Proper care for orchids during flowering at home

Orchid

Orchids are a flowering plant enjoyed by millions of homemakers across the globe. However, their beauty demands sacrifice, as caring for them indoors during flowering is quite challenging. If grown responsibly, these exotic plants will delight you with their budding blooms. With proper care, these flowers can bloom twice a year: in the fall and spring. They are quite demanding plants, and a second bloom is only possible if certain care guidelines are followed. They thrive on space, a fact that flower breeders are not always aware of.

Necessary conditions

The frequency of a plant's bloom depends on specific care instructions. Here are some tips for caring for orchids at home during flowering:

Flower age. If the plant you bought isn't blooming and isn't showing signs of blooming, it's probably too young. Different varieties bloom for anywhere from one and a half to three years. To determine if a plant is mature, count the number of shoots. A mature orchid, ready to bloom, should have 5-8. If flowers form earlier, it's a sign of trouble. This is because the young plant may not have the strength to recover from blooming and will be lost.
Do not move the orchid. The plant dislikes even the slightest movement. It reacts to being placed toward a brightly lit part of the room. Therefore, if you must move the exotic plant, place it with the same side facing the light as before. Do not move the orchid while watering. Moving it negatively affects the plant, especially during the flowering period. Do not rotate it.
Roots. Obviously, a plant's root system actively participates in photosynthesis, so it's important to ensure they receive sufficient light. Therefore, don't move the pot unnecessarily; care for the roots should be taken in advance. For example, instead of ceramic containers, it's better to use transparent plastic pots with drainage. Avoid pots with uneven walls, as the root system may grow onto them. This can cause the roots to become deformed, which can harm the plant.
Light. Without full daylight, flowers will not bloom. Therefore, during the cold season, when light is scarce, orchids need to be illuminated with phytolamps. They are important for adding light: they provide bright illumination without drying out the air. If a flower stalk forms during the cold season, it's important to do everything possible to prevent it from dying due to insufficient light. Without phytolamps, the flower stalk may die during the dark season. If it's impossible to provide additional light, artificial lighting should be provided for the tip of the stalk. The main thing is to prevent the orchid from overheating.

Caring for a blooming orchid requires a temperature difference of several degrees between day and night. Therefore, for the plant to bloom, the nighttime temperature must be 4-6°C lower than the daytime temperature. Naturally, achieving these conditions is difficult. However, from the end of April until September, orchids can be taken outside, where the temperature difference is natural. During the coldest season, when indoor plants should already be warm, it's important to regularly ventilate the room. However, do this carefully, remembering that drafts can kill orchids.

Please note.

It's important to water the plant after the soil has dried out to prevent root rot. This should be done in both summer and winter. This applies to orchids of any age.

There are exceptions, though. After the flowers have finished blooming, there's no need to water them at all for 30 days. In nature, after flowering, the plant begins to set seeds. These seeds disperse in dry weather, but not in rainy weather. Therefore, it's important to create conditions as close to natural as possible—this will ensure the plant grows healthily and flowers more frequently. Watering should be most intensive before and during flowering. During the dormant period, exotic plants with dense foliage and pseudobulbs should be watered on a basic basis (once every six weeks).

If the level is too low, the plant may stop growing or the buds and flowers may dry out before they have time to open. To increase the humidity in the room where the plant is growing, you can place a plate of water near the pot. When the radiators are on, the plant should be misted. The appropriate level for exotic plants is 60% or more.

Phosphorus-potassium fertilizers should be used for fertilizing, as they stimulate flower bud formation. Using these fertilizers ensures healthy, strong, and lush flowers. However, it's best to avoid overdoing it with nitrogen-based fertilizers.

It's easy to "scare" orchids. Sometimes, to get a plant to bloom, you need to stimulate it. Sometimes, a gardener does everything right, but the plant just won't bloom. This happens because the plant is doing just fine. In this situation, the orchid devotes all its energy to producing foliage. One way to stimulate it is to induce a "shock": reduce watering or move the plant to a cooler room.

During flowering, this exotic plant looks magnificent. But you can only truly enjoy its beauty with proper care.

Blooming and duration of flower

Flowers are a spectacular moment in the life of a plant. During this time, the orchid produces 7-80 large buds (depending on the variety), which are incredibly fragrant. Flowers can come in a wide range of colors. If there are many buds, the flower stalk may require support, or the stem may break. With proper care for a blooming orchid at home, the plant will bloom three times a year. The blooming period lasts several months. After some buds fall, new ones can form. This can happen several times.

Attention!

Beautiful flowers formed on the peduncle are an indication that orchid care during flowering is being carried out correctly.

The duration of the flowering period will depend on the plant variety. It's important to understand that only mature plants (1.5 years or older) can produce buds. Also essential for high-quality flowering is the presence of adequate foliage: there should be approximately 5-6 leaves, and their appearance should not be unhealthy.

Flowering at a very young age is dangerous for orchids. Since the flower's development is not yet complete, further bud opening can become problematic for the exotic plant, and it will be destroyed. During flowering, orchids must be cared for with care and special attention.

Is it allowed to artificially stimulate

You shouldn't artificially stimulate the bloom of a young orchid, as there's a high risk of the plant dying. However, there are several ways to encourage the flower to bloom, provided the orchid is healthy and well-cared for. Stimulation methods include:

Create a temperature gradient, placing the plant in the coolest spot at night and in a warmer spot in the morning. Flower stalks often appear after a stressful situation.
Make changes to the watering system.
Apply additional formulations such as "Flower", "Bud", "Ovary".

Experienced gardeners use hot showers to stimulate blooms. This involves rinsing the plant under running water at 40-45°C (104-113°F). Two to three 10-second showers, with 15-20 minute breaks, almost always help revive this striking exotic plant. Sensing danger, the plant attempts to reproduce by sending up flower stalks. This technique is dangerous and is used only in extreme cases.

Peculiarities of care during flowering

Dormant buds are located in the axils, between the foliage, on the orchid's stem. Under natural conditions (with proper care), these buds can develop into flower stalks or produce lateral shoots. Inexperienced gardeners can sometimes confuse flower stalks with aerial roots. It's important to remember that a flower stalk always develops from a growing point. The flower stalk may initially curve slightly, but later stretch out quite high. At the top of the stalk, bulbs form, which later open into spectacular buds.

Attention!

When a flower stalk and a new leaf appear at the same time, it is best not to interfere and let the orchid itself choose what it wants to form into growth.

Orchids are demanding plants. They require thorough care and an understanding of what to do next to prolong their flowering. Care guidelines include:

Care before flowering. During the dormant period, before the plant blooms, care includes regular watering, maintaining optimal light, temperature, and humidity levels, as well as fertilizing. If the orchid has been repotted, it should be watered immediately. Boil the water for watering and add potassium or magnesium as a fertilizer. It's best to place the plant container in the prepared solution for half an hour. Then, water as needed after the soil has completely dried.
During flowering. Once the orchid has bloomed, until the buds open, it's important to water it well and mist the aerial roots with warm water. A lack of moisture can cause the flower stalk to dry out. The air around the blooming flower should be humidified and purified, so ventilate the room, but avoid drafts. Reduce watering once the buds open.
Post-bloom care. After the flower has finished blooming, old flower stalks should be trimmed to allow new ones to form. Don't rush this; the stalks need to dry thoroughly, otherwise the trimmed orchid may become diseased. Orchids need a little time to recover and bloom again. Therefore, after blooming, it's important to fertilize the plant. This will allow it to gain strength and become stronger more quickly.

Between flowering intervals, the flower should be cared for as usual.

The best way to prolong orchid blooming is to provide proper care. Any disruption can lead to the orchid's death or failure to bloom. Factors that can help control the blooming process include:

Different temperature values during the day and night.
Duration of daylight hours, that is, increasing it if necessary.
Compliance with care measures.

You can control the flowering process from the moment the buds form until the last flower fully opens. Orchids require special care; patience and attention will enable the plant to grow and bloom.

Possible problems

Orchids are very delicate plants (especially when they're blooming), and even with proper care, unfortunately, problems can arise. The main problems are:

The buds are wilting - the reason may be hidden in the air temperature being too low or in the fact that the plant was moved to a different location.
Dark spots have formed on the flowers - this is due to an excess of water when watering; water should only wash the leaves.
Brown rot – occurs when plants are overwatered. Immediate action is needed to save the plant – cut off all damaged areas and treat them with charcoal.
Gray mold is a fungus; the entire plant must be immediately treated with a fungicide.
Insect infestations, the most common of which are scale insects, spider mites, and mealybugs, will need to be treated with Actellic or Fitoverm.