With their soft, smooth petals, elegant stems, and rich hues, moth orchids are a favorite among gardeners. They’re easy to grow even if you lack a green thumb, and the blooms last for months. But how can you make your orchid rebloom once it enters dormancy?
How to Make Orchids Rebloom
If you’re an orchid lover, you probably know that dormancy is important for orchids. It gives the plants a period of rest to replace the nutrients it expended growing those elegant, eye-catching blooms. But there are a few tricks to making orchids bloom again.- Feed them. After your orchid spends its blooms, fertilize it regularly with a fertilizer specifically formulated for orchids.
- Water them. If your orchid’s roots dry out between waterings, you’re not keeping it hydrated enough. Make sure your pot has adequate drainage. To keep the roots extra moist, you can set the pot on a tray of pebbles (make sure the pot isn’t sitting in stagnant water, but above it).
- Light them. Orchids need bright light to bloom to their full potential. An inadequate light source is one common reason why orchids don’t bloom. However, direct sunlight isn’t good for them either. Make sure your orchid gets access to enough light without setting them in direct sunlight.
- Cool them. Moth orchids bloom throughout the winter and into spring. They react to a marked change in temperature, blooming when there’s a 10-15 degree change in temperature between daytime and nighttime. Trick your orchid into reblooming by moving the pot to a cooler location at night.
