Rescuing Orchids?

Question

About a month ago we bought 5 orchid plants, unfortunately we kept them in quite a dark spot and didn't feed them. All the flowers dropped off and some of their leaves turned yellow and dropped off. We have now moved them to a sunnier spot and are feeding them on orchid food. Do we need to trim the dead stem to get them flowering again and how often do we need to feed them? They had gorgeous flowers so any help anyone could give to get them flowering again would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

Orchids bloom then rest. They'll bloom again next season.

Answer 2

OK, I don't know what kind of orchids you got, but I can give you some basics.
Don't overwater. Potted plants need water once or twice a week, just enough to keep tthe potting mix a little moist but NOT wet, you can literally drown an orchid plant as they breath through the roots as well as the leaves. DON'T mist potted orchids, they don't need it and the excess water can cause crown rot.
Don't overfeed. This is one of the biggest killers of orchids. Get a balanced orchid food, the numbers on the container shoul be like, 10-10-10 or 20-20-20. Use it at half of the recommended strength once a week.
Give them good,strong light, but not direct sun. If the leaves are getting a bit yellow, give them more shade. Too much shade and they are reluctant to bloom. The comment that they all grow in deep shady forests is only true for some, there are over 35,000 species!
The tip about giving them cooler temps. for a while in winter is a great one, again it helps promote blooming in a lot of different types. Be sure to cut the water back some when you give them that cool down. Don't trim anything until it's completely dried up, this gives the plant time to "recycle" nutrients from those tissues. Have fun and good luck

Answer 3

Cut the stem so it is about 2 inches long, cut off any yellowed leaves, don't put the plant in direct sun but rather keep it in bright light, mist entire plant daily, water deeply once a week, leave plant in present container, fertilize at half the rate recommended on the fertilizer container, and above all ensure that the plant is outside during the Summer and early Fall as the plant needs a period of night temperature at least 15 degrees colder than the daytime temperature. This is to set the buds. Good luck----

Answer 4

Orchids are really easy to keep. Don't panic! I am crap with plants and only remember to water mine about once a month and mine are thriving. Only give them a little bit. Do not leave the roots soaking in water. I have about 5 plants all bought at different times. I have noticed they don't like direct sunlight and like quite a cool room. I have had the leaves go yellow before and I cut them off. It was because they were in direct sun and got too hot. They are meant to grow in dark rainforest areas where they cling onto trees by their roots. They really dont need a lot of water though.

Answer 5

Please save the orchids! They are a georgeous flower.

Cut the leaves off, trim the stem if necessary (if the flowers fell off and nothing remains you should be okay) and water it with a good soaking once a week in the sink, let it drain all the way through, and put it back IN THE SUN. You're probably not going to get blooms until next year, because the ones for this year are gone. Maybe you'll get lucky.

Good luck.

Answer 6

cut of the dead flowers to save the plant wasting energy, also soak the plant once a week for 2 mins aswell as misting it daily. Don't put it in the direct sun though as this is too much light, they usual grow in forests where it is warm moist and farely shady, orchids are great, I've had one in flower for over 2 years now, good luck!!!

Answer 7

Orchid plants are hardy. If they are still growing, then they are fine. Discard the dead leaves and stem by cutting them off. When new shoots start to grow with roots visible, transfer them to new pots. Growth medium should be of broken red bricks mix with broken charcoals. Water twice daily generously. Fertilise them once every week or two. Used dark netting overhead is good.