How To Rebloom An Orchid? 6 Expert Recommendations

To get orchids to rebloom, you have to provide enough conditions such as light, water, temperature, recovery period, and nutrients. Additionally, propagation from stem and flower spike cutting can stimulate orchids to bloom again. An orchid can last an average of 15 to 20 years, however, they only bloom once a year. However, if orchids feel happy since they receive a great environment, they can bloom twice or times. In my experience, Phalaenopsis orchids are the easiest to stimulate re-blooming compared to other species. Now, take a look at my in-depth sharing of our main topic today.  

I experimented with many orchid varieties and decided to pick the 6 best ways to trigger rebloom below.

Move Orchids To Bright Location

Getting enough natural light every day is an important factor for orchids to bloom again. This means that you should not leave it in low light or expose it to harsh direct sunlight. I always recommend placing potted orchids in an east or west window where there is always indirect light to encourage the orchids to bloom again.

The ideal time to encourage orchids to rebloom is in the fall, as the weather begins to cool.

The cool temperatures of winter months are ideal for stimulating orchids to rebloom. I recommend moving your plant closer to a window in your home or to a new location with cool temperatures of 55 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit at night. Don’t keep the air too cold under 50°F because it causes a loss of moisture level to the rebloom stage.

Water Improper For The Plant 

I probably don’t need to say too much about the value of water for the flowering process. After exposing the orchid pot to ample light, continue watering as usual about 2-3 times a week on sunny days and warm climates. But if the flowers have all fallen off, do we still need to water them?

The answer is yes. I used to mistakenly think that once the flowers have fallen, they don’t need to be watered anymore, but it’s wrong! Even if the flowers have all fallen off, it is still necessary to continue watering them. Remember to water the plant just enough, avoiding waterlogging that could hinder the reblooming process, or otherwise your plant will die from root rot.

In dormancy periods, of course, the plants have to temporarily be inactive at all! I recommend that instead of reducing water time to once a week compared to the summer, you should water once every 10 days to avoid the soil being too wet because the roots absorb water slowly.

Give Your Plants Time To Recover

With many years of experience caring for flowers in my garden, I appreciate the recovery time for vibrant flowering plants like orchids. Did you know that behind the sight of orchids blooming, they have to consume a huge source of energy and nutrients? Yes, that’s why the recovery period is very important for orchids to spread their energy into the regeneration process.

I have seen most potted orchids after the flower process, they all seem to weaken, and some plants begin to get more pests and root fungi infested than before flowering. This is a sign that “resistance” needs to be restored by giving time to rest for about half a year to nearly one year (six to nine months). Be patient! After these holidays, I promise your “ladies” will come back with more attractive appearances, such as larger blooms, more vibrant colors, and the ability to last longer through the seasons of the year.

Encourage Rebloom From Propagation

I guess that more than 70% of gardeners will think about propagation to stimulate the flowering of orchids. Sure! You can completely revive the ability to bloom by stem cuttings. Cuttings are a method of propagating a stem from a healthy parent plant to produce a new orchid including leaves, stem, and of course, new flowers.

Patience and sufficient living conditions are the keys to a successful propagation effort.

However, it did not bloom again immediately. Producing successful results from cuttings requires going through a long process from nurturing until growing into a mature plant. But, this transition period depends on your chosen orchid type and environmental conditions. You can read more details about the steps on how to propagate orchids from stem cuttings in a post that I shared in the “Orchid” section recently.

Cutting Flower Spike To Rebloom

Orchids can bloom multiple times from their flower spike. According to my research with two of my friends, cutting orchid flower spikes helps restore the plant’s energy after blooming, and this source of energy and nutrients is essential to trigger the next rebloom. I can give an example from the Phalaenopsis orchid, it can bloom multiple times due to cut-back flower spikes. After cutting the spike, Phalaenopsis can produce more buds along existing branches. 

You just need to follow 4 easy steps:

• Step 1: Clean and disinfect cutting tools.
• Step 2: Cut off the flower spike or stalks after it has finished blooming.
• Step 3: Provide enough conditions for the next rebloom.
• Step 4: Monitor and continue to care

Phragmipedium orchids can bloom on the same stem and last from six months to a year if the flower stalks remain the same until the buds stop.

Fertilize To Boost Flowering

Fertilization is essential to trigger orchids’ rebloom. As I have emphasized many times, flowering is a process that consumes a lot of energy and loses a large amount of nutrients. During this time, I often feed the beautiful potted orchids to recharge through suitable fertilizers. A balanced ratio of 20-20-20 would be the best choice.

Reduce or stop fertilizing during the orchid’s dormant months.

The form of fertilizer is also essential because most orchid fertilizers are very concentrated, I usually follow the instructions to dilute the mixture by mixing 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of fertilizer per gallon before fertilizing the plants. The best time to fertilize orchids is during their growing season (spring and summer), when they can produce new flowers with regular feeding every two weeks. I avoid fertilizing them when they are dormant, as mentioned before.

One piece of advice I want to share, besides the specialized orchid fertilizer, I found a few other general-purpose fertilizers on Amazon. Amazing! It produced a few buds earlier than I expected. You can prefer Miracle-Gro, Fox Farm, or Jack’s Classic brand. Remember to use it properly and maintain a stable fertilization routine.

Conclusion

There are many ways to help orchids re-bloom after flowering, but here are 6 ways that I consider the most optimal after observing the results for several years. I think these can be accessible to beginners because they simply require a daily care routine like watering, fertilizing, exposure, and proper temperature regulation. However, propagation methods or encouraging blooms from spikes or stems require meticulousness and expertise to achieve successful results.