My Orchids don't flower!?
Question:I have a catteleya and a cymbidium. They have been with me for almost 4 years, and have not flowered since I got them (apart from the flower that they had when I got them). I fertilize weekly, and water weekly as well, making sure that the roots don't get soggy. They do produce new leaves and leaf spikes. Help!
Answers:
The secret with orchids is to give them cooler nights at about 60 degrees or so when they are in the flowering stage. (After they've grown a new leaf.) Placing them outside in the summer months or by an open window will help do the trick. If it's in a controlled environment and little to no night time temperature differential, then they won't flower. Good luck!
You're over-feeding them, which is why you are getting plenty of new leaves but no flowers. Orchids are actually a LOT less fussy then people tend to believe. Mine do best when left alone, but you also have to make sure they are in an environment that suits them. They like lots of indirect or filtered bright light (avoid strong direct sun) to flower. Weekly watering is good, as long as the roots can dry out in between – make sure they are in a good orchid medium with adequate drainage. Try cutting back your fertilization to once every 4 months. When I lived in Florida, I kept my orchids outside year-round (except when the ocassional freeze threatened) - they got lots of humidity that way which is what they like. Now that I live in NC I keep them outside May to October (suspended from the branches of a row of crape myrtles which give them some good shade) and move them to a sun porch with lots of windows during the cold months. Last year my dendrobium had a record 18 flowering sprays on it at one time. If your orchids are inside all the time, the air may be too dry for them in which case you can mist them with a spray bottle - some people also hang them in the bathroom so they can soak up the humidity from daily showers.
Good luck!
More Related Questions & Answers...