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-   -   What should I do with orchid plants after they have bloomed? (https://www.quiltingboard.com/general-chit-chat-non-quilting-talk-f7/what-should-i-do-orchid-plants-after-they-have-bloomed-t255296.html)

crafty pat 10-15-2014 11:29 AM

Mine are in a SE window, one blooms for me every year and has just now put on a bloom shoot. One I pampered for three years before it bloomed again and it was a beauty. One I lost and two haven't bloomed in two years. I heard a expert say some will never bloom again while others will bloom again for you. I guess it is a toss up on what you have. If my two don't bloom for me this year I will put them outside next summer and if that does not work I will throw them away.

joyce blint 10-15-2014 02:25 PM

Perhaps some plant food? I can cause my Christmas cacti to bloom most any time, by letting then really dry out and then watering w plant food mixed in.

SuzzyQ 10-16-2014 05:28 AM

My aunt said to treat them like African Violets.

maviskw 10-16-2014 05:45 AM

I was given an orchid for my birthday last year (big one) It bloomed beautifully for more than four months. I watered it once a week with 1/4 cup of water, quite regularly. Then it just sat there all summer (watered not quite so regularly). I noticed the new flower stalks when they were already 6 inches high. Then I cut off the old stalks. The first new flower opened on Monday. There are seven or eight buds on each stalk.
I give it ice cubes now. They don't freeze the roots. It seems the new stalks came after I started using the ice cubes.
I have it in a north window now.
I think the plant food should be special orchid fertilizer, but I don't have any of that yet. You use that once a year. The friend who gave me the orchid said she would give me some of her fertilizer, but she hasn't yet.

AlvaStitcher 10-16-2014 07:39 AM

I live in Florida and keep my orchids outside all year. Some on trees, some hanging on a trellis. I have to be careful that they don't dry out during our slower rain months. Fertilize once a month with orchid fertilizer and they grow well. Right now I have 6 dendrobiums (sp?) in flower spike I love growing them and need to cut off starters from some and get them potted. Waiting for screen enclosure to go up here (we recently moved into a new house and are putting up a pool enclosure (minus the pool) for landscaping. I love working with plants and luckily so does my husband.

linkd 10-16-2014 08:35 AM

Benign Neglect. If I knew what I was doing I'm sure it would have died years ago. It's above the kitchen sink, water it a little when I think about it. It does have good light. Never fed it and it has bloomed for the last 4 or 5 years - usually about the time we think it is dead and we should throw it out.

1screech 10-17-2014 05:42 AM

They will reblooms year after year. If you have a tree, you can put them under the tree and leave them alone. They have to be brought in in very cold weather.

gramma nancy 10-17-2014 07:31 AM

I am sorry for this, but when I read your question, all I could do was think -- just keep it around and watch it die! That has been my experience one too many times. Now I have quit buying them, much as I love them, cause I can't keep them alive. **sigh**

Blue Bell 10-17-2014 04:55 PM


Originally Posted by romanojg (Post 6929894)
Any suggestions about which fertilizer to use?
There is one just for orchids but if you can't find that use one for blooming plants but don't be heavy handed. Like herbs, they don't like a lot of water or alot of foof. Good luck.

Try Orchid Food Plant Food by Schultz. My son gave a plant for Mother's day about 10 years ago and It has bloomed every year, one year it seemed to be in continuous bloom. I read that if you give it a SMALL amount of plant food each time you water it, it will bloom more than once a year. It also likes humidity so I keep them by the kitchen sink. I now have 3 plants from the mother plant. I read that you can add ice cubes to water it, but I have always watered my orchids with warm water with about 1/16 of a teaspoon of plant food. It is an easy plant to grow.

Barbshobbies 10-19-2014 02:35 PM

It`s the waiting & neglect I don`t like, mine are in east window, look awful most of the time, but as long as there is life I can`t toss anything out. I do make a gallon jug of water with an 1/8th of a teaspoon of orchard fertilizer, and only water them when really dry. Some of mine are really getting old , and still bloom beautifully!


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