What to Do Once an Orchid Has Bloomed?

Pruning

• Prune phalaenopsis orchids after the blooms begin to die back. Trim the stem in between the dead flower bud and the nearest node. Within a few days, the node will begin to swell in preparation for new growth. If no new growth occurs after a few weeks, trim them back to the soil and new growth will occur the following blooming season. For other types of orchids, prune them back to the soil as the blooms die off.

Fertilizer

• After blooming, orchids require feeding to stay strong to continue growing. The potting soil used for orchids is light and airy to maintain good drainage, but it doesn't contain the proper amounts of nutrients that they need to grow. Apply 20-20-20 fertilizer to the soil once or twice a month beginning 30 days after the orchids begins to bloom and stop once it enters dormancy. Find a fertilizer that is specially formulated for orchids as the roots burn easily if the fertilizer is too concentrated.

Water

• Even though orchids are a tropical plant, they thrive better when well-drained. Water orchids once a week and allow the top layer of soil to dry out completely in between watering. Depending on the conditions the plant is in, they may stand for watering every two weeks. Test the soil with your finger a couple times a week to test for moisture. Orchids die quickly when exposed to too much water, but they will bounce back during small droughts.

Light

• How much sunlight to give to an orchid depends on the type of orchid you have. For example, nun's orchids require more direct sunlight until the blossoms die off and they must be moved to an area where they get only filtered sunlight. Phalaenopsis orchids require filtered sunlight all the time or they may experience scorching from overheating. If they don't receive the correct amount of light, they will store too much chlorophyll and they won't receive the trigger to begin a blooming cycle.