AboutOrchids

One of the most common questions I receive about orchids is how to force them to re-bloom ahead of their natural schedules. There is only one method I know to accomplish this, and it only works with Phalaenopsis. As soon as the last flower fades, cut the flower spike (the stem that holds the flowers) below the first flower. The best place to cut the spike is right above a node, which are the swollen “bumps” that segment the stem. Always use a sharp, clean scissors to prevent spreading plant diseases. You can clean the scissors with very hot water and soap, rubbing alcohol, or bleach solution. If the Phal is in good condition, it will grow a new flower spike below the cut and flower again.

Although this method can extend the blooming season for Phalaenopsis flowers, it does really sap energy from the plant. In the wild, these orchids would drop their flowers and start to store up energy to bloom again next year. By forcing the plant to re-bloom, the plant has no time to rest or build up its energy reserves. So if you plan to keep your orchid long-term and enjoy years of flowers, I would not advise forcing a re-bloom. If you want to push the orchid to its limit, you can force a re-bloom, but it may then require an extra long time to rest and recover when the 2nd set of flowers is finished.

Explore posts in the same categories: Growing, Orchids in the Wild, Photos, Warm Growers

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 20th, 2008 at 10:47 am and is filed under Growing, Orchids in the Wild, Photos, Warm Growers.

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