How do you get an orchid plant to re-bloom?

Question

I purchased an orchid plant with blooms. Buds continued to open for about 1 month, and a few more buds appeared, giving me about 2 1/2 months of flowers. Now the plant is dormant and the branch is starting to turn black and die off. Is there a way to get it to re-bloom, or do I have to just wait?

Thanks.

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

A specific answer is hard to provide without knowing exactly what type of orchid you had. I could assume that it is a Phalaenopsis species, but it could be a Columnaria, Epidendron, Encyclia, or something from the Cattleya alliance, all of which tend to be sold "over the counter" (meaning in a wide variety of stores, with little info to go with it). Each type requires specific and differing treatment, light conditions, temperature regimes, and watering and fertilization frequencies. Essentially, if you can provide your orchid with growing conditions similar to its "native" conditions, you will have success. This is not too hard to do.

If you know what type of plant you have, try an Advanced Google search for "Care Sheet" in the exact phrase box and the genus name in the all the words box. There are a lot of them, and a lot of good ones available.

Source(s):

Years of experience, and a greenhouse with over 800 specimens from 200+ species.