

Step 3: Turning on the air conditioning may help, but keep an eye out for drafts that could damage your orchid.ĭimaBerlin/Shutterstock Tip #2 - Cut orchid spikes once blooms are spentĪfter your orchid has bloomed, you can cut off the flower spike to redirect your plant’s energy towards healthy growth. Step 2: If you keep the plant indoors, place it in a cool area of your home - close to a cold window is ideal. Step 1: If you take your orchid outside to get some chilly air, just remember to bring it in when temperatures drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. There are a few things that you can do to give your plant the cool temperatures it needs to grow new spikes. If you keep your orchid indoors, it might not experience cold enough temperatures to develop flowers. The sweet spot for inducing blooms in orchids is generally around 55 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Orchid spikes usually grow when days are short and the temperatures drop during the autumn and winter. Tiberiu/Pexels Tip #1 - Keep your orchid cool, but not too cool While you can't actually make your orchid grow a new spike, here are a few ideas to help encourage it.
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Mariia Boiko/Shutterstock How to make an orchid grow a new spike If you don't notice blooms for a while, just know that dormancy is perfectly normal.

Recent hybrids can even bloom twice a year - if you're lucky, you might even get three sets of blooms in a 12-month span.Īfter flowering, orchids tend to stay dormant for six to nine months before they start developing new spikes that have anywhere from 5 to 10 blooms. Orchids generally bloom once a year around late winter or early spring, but it's not altogether impossible to get your orchid to bloom multiple times a year. Leila Alekto Photo/Shutterstock How often do orchids bloom? See our tips below on choosing the right fertilizer.ĭo ZZ plants cause cancer? Here’s the definitive answerĬan pothos live in water forever? How to root, grow, and propagate pothos in waterĭon’t know how often you need to water your cactus? We have answers that might surprise you Step 2: Water the orchid well and give it a moderate amount of plant food. Step 1: To encourage spike growth, give your orchid lots of bright, indirect light. Spikes usually wither away with spent flowers, but that may not always be the case. Generally speaking, the younger your plant, the less likely it will be to put out multiple spikes.ĭue to different genetics, some orchids may be predisposed to growing multiple spikes, while others will only push out one set of blooms per growing season. For healthy spikes, you’ll want to have a healthy orchid in the first place. If you notice a spike forming, be patient this fixture on your orchid can take around three months to grow. Mariia Boiko/Shutterstock How long does it take a new orchid spike to grow? In contrast, spikes feature pointy, thin shapes with mitten-shaped tips, eventually growing anywhere between 4 to 6 inches tall. Orchid roots ( which need little soil) tend to be rounder at the tip and less green. Sometimes, spikes can be confused for aerial roots. So, first of all, what exactly are spikes? Spikes are the part of the orchid where the flowers and buds grow. Josephine Baran/Unsplash How to tell when an orchid is growing a new stem If you are looking for a beautiful, rewarding type of flower spike, give the orchid a try.A cool area of your home (between 55 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit) The Phalaenopsis is the most popular orchid to grow inside. This may vary a little with the type of orchid, so you will want to find the specific needs for your particular orchid. Orchids like a temperature between 60 and 85 degrees, depending on whether it is night or daytime. They actually do well in the average home setting. Contrary to popular belief, the way to grow orchids is not so very difficult. My favorite type of flower spike would have to be the orchid. Do I cut back the spike when they are done blooming? I have two Phalaenopsis orchids growing in my kitchen. Your orchid will have more energy to more flowers on a new flower spike. You can also completely cut off the flower spike. Otherwise, you will end up with fewer flowers.

To keep your orchids growing well, you should only do this once per flower spike. If your plant has reached 12 or more inches, you can cut it half way back above one of the small notches on the flower spike.

The Phalaenopsis orchid is the most commonly re-blooming flower spike among orchids.
