same stem for several months. With them, it's best to leave the flower stalk alone until it stops forming buds.
The Phalaenopsis flower stems can continue to grow and produce flowers. They thrive best if, after flowering, the flower stalk is cut off to about a centimeter above the last node near the crown.
Throughcutting off the flower stalkgive your orchid time to recover and gather energy for the next bloom instead of wasting energy on smaller and smaller blooms.
Cut off the flower stalk of all other types of orchids if they stop producing more flowers on it.
Orchid not blooming? Too little fertilizer
Most orchid species grow on trees in tropical forests and obtain much of the moisture and nutrients they need from the air around the roots and the loose aggregates that surround them.
And while it's true that orchids aren't heavy feeders, an orchid living in a sterile inorganic potting mix needs a boost of nutrients to perform at its best.The best fertilizerfor an orchid is a urea-free fertilizer that provides nitrogen even when no microorganisms are active, as is the case in rich garden soil.
But wait to fertilize when the buds start to grow until all the flowers open. This is how you protect the buds, because they are the most sensitive part of the orchid plant.
Even if the orchid is dormant, i.e. not blooming or producing new leaves or roots, you should wait before fertilizing. A rest period for the orchid is completely normal. Wait until new growth is observed and then begin fertilizing again.
Too much watering
If you give your orchid too much water, failure to bloom can be a precursor to rapid decline and death of the plant.
Orchids that are about to bloom and receive too much water may drop their buds. They need to dry out between waterings. If you notice that the roots are turning brown, then you are watering too much.
Orchids grown in the right pots with special substrate rarely suffer from overwatering.
Water your orchid every 7 to 10 days in spring and summer and every 10 days in winter to keep it healthy and blooming.
