The Orchid Garden

Orchid Newbie Question

Question:

Hi All,  Was Just at my local Home Depot, and they were having a 75% off sale on Orchids that that had ready bloomed and were not in bloom anymore.  So I bought 3 – I have done a little reading on Orchids but have no experience with care. 1. Dendrobium- in 6" plastic pot with bark mulch media, has very healthy looking leaves and what looks like a new shoot coming from the base of the plant. 2. Oncidium – in 6" plastic pot with bark mulch media, and healthy looking leaves. 3. Phalaenopsis- in 4" clay pot with holes in the side in moss like media also with good looking leaves. The questions I have are: 1.How do I get them to bloom again ? 2. What is the preferred fertilizer to use ? Thanks Orchid Newbie

Response:

The main thing is to be real patient.  The Dendrobium may or may not bloom again soon depending on the type.  The Phal will shouldn’t bloom again until next year, unless the stalk hasn’t been cut back and then it might coax a bloom or two this season.  Advice is mixed as to whether you should let it bloom again this season.  The Oncidium probably won’t bloom again until this time next year. Note that until you learn a bit more about orchids (and I’m far from a definitive source and am still learning myself) your orchids might not bloom again next year.  As long as they appear to be healthy, that’s not of major concern.  It just means that you haven’t done the exact things that it wanted.  Sometimes orchids can be stubborn. The major factors are watering (try to get a feel for it from what you read here and on web pages that you can find – overwatering kills more orchids than underwatering, although serious underwatering can affect bloom output,) temperature (all three of those live nicely in the intermediate home but they like a nighttime drop in temp, which is sometimes hard to accomplish in a climate-controlled house) and light (don’t give any of these direct afternoon light in the summer (in the winter, they’ll probably appreciate a bit of it.) Just my two cents. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi All,  Was Just at my local Home Depot, and they were having a 75% off sale on Orchids that that had ready bloomed and were not in bloom anymore.  So I bought 3 – I have done a little reading on Orchids but have no experience with care. 1. Dendrobium- in 6" plastic pot with bark mulch media, has very healthy looking leaves and what looks like a new shoot coming from the base of the plant. 2. Oncidium – in 6" plastic pot with bark mulch media, and healthy looking leaves. 3. Phalaenopsis- in 4" clay pot with holes in the side in moss like media also with good looking leaves. The questions I have are: 1.How do I get them to bloom again ? 2. What is the preferred fertilizer to use ? Thanks Orchid Newbie

Response:

1. The dendrobium needs bright light – it is too late in the year to give it full sun but morning sun would be good. It needs to be watered often- 3 times a week during the summer which is its growth season( it will not bloom if it doesn’t get enough light) and fertilized often – once a week. Use a 30-10-10 fertilizer – we use Peters 1/4 tsp to a gallon of water. Do not use softened water!! Rain water is best. 2. Oncidiums do well in bright indirect light and should be watered 2 or 3 times a week in summer. Fertilize 2 times a month. 3.Phals- like a lower light but not dark. Similar to aftrican violet conditions. An east window with a sheer curtain  perhaps. Water as above but you must let them drain well. Summer fertilization should be once a week. They will not bloom is they don’t get enough light. If the leaves turn redish they are getting too much light. Should be a medium green.

Response:

Filed under: Dendrobium Orchid

Related Posts