How can I make my orchid bloom again?

I rec'd an orchid as a gift several years back and it bloomed beautiful purple flowers for the first couple years. However, the last few years, it seems to be struggling.





It grows and grows and starts new shoots off the old ones, but the flower buds shrivel up and fall off. Eventually, the new shoots partially shrivel up and well.





I let the moss dry out and then water. It's in a South facing window that never gets direct sunlight, but gets plenty of indirect light.





The excess water is allowed to filter through.





I've used an orchid fertilizer in the past, but haven't recently as it didn't seem to be improving the blooming problems.





Some of the roots are coming up out of the moss.





I hope that this provides enough info that someone can help! I *will* choose a best answer, and appreciate any "stars" and good answers that I get!





Thank you in advance!

How can I make my orchid bloom again?
The problem you describe is called blossom drop which most often is due to temperatures or humidity, or both being outside the plant's preferred range. Orchids like it hot and humid. Exposure to temperatures much below 80 - 85 degrees (or much above 105 degrees) will suppress the plant's reproductive cycle, interfere with flowering and fruiting, and may even cause the plant to go dormant until conditions improve. Check your ambient temperatures and see if that may be the problem. Humidity may be improved by placing the plant in a bathroom or kitchen window where it can get some moist air once in a while.





The roots coming out of the compost may be a hint that it's time to repot, otherwise nothing to worry about..





The shoots (pseudopods) is where the plant stores food. As the food is drawn, the pods appear to shrivel. This is normal. Cut them off when they turn brown. If your orchid (which sounds like it may be a Dendrobium) has six or more live pods, you might want to divide it.
Reply:Hi there,





I've been growing orchids for a few years and have been at the same place you are... trying to get them to re-bloom. I've actually just switched to clay pellets (hydroton/ prime-agra) to grow my orchids. I'm hoping this will help. I know you need temperature swings to initiate spiking, but it sounds like you're able to get spikes, just not blooms... if the buds are falling off, this is called bud blast and can be caused by low humidity or a poor root system (it's also caused by shipping to/from stores but sounds like that's not likely in your case)........so first, I'd unpot and check for dead roots and trim them away. If you have lots of roots coming out the top of your container it could be feeling crowded and want to be re-potted. And of course, different orchids need different requirements... my phals are the easiest for me to re-bloom!





For a great forum with really knowledgable people I'd recommend www.gardenweb.com - go to the forums section and then to the 'orchids' section. They'll have lots of great info for you! Goodluck!
Reply:You might want to try relocating to a diff. planter? Sometimes plants can out grow their homes and feel suffucated. i had potted Ivy Iwas growing and for the first 2 yrs it also done well but then the leaves started to brown up and nothing i tried seemed to help and I asked my mom about it. And she said it's roots were too contricted and had nomore room to grow.


She helped me to transplant and it now flourishes in my kitchen,Big green and beautiful!!!!
Reply:This plant sounds like it may be a phalenopsis? It would have a tag in it, hopefully. Different orchids require different things. The first thing you should do is to take the plant out of the pot. Take a kitchen knife and gently go around the outer edges of the pot to release the roots that may be attached to the pot. Once it is out of the pot, carefully pull all the moss or potting medium away from the roots. Do the best you can not to break any roots that appear to be alive. All you want to have left is roots. Look at the roots. Are they firm, or are they dried up, shrivelled, greyish, etc.? If they are firm, they are in good shape. If they are light color with a little bit of greenish on them they are good. If they seem papery, dry or the root seems "squishy" like a sponge, they need to be removed. These roots will rot in the pot and cause problems. When you see a root you are unsure of, see if it has green inside. Do not do this to every root or you will destroy the roots, but this can help you decide what roots are alive or dead. Take all the dead roots off. If a root is partly alive, take the dead portion off and leave the living part. By the way, the little bright green tips on the ends of the roots are growing tips. Take care not to snap them off, if possible, as these are like little "root buds". Now you have your plant and its roots. Find a pot (with drainage holes - not closed pots) that will hold the plant and allow some of the roots to touch the sides. The pot should be neither too big, or so small the roots just won't fit. A pot in which the roots don't at least touch the sides will not allow for new blooms in the very near future. Roots on phals can be curled around if necessary, but not too severly. Potting medium: Sounds like your plant is in moss. It would probably be better to put it in orchid bark. This will allow proper drainage and may be the best change for your plant at this point. Put the plant in the pot and hold it there while sifting the bark into the bottom. Keep pushing the bark down, adding more around the roots, putting more in, until the plant is secure. They don't like to wiggle around very much, so push the bark down the best you can to try to get the plant secure. If necessary, you can use wire or tape to temporarily secure it in the pot, but you can probably get it secure just putting enough bark in the pot. Make certain to put the tag back in taping it in if necessary, if there is one, as this identifies the plant, the lineage, etc., as they all have different "lines". Water the plant and let drain. Only fertilize at (I think - look this up) 1/10 strength per watering. Allow to dry slightly, but if it is a Phal, it will like a little moisture, and perhaps a little misting once daily. If you are getting a night-time temp. drop, this should be adequate for future blooms. You might be interested in joining the American (or the branch in your state) Orchid Society. They have monthly meetings where people get together, discuss their plants, have interesting info., etc. There are even shows when the plants get "happier" and bloom for you again. Good luck - I would guess that the roots and potting medium are your problem. I think you can hold a lot of hope, in that your plant is actually attempting to bloom despite what may be poor medium. Perhaps it will be a good plant for you.

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