How to wake up an orchid: tips for regular flowering

Orchids often delight their owners with lush flowering immediately after purchase. However, over time, many face the problem of the lack of new buds.

Why does an orchid refuse to bloom at home, and how can you help it? OBOZ.UA offers to learn about the main reasons and effective ways to stimulate flowering.

Life cycles of orchids

In their natural habitat, the life cycles of orchids are closely related to the change of seasons. The rainy season stimulates the active growth of green mass and the accumulation of nutrients, followed by the flowering phase, which can last for several months. The cycle ends with a period of relative dormancy, when the plant recovers its strength.

Although most commercially available orchids are artificially bred hybrids, they have inherited this cycle. With proper care, you can achieve 1-3 blooms per year. If the dormant period is followed by the growing season and no flowering occurs, you need to find out why.

Why an orchid does not bloom

Sometimes the lack of flowers is due to natural factors. The plant may be dormant, or it may be actively growing foliage, using up all its resources. In this case, you should just be patient and wait until the orchid is ready to bloom.

Another natural reason may be the appearance of a "baby" – a new plant that develops on a stem or peduncle instead of a bud. This process requires significant energy expenditure, so the mother plant no longer has the energy to form flowers. After the formation of its own root system, the "baby" can be separated, and subsequently, the adult orchid will be able to bloom again.

What an orchid doesn't like

Most often, the lack of flowering is due to care errors. Orchids are quite demanding plants, and their needs are significantly different from the usual indoor crops.

• Temperature regime: in summer, room temperature is optimal, but in winter, during the dormant period, orchids need coolness (about +17°C) and daily temperature fluctuations (the difference between day and night temperatures is 5-7°C).
• Watering: Improper watering can lead to serious problems. Excessive moisture promotes the development of rot, and insufficient watering weakens the plant and deprives it of the strength to bloom.

• Fertilizing: Orchids need special liquid fertilizers that are applied every two weeks throughout the year, except in winter. Ordinary fertilizers in the form of sticks or granules are not suitable.
• Lighting: Orchids need bright, diffused light, but direct sunlight can be harmful.
• Substrate: it is important to use a special substrate for orchids, which consists of bark, moss, and other components that provide good drainage and aeration of the roots.
• Diseases and pests can also cause a lack of flowering, as they significantly weaken the plant. If signs of damage (spots, discharge, damage) are detected, treatment should be started immediately.

What to do to make an orchid bloom

If the orchid is healthy, but flowering does not occur, several methods of stimulation can be used:

1. Creating stressful conditions: a temporary change in the conditions of detention (shading, reduction of daylight hours) can "wake up" the orchid.
2. Changing the watering regime: alternating periods of abundant watering with light drying can also stimulate flowering.
3. Hot shower: spraying with warm water (up to 50°C) can have a positive effect on the plant.
4. Flowering stimulants: use special preparations (Epin, succinic acid, cytokinin paste) according to the instructions.

It is important to remove old flower stalks in time so that the orchid does not spend unnecessary energy on them. You should also avoid getting water on the flowers during watering to prevent them from wilting. Regular inspection of the plant and correction of care will help to achieve abundant and regular flowering.

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