Why Aren't My Orchids Ever Blooming?

[Chriscolumbus]

I've had these two orchids for almost 2 years. They had flowers on them when I bought them but after they fell off the plants have never bloomed again. They barely even seem to grow. What am I doing wrong?

BTW, I am watering the one on the right in the pic.

Thanks,

CC

[Samuian]

I've had these two orchids for almost 2 years. They had flowers on them when I bought them but after they fell off the plants have never bloomed again. They barely even seem to grow. What am I doing wrong?

BTW, I am watering the one on the right in the pic.

Thanks,

CC

These plants are in a rather sad state....sorry!

Healthy plants will flower again and again and produce new shoots, wrong keeping area, wrong watering, no nourishment (fertilizer)....

Get em out of the clay pots, wooden baskets, coconut shells are much, pieces of old wood, (NOT drift wood) are much better bases to grow orchids.

Edited October 4, 2008 by Samuian

[Steve2UK]

Not that I can claim any great success myself, but the following site is worth looking through:

http://www.beautifulorchids.com/orchids/or..._care_tips.html

[cmsally]

These ones are the orchids you see for sale in big quantities - in a shade of purple or white. They sell them in the flower markets by the clump.

They do well if they can get a bigger root base. Try hanging them on a tree trunk and the roots will spread onto the tree and they will soon shoot and flower. They also like 50/50 sun. And some pellet orchid food would get them started as well as some fresh coconut husk in the pots.

[elektrified]

Those look terrible! Sorry...

Orchids are easy to grow and flower all the time. Like another poster said, put them in coconut shells. Feed them once a week with orchid food. You may be over-watering them as well.

Our orchids took a beating with all of the heavy rain, but now that the rain has let up, they are doing much better. Of course all the rain brought many snails that were making the coconut shells home. We got rid of them too.

[GungaDin]

Get em out of the clay pots, wooden baskets, coconut shells are much, pieces of old wood, (NOT drift wood) are much better bases to grow orchids.

Hi Samuian,

why are the clay pots not good?

edit: CC, great pic, sharp as a pin on a 22" monitor.

Edited October 4, 2008 by GungaDin

[PoorSucker]

Get em out of the clay pots, wooden baskets, coconut shells are much, pieces of old wood, (NOT drift wood) are much better bases to grow orchids.

Hi Samuian,

why are the clay pots not good?

edit: CC, great pic, sharp as a pin on a 22" monitor.

The roots can not breath, and root in standing water.

[siawyt]

Light is a key factor in growing healthy orchids. Direct sunlight may cause plants to burn, and too little light will prevent plants from flowering. An ideal location is behind curtains or window blinds. If you receive your plant by mail, expose it to light gradually in stages over a period of several weeks.

Leaf color is a good indicator of the amount of light a plant is receiving. Orchids should have bright green, healthy leaves. Dark green leaves indicate that a plant is getting insufficient light, and yellowish-green or red leaves indicate that a plant is getting too much light. If you suspect a plant is exposed to too much light, feel the leaves. If they feel noticeably warmer than the surrounding air, move the plant to a location with less intense brightness.

WATERING YOUR ORCHID

Always water early in the day so that your orchids dry out by nighttime. The proper frequency of watering will depend on the climatic conditions where you live. In general, water once a week during the winter and twice a week when the weather turns warm and dry. The size of your orchid container also helps determine how often you need to water, regardless of climate conditions. Typically, a 6-inch pot needs water every 7 days and a 4-inch pot needs water every 5 to 6 days.

The type of potting medium being used can also affect your plant's water requirements. Bark has a tendency to dry out more rapidly than sphagnum moss, for instance. It is important to remember, however, that even when the surface of your pot is dry, the root area may remain moist. Poke your finger or a regular wooden pencil an inch into the pot; if it feels moist to the touch or if the pencil looks moist, do not add additional water. The potting medium should always be damp, but not soggy—neither should it be allowed to get extremely dry.

The quality of water used, whether for spraying or watering, is of great importance. Since tap water has often been chemically treated, generally with chlorine, it should be used with caution. The best water for orchids is undoubtedly rainwater. Rainwater, as it passes through the air, dissolves and absorbs many substances such as dust, pollen and other organic matter. This enriched rainwater contributes to the nourishment of the plant.

THINGS TO CONSIDER: The temperature of the water is also important. If the water temperature and the surrounding air temperature are equal, no harm will result, and slight differences either way can be tolerated by healthy plants. Fatal or long-term damage, not easily discernible at first, can result from using water that is too cold.

Source: beautifulorchids.com

[anothertorres]

2 years now and it looks the same. well, except larger. i've tried changing locations, parking it up against a tree and now it's been hanging from the metal railing for almost a full year. this was given as a present 2 years ago and it had one flower. it has not flowered since.

i don't really have any more places to try. she gets great rainfall and watered otherwise. would food help? i know a few of the leaves are slightly brown, but they always come out thick and green like the rest of them. certainly this poor thing isn't diseased as it's always looked strong and healthy. any ideas?

would orchid food help at this point?

[sbk]

Aren't you a patient man! Yes you can feed it orchid food, it might help. They do look strong and healthy but I think they should be greener than that....

[ignis]

Orchids are easy to grow and flower all the time

That depends on the type.. I have many that flower 1x per year only.. others smaller type flower that have new flowers about 6 times per year..

I have about 50 all are in wooden baskets hanging from different trees in the garden... buy the Orchid feed and put a few drops in the my pump strayer.. spray the roots with a fine mist every 3rd day, the other days just spray with the garden hose..

I do have 2 very big nice ones that only appear to flower every other year sadly.

Flowers ever other year

Flowers 6 times per year

Flowers 1x per year

[drtreelove]

These ones are the orchids you see for sale in big quantities - in a shade of purple or white. They sell them in the flower markets by the clump.

They do well if they can get a bigger root base. Try hanging them on a tree trunk and the roots will spread onto the tree and they will soon shoot and flower. They also like 50/50 sun. And some pellet orchid food would get them started as well as some fresh coconut husk in the pots.

Maybe good for the orchid, but not so good for the tree. Over-wet conditions on the tree trunk can create conditons for wood rot fungal colonization and decay; some tree species can take it, some cannot. If the tree is important to you, best not to mount orchids or other plants, wrap cloth, post signs or other obstructions that can trap moisture, harbor insect pest activity or impair regular inspections.

Edited September 9, 2010 by drtreelove

[sbk]

I've never put mine on anything but a coconut tree (which are the only big trees I've got anyway) and the trees have never had any real damage and have grown just fine.

That said, I never fed mine and it did take them ages to start blooming regularly but once they seemed settled in, healthy and well watered they bloomed fairly regularl (until a temporary employee decided they were a haven for snakes when I was in the US, ripped them off the tree and threw them into the pile to be burned )

[Peterbigeyes]

Orchids are easy to grow and flower all the time

That depends on the type.. I have many that flower 1x per year only.. others smaller type flower that have new flowers about 6 times per year..

I have about 50 all are in wooden baskets hanging from different trees in the garden... buy the Orchid feed and put a few drops in the my pump strayer.. spray the roots with a fine mist every 3rd day, the other days just spray with the garden hose..

I do have 2 very big nice ones that only appear to flower every other year sadly.

Flowers ever other year

Flowers 6 times per year

Flowers 1x per year

This makes sense

[anothertorres]

and thank you for your thoughts!, ignis!

[Milo]

These ones are the orchids you see for sale in big quantities - in a shade of purple or white. They sell them in the flower markets by the clump.

They do well if they can get a bigger root base. Try hanging them on a tree trunk and the roots will spread onto the tree and they will soon shoot and flower. They also like 50/50 sun. And some pellet orchid food would get them started as well as some fresh coconut husk in the pots.

Maybe good for the orchid, but not so good for the tree. Over-wet conditions on the tree trunk can create conditons for wood rot fungal colonization and decay; some tree species can take it, some cannot. If the tree is important to you, best not to mount orchids or other plants, wrap cloth, post signs or other obstructions that can trap moisture, harbor insect pest activity or impair regular inspections.

Oops, we've (missus & me) always just tied them to any tree around the garden we fancied? Various species of both orchid & tree, must have just been lucky? Never fed, never watered and all thriving. A few to such an extent I've learned to place them higher, they don't half get in the way when I'm mowing!

Speaking of which, I've heard pruning back the dead heads as soon as they stop flowering really helps them? I just leave them to their own devices currently...

[David006]

These ones are the orchids you see for sale in big quantities - in a shade of purple or white. They sell them in the flower markets by the clump.

They do well if they can get a bigger root base. Try hanging them on a tree trunk and the roots will spread onto the tree and they will soon shoot and flower. They also like 50/50 sun. And some pellet orchid food would get them started as well as some fresh coconut husk in the pots.

Maybe good for the orchid, but not so good for the tree. Over-wet conditions on the tree trunk can create conditons for wood rot fungal colonization and decay; some tree species can take it, some cannot. If the tree is important to you, best not to mount orchids or other plants, wrap cloth, post signs or other obstructions that can trap moisture, harbor insect pest activity or impair regular inspections.

Oops, we've (missus & me) always just tied them to any tree around the garden we fancied? Various species of both orchid & tree, must have just been lucky? Never fed, never watered and all thriving. A few to such an extent I've learned to place them higher, they don't half get in the way when I'm mowing!

Speaking of which, I've heard pruning back the dead heads as soon as they stop flowering really helps them? I just leave them to their own devices currently...

seems to me ..me no expert!...shade and water and food....if they dry out... they is sticks...lots of different food out there but liquid sprayed on seems to on work on those of "her indoors".....

[David006]

Those look terrible! Sorry...

Orchids are easy to grow and flower all the time. Like another poster said, put them in coconut shells. Feed them once a week with orchid food. You may be over-watering them as well.

Our orchids took a beating with all of the heavy rain, but now that the rain has let up, they are doing much better. Of course all the rain brought many snails that were making the coconut shells home. We got rid of them too.

not shells ..husks!

[anothertorres]

i am happy to report back that my orchid, after 2 years and 3 months has finally bloomed! i'm certain this means this will be a great year. woohoo!

the moral of my story? patience!

[QED]

i am happy to report back that my orchid, after 2 years and 3 months has finally bloomed! i'm certain this means this will be a great year. woohoo!

the moral of my story? patience!

Very cool! Can I ask what you changed? Or was it just pure obstanance?

I am having the same problem, I think my maid over-waters them but they are in hanging wooden baskets with no soil, only husks on top so I thought you couldn't over-water them?

[anothertorres]

absolutely nothing changed, that's the greatest part. well, maybe that's not entirely true. it was moved after 1 year and then moved one more time after another 6 months. when i say moved, i'm referring to moving the plant 10 feet from where it previously was.

i think the season might have something to do with it. because it's "winter", i'm wondering if just a cooler climate has finally given her the wherewithal the bloom.

i think it's a mix between the weather and the location.