Orchids: Expert shares tips for looking after plant
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Orchids mainly flower once a year, sometimes twice a year. When they bloom, some flowers last weeks while others can last months. Once an orchid flowers and the blooms fade, it can be tempting to think the plant has come to the end of its life.
However, this is not the case, with proper care an orchid plant can rebook every three to six months.
Gardening expert and author Ellen Mary has shared how to make orchids re-flower after their blooms have faded.
The author of The Joy of Gardening: The Everyday Zen of Mowing the Lawn said the plant will eventually re-shoot and bloom again even though a lot of people think they won’t flower again.
Ellen said: “I leave orchids to repeat flower. Although, lots of people think they won’t flower again.
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“If you just trim down the old flowering stem, and look after it just as you would, then they will re-shoot and flower again.
“That’s so satisfying and exciting to see.
“It can take a really long time so people will just think they’ve died but they haven’t.
“Just carry on looking after it and you should be able to get flowers again.”
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Vanda orchids bloom two to three times a year with each cycle lasting around six weeks.
Cattleya and cymbidium orchids usually only bloom once a year.
Phalaenopsis orchids usually bloom once per year and their flowers can last months.
Once the flowers drop off an orchid, owners can either leave the flower spike, cut it back or remove it.
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If the stem (spike) is turning brown or yellow, owners should definitely cut it down.
Orchids only need watering around once a week during the winter.
When the weather is warm and dry, they may need watering twice a week.
How often the orchid needs watering will depend on the size of its container.
A six-inch pot will need water every week while a four inch pot may need watering every five to six days.
Ellen’s first book The Joy of Gardening: The Everyday Zen of Mowing the Lawn was published in May 2021.
Her second book, How to Grow a Garden: From balconies to Back Garden Plots, the Complete Guide to a Thriving Outdoor Space, is due to be published later this year.
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