How to Grow Orchids and Keep Them Blooming Year after Year

Orchids love to be near a shower or bathtub. If they experience warm conditions with humidity and if their air is circulated well, they will thrive!

Keep an eye on the temperature though, if it’s too cool flowers will not be produced. If you’re looking for a sure-fire way of maintaining humidity for your orchid try making a flower humidity tray!

Watering Orchids

The most common questions: To water more, or not to water?

Orchids are a wonderful addition to any home. They’re easy to care for and enjoy all seasons of the year! During winter, most orchid varieties only require weekly waterings so you can avoid over-watering which will cause rot.

The best way to water them is to place them into a tub and give them a thorough watering, and lots of time to drain well. For orchids, it is always better to underwater then to overwater.

During the warmer months, water your plant twice a week and mist with a sprayer on particularly hot days to keep it hydrated. Plus, orchids need fertilizer too- fertilize them at least every 3 weeks if you want flowers.

Replanting Orchids

The roots of an orchid are susceptible to rot when they don’t have enough space, so it’s important that you plant your orchid plant in a pot with good root aeration. You can buy pre-mixed orchid soil at any nursery and add more bark chips as needed!

Orchids need a lot of space and air to grow properly so repotting an orchid is essential. Repots should always be given fresh potting mix, which will allow the plant’s roots time to develop deeper into its new soil mixture before it flowers again!

Orchid care is simple! Find the right conditions for your orchids and they will continue to produce beautiful flowers.

Orchid Propagation Tips

This guide will teach you how to propagate an orchid at home. There are 3 popular methods: division, stem cuttings and offshoots that work well with different types of plants so be sure to fully inspect your bloom before deciding on what method is best for them!

Stem Cuttings

Stem cuttings allow for the easy propagation of many different types of plants. To prepare, first identify which stem to cut off – it should be thick and healthy with at least 10 inches height. Make sure you only remove part way down from where your plant originates, just above the node.

Next, I like to cut my stem into smaller pieces that contain at least 2 nodes each. Then cover the ends with an anti-fungal such as cinnamon or charcoal!

Place the stems horizontally in a tray of damp sphagnum moss. Keep it in a clear plastic bag to keep moisture from evaporating and then place under bright indirect sunlight! After about 3 months, you should see new leaves forming on top while roots form at their bases- this means your plant is ready for transplanting into potting soil once again.

Division

One way to divide an orchid, if the plant has grown too big for its pot and is at least 3 years old, is by using “active” or “dormant” pseudobulbs.

Active pseudobulbs will have leaves and stems. You can divide them as long they have enough roots to sustain their growth, but be careful not cut too deep or you’ll end up separating rhizomes from each other which is a no-no!

Dormant pseudobulbs will have no leaves or stems and can be gently divided. They should start growing new orchids after being planted on their own, but it may take some time for them to mature into a fully-grown plant,

OffShoots

It’s easy to propagate orchids if you have them! Unlike other plants, these babies form from the base of an adult. They’ll be small and need monitoring as they grow but can sometimes flower on their own in time too – just cut the baby shoots once the parent plant finishes with the blooming process.

Make sure you water the parent plant before cutting it. Then, cut offshoots beneath its stem and roots once they have reached a decent size (at least 3 leaves) with 1 inch of root showing.

Place your baby shoot in a pot with sphagnum moss and keep them moist. Avoid direct sunlight until they’re established, then you can place the plant where it’ll receive some light for photosynthesis but not too much!

You should try one of these methods to create more orchids. You can also continue on with what is working for you, whether that’s baby-ing your current plant or not!