Unless you are an expert in caring for orchids, it is likely that if you have had these beautiful flowers at home you have been surprised and discouraged to see that the flowers have suddenly fallen off. When the first flower falls, you may not react because there are still others, but things can go quickly and, in a few days, you may find that of that plant that made you so excited to put in your home, suddenly, above the leaves, only the bare spike remains.

In fact, many people do not have orchids because they fear that the flowers will fall and never appear again. Others lose the orchid when it runs out of flowers and stop giving it the care it needs. And, while it is true that orchids require specific care, it is also true that These plants ask you for a little patience.: You don’t have to get rid of them if they haven’t bloomed for a few months. With simple measures, and a little time, they can do it again.

Orchids, in general, are easier to care for than you think, especially the most popular indoor orchids, the Phalaenopsis. Besides, There are tricks to keep them healthyeven if they don’t have flowers, and let them bloom again as soon as the appropriate conditions are met.

How to make an orchid bloom again?

If your orchid has run out of flowers, the first thing you should determining is when you can expect your orchid to bloom again if everything goes well. When you bought it it was probably in full bloom and you couldn’t resist so much beauty. It was a good decision, although the best thing is Choose the orchid that shows some flowers and many buds.

What you didn’t know is how long it had been flowering before you bought it. A bloom lasts about three months, and then the flowers begin to fall until there are none left. It is a normal process.

In this video we tell you how to apply cinnamon to orchids, a spice that is very useful to promote their healthy growth:

The normal growth process of an orchid is the following:

• The leaves develop in summer and early autumn.
• The flower spike grows from late fall to early winter. Once the flower spike has started to grow, it is best not to move the orchid as the flower spike will want to grow towards the light. If you move, the tip will try to turn towards the light, which is a lot of stress. As soon as the spike is long enough, put a stake on it to hold it with clips (you will find them in any florist or nursery).
• After two or three months, the orchid It blooms in late winter or spring.
• The process is repeated annually. Therefore, An orchid can bloom again every 8 to 12 months, although some will bloom again in the same season.

This reflowering can be encouraged with proper care. Now we will see them, but first we must insist that, When the flowers fall and only a bare spike remains, that does not mean the plant is dying.

What indicates the orchid health status are the leaves and the rootswhich can be seen on the surface and through the transparent glass.

Should the flower spike be cut when it no longer has flowers?

Three options can be considered:

1. Leave the spike: If it has lost all the flowers, but the tip is still green, healthy and producing new buds, do nothing. With normal care it should continue to bloom. You can put an orchid fertilizer because reflowering requires a lot of energy. Maintain this fertilization until the last flower falls.
2. Trim only the flower spike: If flowering has ended and the tip of the spike is turning yellow or drying out, you can try to make it bloom a second time in the same season. Look on the spike for the node (the bump) closest to where the lowest flower was. Using sharp, sterilized scissors (you can clean them with alcohol), cut 1.5 cm above the node. You can apply a little cinnamon to the cut to prevent an infection from spreading through the plant. After trimming the spike, give it some fertilizer.
3. Trim the entire spike: If the orchid isn’t looking its best, has already bloomed twice, or needs a break to focus on producing new, stronger roots and leaves, cut the spike at the base, near the leaves or above the first node. In this case, provide the orchid with fertilizer for leaves and roots, not flowers. Maintain this fertilization until it begins to flower.

If the orchid doesn’t bloom when it’s due…

If the plant appears healthy but does not bloom for the season, The reason is usually a lack of light. Fertilizer alone cannot make it flower, it needs more light. Place it next to a window facing south or southeast, but it should not be in direct sunlight.

A symptom that the orchid receives little light is that the green color of the leaves is darker than normal. On the contrary, a light green color may indicate excess light.

Remember that orchids also they need to receive light at the roots and that is why they are placed in transparent pots.

If it has light but does not flower you may be lacking nutrients. Orchids need 12 minerals. A deficiency in any of them can cause the buds to fail to appear or to fail to flower. Look for the most complete orchid fertilizer you can with nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, manganese, boron, zinc, copper and molybdenum.

A sign that the orchid lacks minerals is that the older leaves turn yellow. Some orchids also show a reddish color on the underside or edges of their leaves.

In addition, temperature and irrigation can influence

the orchids They need cool nights during the fall. If your heat is too high, it can inhibit the flowering process. Ideally, there should be a difference of 6-8 ºC between day and night temperatures. At night, it should be 15-18 ºC.

In many cases it is a good idea to place the orchid near a window and open it at night to get the cooler temperatures of the fall nights.

Another cause may be irrigation, whether due to lack or excess. Underwatering can cause the plant to dry out and draw water from the buds so the rest of the plant can survive. Overwatering can damage the roots, and if the roots cannot absorb water, that can also cause the plant to draw water from the buds, resulting in its death.

When should the orchid be transplanted?

One has to avoid transplanting when the orchid has an active flower spike with buds or with flowers. Transplanting during flowering can cause the orchid to abort flowers to focus its energy on the roots.

To transplant an orchid you have to wait for flowering to end.