Orchids, with their elegant flowers and infinite variety of colors, are a true treasure perfect for decorating your home. But, often, after their first spectacular flowering, getting them to bloom again can seem like a challenge. However, there are some methods that could be useful to stimulate the orchid and be able to enjoy their colors year after year. Here, then 3 tricks to make orchids bloom again.
Temperature
Light plays a fundamental role in the life of orchids. During the winter, place the orchid near a window with filtered light can make a difference. In summer, however, look for a corner of the balcony or garden that offers light shade, ensuring good ventilation without exposing the plant to too intense sun.
The thermal shock “trick” could also be useful. Expose the plant to a temperature change during the day it could be a sign to start flowering again. In particular, it would be ideal to keep the plant warm during the day and in a cold environment during the night. Generally speaking, the temperature range should be 5-10 degrees.
Amount of light
For orchids, the amount of light received is a determining factor in their flowering. These plants, in fact, they need adequate lighting to start blooming. Although they need light, it is important to avoid direct exposure to sunlight, which could damage them. So you can consider placing the vase on a north-facing balcony or, alternatively, in a corner of the living area that is not directly lit.
Pruning
Pruning is not just an aesthetic need, but a crucial step for ensure its health and subsequent flowering of the plant. When you remove old or damaged branches, you are sending a signal to the plant that stimulates it to produce new flower stems. It is essential to do this with clean and sterilized instruments to prevent the introduction of rust or harmful bacteria. Also be careful to make a clean and precise cut.
Don’t forget that pruning must be done at the right time. Generally, the best time is now after the plant has finished its flowering cycle.
In addition to the little tricks presented above, there are some good practices that you should observe regardless of the season and flowering:
- Specific fertilization: use fertilizers specially formulated for orchids to provide all the nutrients necessary for flowering. These products are balanced to meet the specific nutritional needs of the plant.
- Correct watering: find the right balance in irrigation, avoiding both excess and deficiency of water. Orchids require moist but not soggy soil, so it is important to ensure that the pot allows good drainage and that excess water can drain away easily.
- Choice of substrate: The best substrate materials are pine bark, charcoal and sphagnum moss.
- Home Remedies: lemon solutions to clean the leaves or onion-based preparations can stimulate growth and protect the plant from diseases. Furthermore, to make orchids bloom you can use coffee grounds as fertilizer: just crumble them into the soil or dilute them in water.
