How To Regrow Orchids

Can You Regrow An Orchid Plant?

Certain types of orchid plants can regrow flowers every three to six months with proper care. Others only rebloom once or twice per year.

Phalaenopsis orchids (moth orchids) are the most popular type of orchid to be used as houseplants, and they can rebloom repeatedly. The regrowing process begins after its previous bloom fades.

If you want your orchid to bloom again, the plant needs to receive proper care during its growing and flowering season.

• Keep the orchid in an orchid-specific growing medium

• Only water the orchid about once a week; orchids don’t like to be saturated

• Keep the orchid in a warm and humid environment with a good amount of light, but keep it out of direct sunlight.

How To Encourage An Orchid To Grow More Blooms

Sometimes orchids need help with the blooming process and might require more attention during this time.

Fertilize

One step you can take to encourage orchid growth is to fertilize your orchid. Most orchids appreciate a balanced houseplant fertilizer or a specific orchid fertilizer. Fertilize your orchid weekly.

Adjust the Temperature

Another thing you can do to help your orchid bloom again is to move the orchid to a cooler environment. Place it in a location where the temperatures are between 55 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

Adjust the Sunlight

Always keep an orchid plant in indirect sunlight. Too much sun can cause the leaves to wilt, turn yellow, and prevent it from blooming. Keep your orchid in a cool area until a flower spike emerges.

A healthy orchid flower spike has a flat, mitten shaped tip. The spikes emerge from between orchid leaves. Wait until your plant has reached about 5” and then support the flower spike with a stake.

If several months have passed, but your orchid has not bloomed, try moving it to a different location.

How Long Does It Take For An Orchid To Regrow?

Most orchids will regrow 6-9 months after entering their dormancy stage.

When an orchid stops blooming, it has entered a stage called dormancy. In this stage, your orchid may appear dead, but it is not. The dormancy stage is a resting period.

The orchid had dispensed nutrients during the blooming process, and now needs to rest to replace its nutrients. The dormancy stage lasts about six to nine months. After that time has passed, your orchid will begin to rebloom.

What Is The Lifespan Of An Orchid?

Potted orchids that receive proper plant care live between 10 to 15 years.

Over time, an orchid will become weaker and will produce fewer blooms. Repotting orchids regularly helps increase their lifespan as repotting prevents disease. Repot your orchid once every two to three years.

Orchids often die from overwatering and from being potted in the wrong potting medium. Orchids only need to be watered about once a week. Some orchid owners use the trick of watering their orchid with three ice cubes a week. Orchids also need well-draining soil specifically made for them, as regular potting mix retains too much moisture.

If you think your orchid is dead, it might just be in the dormancy stage. To determine if it’s dead or dormant, look closely at your plant. If the crown of the plant, or the base of the plant, is brown and mushy, the orchid is probably dead.

Gently check the orchid’s roots. Healthy orchid roots are green or white. If the orchid has yellow leaves and a brown stem, it is probably dormant. The stage of dormancy causes an orchid to loose its bright green leaves and green stem.

What To Do With An Orchid After The Blooms Fall Off

After the orchid flowers fall off, you have several options. All the below options encourage new growth and depend on your preference.

• One option is to leave the orchid alone, and maintain the normal orchid care routine. The orchid might produce new buds at the end of the old spike. If the orchid stem has turned yellow, remove the entire spike.

• Another option after your last flower falls is to cut the bare flower spike back to a node. This encourages the orchid to grow new flower spikes.

• An additional option is to remove the flower spike entirely. This allows the orchid to put more energy into producing new leaves and roots, helping it to grow stronger and produce a fresh new flower spike.

When cutting any plant, be sure to use sterilized shears.

How To Propagate Orchids

Orchids can be propagated through stem cuttings in most single-stem, and some multi-stem, orchids — though it is a slow process. Division of rhizomes and back bulbs are other methods of propagation for multi-stem varieties.