A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2003 How to get orchid to flower

Hello,

So I've managed to keep an orchid alive and flowering for the last 7 months. I went away for 10 days and my husband promised to water it...I'm sure he did a few times but the flowers have dried up as have the stems/shoots that the flowers grow from. The plant itself seems happy - three new leaves have grown and rthere are four-five shoots/roots coming out of the pot.

This is my first orchid...do I need to repot? Fertilizer? Is this just a new growth phase? Are the black pods where the flowers used to be seeds?

I have no idea what kind of orchid it is - the flowers were yellow with five petals and four or five grew from each stem.

Thanks for any advice or help...
Nat

okeys im kind of a newbie, but...maybe your orchid is too big for the pot. thats why my science teacher gave me a part of her peace lily. Also, it might be the quality of the water. when you were away, maybe he just used the water from the tap without letting it sit or something. well, me being so new to this i feel lost sometimes, i still hope i was of help!

After 7 months of flowering, I think your orchid was ready to rest, so I don't think your husband is at fault.

It is quite normal for orchid roots to wander out of the pot and it is not a cause for concern nor does it indicate a need for a larger pot. Your orchid is very healthy and I suggest that you continue doing what you have been doing. It will rest for about a year during which time it will grow a few new leaves. After that you will probably get some new flower spikes.

I have written an article on orchid care that provides more detailed information. If you would like a copy, send your e-mail address to me at wcreed@HorticulturalHelp.com