Reasons and solutions for orchids not blooming

Orchids have their unique fragrance and graceful leaves, and are favored by many people who love green plants. However, many orchid lovers find that the orchids they plant grow vigorously but do not bloom, and they don’t know why. Over time, they gradually lose interest and treat orchids as bonsai plants. Here we talk about the reasons why orchids do not bloom and how to solve them.

1. New seedlings are not easy to bloom

Generally speaking, newly grown orchid seedlings will not bloom in the same year, but some new seedlings of varieties that are easy to bloom may bloom in the second year. In most cases, it takes three years from planting to flowering for new orchid seedlings. If the orchid seedlings you buy online are from this year or last year, it is likely that they will not bloom in a short period of time.

Solution

As long as the newly bought orchid seedlings grow healthily, do not use fertilizers or other methods to force them to bloom. Take good care of them and give them enough time, and they will naturally repay you with elegant flowers. In addition, when purchasing orchid seedlings, it is best to find out the age of the orchid seedlings, so that you can know whether they can bloom in a short period of time and understand when the appropriate flowering time is.

2. Lack of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers

Nitrogen fertilizer grows leaves, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers promote the growth of flowers, stems and roots. If orchids lack phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, it will be difficult for them to bloom. If a domestic orchid does not bloom for one or two years occasionally when it reaches the flowering age, it may be due to other maintenance problems. However, if it does not bloom for several years and only grows leaves, you should consider whether there is insufficient supply of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers during the differentiation of flower buds, which leads to the failure to produce healthy flower buds and thus the failure to bloom.

Solution

When orchids have sufficient phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, their leaves stand upright and are resilient, and are not likely to fall over or break. If the orchid lacks phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, the leaves will be soft and easy to break, and it will easily fall over, the leaves will spread out, and the plant shape will not look good. Therefore, for the same variety of orchid, if the leaves of your orchid are not as upright as those of others, the angle between the leaves and the horizontal plane is too small, and the leaves feel soft and not hard enough, it may be due to a lack of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. At this time, we should pay attention to timely fertilizer supplementation. It is best to apply fertilizer in autumn, as autumn is the time when orchids are nurturing flower buds. Giving them sufficient phosphorus and potassium fertilizers will make it easier for orchids to bloom and produce high-quality flowers.

3. Few seedlings and weak plants

Even if they are strong seedlings, if there are less than three seedlings, it is difficult for the orchid to germinate. Even if the buds sprout, they are likely to become stiff. It is recommended that when buying orchids, try to choose strong seedlings of more than three seedlings connected together, which can shorten the acclimatization period and bloom as early as possible.

Solution

Apply nitrogen fertilizer and compound fertilizer properly to allow more new seedlings to grow in autumn and spring, so that there will be a basis for flowering. If only one or two seedlings sprout flower buds, it is recommended to remove the flower buds to convert reproductive growth into nutritional growth, so that the orchid can grow into strong seedlings as soon as possible. More seedlings will mean more flowers.

4. Vernalization is not in place

Most Chinese orchids need to undergo low-temperature vernalization before they can bloom. Vernalization refers to the low-temperature process that orchids must go through during their reproductive growth. The orchid seedlings and buds enter a dormant state and almost stop growing, accumulating dry matter nutrients to supply the flower buds. It is of great importance in promoting the growth of flower buds. The time of vernalization of orchids varies greatly from region to region.

The ideal temperature during the vernalization period is between 4 and 10 degrees. Temperatures that are too low or too high will have a certain impact on the growth of flower buds and the accumulation of nutrients. The humidity should not be too high, as it can easily cause root rot and flower bud rot. Therefore, try to keep the soil relatively dry and delay watering depending on the situation.

Workaround

The ideal temperature during the vernalization period is between 4 and 10 degrees. Temperatures that are too low or too high will have a certain impact on the growth of flower buds and the accumulation of nutrients. The humidity should not be too high, as it can easily cause root rot and flower bud rot. Therefore, try to keep the soil relatively dry and delay watering depending on the situation. If you maintain the right temperature and humidity, orchids will easily bud.

That’s it