How to get Orchids to Rebloom

• Written by Holly Hughes on May 10, 2022

Exotic, sensual, and beautiful, it’s ironic how orchids – the flowers associated with fertility and virility – can be so difficult to rebloom.

If you are struggling to get these stunning flowers to bloom again, you are not alone! Many people find it difficult to maintain an orchid’s blossoms year-on-year and even get it to bloom in the first place. Luckily, we’ve put together this guide on getting your orchids to rebloom, so you can enjoy your plant’s magnificence and blooms for many seasons to come.

Read on to discover the secret to getting your orchid to rebloom.

Related post: All About Orchids

How to make orchids bloom

Before we answer how to get orchids to rebloom, let’s go back to basics - how do you get orchids to bloom in the first place?

Firstly, contrary to most flower advice, if buying your own plant – like some of the beautiful varieties at Plants.com – you want to choose a more mature looking one. Younger orchids can be hard to please and therefore more difficult to bloom.

These elegant plants also strongly dislike repotting and will usually take at least a year to bloom after being transplanted. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to buy a plant that is already potted. Check out 1800Flowers for a great selection of pre-potted and gorgeous blooms.

Getting orchids to bloom indoors

The real secret to getting these plants to bloom indoors is to recreate their natural environment, particularly when it comes to temperature and light exposure.

Orchids prefer indirect light that mirrors the sun’s natural light cycle. Putting your plant in an east or west-facing window is the best place to ensure it can get the kind of light it needs to bloom. It also enjoys the natural deviations in temperature that occur between night and day so leaving it in a window, without the interference of draughts of artificial heat, will also encourage it to bloom.

In terms of watering, be sure to check the soil regularly. When it begins to feel dry, you know your plant is ready to be watered. This typically occurs every week or two.

Can an orchid bloom again?

One of the most common misconceptions about these plants is that, once their bloom finishes, they die. However, as is often the case in the natural world, just because nothing appears to be happening with your plant once it loses its blooms, that doesn’t make it true. In fact, after its blooming phase, an orchid is simply dormant and, with the right care and attention, is ready to embark on its next phase of flowering again.

Related Post: How to Bring Plants Back to Life

How long do orchids take to rebloom?

Lasting between six and nine months, the dormant phase of an orchid’s life cycle is when the plant rests and replenishes lost nutrients after blooming. When this stage is completed, your plant will be ready to bloom again. 

Do orchids bloom every year?

As a general rule, most orchids will bloom once every year. However, some varieties can bloom twice or even more times than this. So too can a very content plant which is why it’s so important to give your orchid the care and attention it needs!

When it flowers, you can expect your orchid to remain in bloom for six to ten weeks.

Don’t want to wait that long to experience the beauty of an orchid in bloom? You can always order an orchid bouquet from flower delivery services like SendFlowers.

How do I get my orchid to rebloom?

So, you’ve experienced the magic of your plant in bloom and now, having watched its flowers die off, you’re wondering how to recreate the magic and make your orchid rebloom.

For the disheartened, don’t worry, it is possible! However, it does require a lot of love and tenderness – even more than it might have needed to bloom in the first place.

Nevertheless, fear not – here’s our easy tips for reblooming orchids.

When the flowers drop off your orchid, you know your plant is entering its dormancy phase and will stop blooming. As soon as this happens, cut off the flower spike – the place from which most of the flowers will have fallen – but take care not to cut it right down to the base. 

From there, you can immediately start fertilizing your plant with a balanced, phosphorus fertilizer for houseplants. Depending on the orchid variety you have, this will need to be done on a weekly or monthly basis (you can ask your local garden center about this).

Continue watering it weekly, or whenever its soil feels dry to the touch.

Then, move your plant to a cooler area (you’re looking for a place with temperatures around 55-65 degrees Fahrenheit) where it will continue to have access to day-long indirect sunlight. An east-facing window is best as orchids need the rhythms of nature’s light cycle in order to rebloom effectively.

When the flower spike begins to regrow, wait for it to reach about 5 inches in height before supporting it with a stake and loose bind. From there, it should only be a matter of time before you get to see the glorious flowers of your orchid bloom once more!

However, when this happens, by no means consider your work to be over! This needy plany still needs help to sustain its blooming period so be sure to continue watering and maintaining it as normal to enjoy its flowers for weeks at a time!

Getting your orchid to bloom and rebloom might feel like a lot of effort but the second you see those flowers begin to emerge, you’ll know every bit of fuss and attention was worth it.