How to get more than one flowering orchid stem?
I am starting to master the technique of getting orchids to re-flower. I currently have 6 on my window sill with single young stems at various stages. Apart from looking for a round of applause from you guys for managing this, I would like to know how/why orchids grow more than one stem.
I have Googled and my understanding is that the phalaenopsis orchid produces one leaf a year. The more leaves, the more stems.... Most of my orchids have around 6 or 7 leaves as they are the cheapy ones from Ikea.
I would like more than one flowering stem on my orchids, do I just have to be patient and wait for a few more years and they will produce them or is there a technique?
I am currently eyeing up a friends large 4 stemmed orchid as I have a feeling she will throw it out when it has flowered, I shall selflessly offer it a home.....
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Patient is the key with Orchids, the more established it gets the more it will flower, try and leave it pot bound, this will encourage flowering
I've got 7 I got when M&S halved the price. The 4 on my kitchen windowsill have produced a flower spike 4-5 times in 18 months. They seem to do flower spike, leaf, flower spike, leaf, though I have one doing both of these at once.
I have one in the bathroom with 3 flowering spikes - every time I think it's time to cut back one of the stems after the flowers have all dropped I notice that it's sending out another sidestem covered in buds. I water it occasionally and it's been fed about 3 times in 3 years. It seems to thrive on neglect.
Now I have another I'm wondering whether I should give this one equal neglect or look after it properly
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thank you all for your feedback. That's interesting what you say Dove, I tend to leave the old stems on and wait for them to either die back or throw out a new sidestem. The only one I have with two spikes is an old one with a new sideshoot that has also grown a new spike from the base.
Has anyone had an orchid that has thrown out two new baby spikes at the same time?
One of mine has but I can't shed any light on whether you can make them. It just did it all on it's own
Hmm, if only they could talk....
Mine are not impressive at all. They look happy enough, as far as new leaves go, I hardly water them, I wipe leaves of dust diligently, occasionally give a feed bad always water them from the base by standing in sink for an hour, as was recommended to me once by an orchid specialist. Nonetheless, only one has a single flowering stem after almost a year and the other two nothing for over a Year. They are all in small pots, in their original orchid compost, away from direct heat, in bright light but no direct sun. What am I doing wrong?!
The phalaes bloom twice a year. Usually I cut them back to the base but now I successfully managed to have one reblooming from an earlier stem. I have cut it back just above a node. And it is growing a completely new stem in the same time.
However my oldest one has 3 new stems now and I am waiting for buds to appear. I am curious about how many flowers it will have. It is on a Southern East window sill as the previously mentioned one as well.
The three others are placed on a Southern West window sill and one is still blooming on 4 stems (I have bought it that way, it is a pretty new addition), the other is blooming on two stems and the third one has been reblooming on one stem for 2 months now and I have just discovered another stem growing on it.
I give them nutrition once in every month and water them once per 1,5 week. Sometimes I use mineral water or collect rainwater for them, but most of the time I use drinking water from the tap. (Though it is not recommended by the books).
It is better if the media runs dry sometimes than be wet all the time. That's it from me.
I cut to just above where you can see a bump on the stem and I stick them outside when it is raining. when it isn't raining I use tap water but sparingly. I have 12 and bought another 3 at the weekend.
I am new to the orchid world but I have a plant that blooms quite often and this time it grew a second flower spike right after the first one's blooms opened. Is the second spike normal?