Post flowering treatment
Many new orchid growers are unsure what to do with their plants once the flowering season is over, but most will go on to flower again when the next growing season comes round. Here are some tips for the different types:
With bulbous orchids, including oncidiums, cymbidiums, brassias and miltoniopsis, the stems turn brown and die with the flowers. Simply trim back the dead stem to the base to make a tidier plant. These orchids then need to make a new leaf shoot from the base of the plant, which over the growing season grows to form a new pseudobulb. Once this bulb is complete, the next flowers will be produced, which usually takes about a year in all.
Dendrobiums make tall, narrow pseudobulbs, often called canes or stems, but these aren’t simply flower stems, even though they hold the blooms. Pseudobulbs are also the food storage organs for plants, so they should only be cut off when they’re old, leafless and brown. While still green, they remain a vital part of the plant, supporting it to help future growing and flowering. Rather than cu ing off the cane after flowers have dropped, let the plant grow new canes first, which will produce next year’s flowers. Old pseudobulbs can stay on the plants for many years, so don’t remove them until they turn soft and brown.
Phalaenopsis are the only orchids that re-flower from the same stem. Take a look at the flower stem and you’ll see several eyes along its length, which are all capable of growing a new sideshoot and branching out with more buds. To encourage this to happen, before every old flower has dropped, cut the flower stem off above one of these eyes, which will increase the chances of a new branch. The original stem is still alive at this point, so is more likely to grow. Eventually you can trim the main stem back to the base to give the plant a chance to grow new leaves and recuperate after a long flowering period. Use this time to repot plants that have outgrown their pot.
Whether your orchids are seasonal flowerers or long-lasting, anytime bloomers, even a small collection can give a great show for most, if not all of the year. However, if you end up with a stubborn, shy-flowering plant, move it to a different place in the house that’s cooler and lighter and provide high-potash feed. These changes should get it performing again.