Orchids today give each other for many holidays. When they stand on the counter with the shooters with lush and delicate colors, it is almost impossible not to want to buy them. So, you readily buy a plant in bloom and present it on a special occasion. And everything would be fine, but after a year the happy owner begins to wonder why the orchid does not bloom.
No, this is not a personal complaint to you. But dozens of people face such a problem. Perhaps you are just not familiar with the secrets that will make it possible to force the plant to regularly release strong arrows. Let’s try to uncover them today.
Moody beauty
With the advent of it in the house, many begin to actively seek information on proper care and carefully stock up on special fertilizers, spray guns and other devices. Someone regularly transfers it from place to place, takes it out onto the balcony and shades it with a light cloth, places water vessels next to it. In these ways, they try to create optimal conditions. That is, it is warmer during the day, cooler at night, light enough and at the same time the presence of protection from direct sunlight. But the problem is not solved, and after a year the question again arises, why the orchid does not bloom.
The main reason
Most often, it is the excessive zeal of the gardener that becomes the reason that he still has only a pot of leaves on his window. Why the orchid does not bloom, we will now disassemble. Of course, it’s very disappointing to have a flower of fantastic beauty at home that does not release an arrow.
Flowering will be very plentiful only if care is taken for the flower. The main mistake of the beginner grower lies precisely in the fact that he is too keen on the process of creating the optimal microclimate. And the most common mistake is that frequent and plentiful watering, as well as spraying, will organize the tropical plant. This is the reason why the orchid does not bloom.
Transplanting into a large pot
This is done by almost every grower. When the plant fades, a decision is made to immediately buy a larger pot. In fact, a small amount of soil always stimulates flowering, and if there is a lot of space, only leaves grow. Here is the answer to the question why the orchid does not bloom. What to do? Take your time to transplant. This is only necessary if you see through the wall of the pot that the roots are intertwined in a ball and they already clearly do not have enough space. This is indicated by a slowdown in growth and the cessation of the appearance of new leaves.
Choose soil
This is the second important point, which also needs to be said. Often flower growers make a serious mistake. They buy a bag with the inscription “Soil for orchids” in the store and trustfully transplant their precious beauty into it. And after a while they also go to the forums to ask a banal question. Orchid is not blooming, what should I do?
No, it is theoretically possible that the soil is really high quality and your plant will feel great. But most often the following occurs. A mixture of peat (often of poor quality) and sphagnum moss is sold as soil. It turns out a mixture that absorbs moisture and dries out for a long time.
Root decay
Now we directly approach why the orchid does not bloom for a long time. What is happening now in the pot? Usually water the plant by immersion. In 15-20 minutes, peat absorbs a huge amount of moisture. As a result, the death of the roots begins. Perhaps due to the abundance of nutrients, and in such a soil there are a lot of them, you will see leaf growth. This usually happens if the grower adds pine bark. Due to this, air chambers are preserved along the edges of the pot and some of the roots survive. The middle usually usually rots out completely.
To save the plant, you have to get it out of the pot, rinse and dry a little. After that, prepare pieces of pine bark (you can assemble it yourself), into which it is recommended to plant the plant. In fact, the bark is only needed to maintain the plant in a pot. Some gardeners practice placing the plant in an empty glass goblet. If the orchid does not bloom for a year, it is freed from the ground, and soon it releases an arrow. Watering is simple, the vessel is filled with water, and after 10 minutes it is poured. Repeat the procedure once a week.
Top dressing
Violation of the rules for fertilizing is the main reason why the orchid does not bloom, and the leaves grow. Moreover, it is worth overfeeding the plant with nitrogen fertilizers several times, and this will be enough. If this happened, it will take a very long time (1-2 years) to feed the plant with phosphorus. Gradually, all nitrogen-containing trace elements will be processed, and the plant will begin to bloom again.
If previously the plant released arrows
Also a common situation. Previously, the plant bloomed, and now it releases new roots and leaves, but completely forgot about the arrows. And what a shame to the grower, if your favorite phalaenopsis orchid does not bloom. What to do in this case? To analyze the conditions of detention, somewhere in them lies the answer to your question. Among the most common causes include:
- Lack of lighting. You ask what to do so that the orchid blooms - move the pot closer to the window. Of course, the absence of drafts is also very important. But still, a sufficient amount of sunlight is a decisive factor.
- There may be a slightly different development of events. Often, flower growers ask experts why the orchid does not bloom, and the leaves grow. And most often the reason is also the lack of lighting. Therefore, carefully inspect the room and find a placement option that will be optimal for your plant.
- Temperature. The apartment is usually quite hot. It would seem to be excellent conditions for a tropical plant. But this is precisely what causes the balcony and windows to open frequently. And the plant does not like drafts.
Watering
Separately, we make this common mistake of gardeners. In most cases, he is the main enemy of the plant. Moreover, most often the cause is an excess of moisture. Of course, they also do not like overdrying. But succulent leaves can store quite a lot of moisture and calmly transfer a couple of weeks without any harm to themselves. Now you can already guess what is the matter. Do not bloom orchids? We are revising the approach to care. Pretty soon you will receive the long-awaited arrows.
Choose a permanent place
In their care for the tropical beauty, the owners often change her location. Here it will be too dark during the day, it is cold there at night, and in another place a window opens regularly. So the pot roams the whole day around the apartment. This flower does not like change. Even turning the pot, you make the plant a lot of stress. And what about when the pot constantly moves from place to place. At the same time, lighting and air temperature change, which complements the picture.
If a change of place is inevitable, then try to mark which side the plant was facing to the sun. Put it the same way. This will minimize the stress factor. This is especially important if the flower is gaining buds.
Transfer
Most of these factors can be adjusted. But if you understand that the soil of your plant is far from ideal, then you will have to transplant the plant. Consider the composition so that you do not have to repeat this procedure again. The soil should not contain fresh sawdust, fresh bark or manure. All of them contain substances that block the laying of flower buds. Remember again the composition if you recently transplanted an orchid. Doesn't bloom? So, most likely, they picked up the wrong soil.
How to make a plant bloom
There are a number of tricks that will stimulate the laying of flower buds. For the orchid to bloom, it needs to create an enabling environment. Only in conditions close to ideal, it will grow and delight the eye with magnificent bloom. But if the flower has not released the arrow for a long time, then you should resort to special techniques.
Need shock therapy. Sometimes it is impossible to make a plant shake differently. After drastic changes in the conditions for their care, orchids are rapidly releasing arrows. Let's give some examples and give practical advice.
- Periodic temperature jumps are created. At night, the flower is left at a temperature of +18, and in the morning it is again returned to a warm room.
- The stimulation of orchid bloom is a sharp cessation of watering for several weeks. Because with a constant amount of moisture they have a growing season.
Of course, the plant needs to perform such shakes carefully so that it does not completely ruin it. And even more so, you do not need to try to combine these two methods. This can be a fatal burden for a delicate plant. The break between such receptions should be at least three weeks.
Improving conditions
If the change of place in the room did not lead to the desired result, it's time to think about installing additional fluorescent lamps. An orchid requires at least 16 hours of daylight, otherwise flower buds simply will not be laid. Therefore, the lamps will extend it for several hours. This is especially true in the winter season.
The second point is an increase in air humidity. Notice no increase in watering. Orchid is a tropical plant. It does not tolerate dry air, which is a frequent problem with us due to central heating batteries. Therefore, an increase in air humidity will bring the plant closer to natural, natural conditions. In order to recreate them, place a pan with pebbles or moss near the plant and regularly spray it with water. You can install a special humidifier. Leaves of plants are also recommended to be sprayed periodically.
Instead of a conclusion
Unfortunately, not seeing your plant, it is difficult to say why it refuses to produce peduncles. Most often, the cause is established experimentally. Therefore, do not filter out any of the above. Each of them can become exactly the problem that prevents you from regularly enjoying the stunning flowering of a tropical flower. By gradually changing the conditions, you will find what you made a mistake in. With good content, the orchid will pamper you with flower stalks several times a year, and produce two large peduncles. And the next step for you will be the reproduction of a capricious plant.