Do orchids only bloom once a year? That’s a crock of crap, says a large majority of orchid gardeners! Flowers appear for all seasons and can be grown in any climate zone from extremely warm to extremely cold, as well as on other planets. They can survive on just about anything you can grow in your garden and some varieties can even tolerate being planted in the soil on top of the soil in the same garden as other plants. So, the question is, “Are do orchids only bloom once a year?”
The truth is, they don’t bloom for very long at all – they’re much better off being repotted every few months. Repotting your orchid plants should be done after you have removed all of the ornaments from the pot, preferably the ornaments that are on the bottom, because that’s where they will go the fastest into the soil. If you repot your orchid plants on the top, some of the ornaments may get pulled down into the soil too, but the majority will stay up in the air, ready to blossom again.
When you remove the ornaments from your plant, remove the entire plant from the pot and place it in a large bowl of water. Make sure the plant is completely submerged, no matter what size the pot is. Your orchid will need to sit in the water for a few hours. This is important because it allows the roots to really get going, preparing them for the long period of time that the pot will need. It also helps make sure that the new roots won’t get buried under the new, shallow water surface.
After the orchid has had time to really prepare itself, you’ll want to give it a good watering. Just make sure not to drown the roots, which could cause your orchids to stop growing altogether. You can use a pumice stone to gently wash the roots of your orchids, but a sponge and a hose would be a better choice if you want to keep the roots of your orchid healthy and blooming.
When the time comes to replant your orchids, you should choose plants that are young and have just a few new growth spouts or leaves. This makes it easier for the roots to get the nutrients they need. Applying fertilizer just before the final big flush of new growth should be enough to help your orchids stay on track. If you notice that your orchids aren’t growing like they should right away, you can apply more fertilizer to help them finish blooming.
Just after your orchids finish blooming, you should place them in a new pot. Keep in mind that your orchid’s roots will need room to expand. Placing them in a larger pot may actually encourage new growth. However, if you do this, be sure that you remove all of the orchids from the pot before the next season begins.
When you repot your orchids, you should remember that they should only be repotted during the summer. This is when their roots are able to expand fully, providing them with more space to develop new growth. The best time to repot your orchids is about two weeks before the beginning of the blooming season. Remove the plants from their pots, and cut about a quarter inch off the top of the pot. Add some dirt to the root ball to allow the orchid roots to properly absorb water. Water the orchid deeply before putting it into the new pot, and then use a little bit of mulch to help the roots stay nice and moist.
When you repot your orchids, you should make sure that you only water the plants at the base. Watering at the top will encourage root rot, and watering at the bottom will result in your plants drying out too much. Repot your orchids just before the start of the new season, or the end of May or June. Avoid repeating your orchids until the warmer weather approaches. When the plants start to bloom, the intense heat of summer will dry out the plants, which is very bad for orchids.