A tropical plant, the orchid brings a real touch of elegance and freshness to the home. This houseplant, whose colorful flowers resemble butterflies, requires a rather specific flowering process. At the florist or even the supermarket, it’s always orchid season.
In reality, this plant does not bloom all year round: its most common variety, readily available on the market, is almost always the “phalaenopsis” or “moth orchid.” However, these species only bloom in spring and summer, and certainly not in winter.
Precisely, during the winter season, when we find an orchid in bloom, it means that it has flowered artificially, altering its vegetative cycle.
Read also: How to care for an orchid and make it bloom again: the step-by-step guide
orchid window
But can we continue to let this plant flower all winter?
The answer is yes, although it would be better to let the orchid wilt. It is important to respect its natural resting period after flowering, until temperatures rise.
What can I do to keep my orchid blooming?
Here’s how to keep an orchid blooming even in winter, taking special care of it until spring arrives to give us a helping hand with a climate more suited to its growth!
keep her warm
It’s important to know that orchids love summer and warm temperatures, so you’ll always need a light frame.
First of all, you absolutely must keep your plant at a fairly high temperature, never lower than 21-22°C.
Thus, in a warm environment, the orchid continues to retain its flowers without wilting prematurely due to the winter climate.
Also pay attention to the sunlight, which should always be present, without directly hitting the plant. So, you have to try to find a good balance: too much sun can be fatal, while too little light can prevent it from flowering.
The best thing to do is to keep the orchid on a windowsill with opaque glass or a filtering curtain.
Fertilize it
As a general rule, an orchid should never be fertilized during the winter months. However, for artificial flowering during this cold period, the plant should be fertilized using the same method applied in warm weather.
You can therefore fertilize it with a specific fertilizer based on nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. This will be the fertilizer that will allow it to continue flowering longer.
Be aware that orchids may fade after a few weeks. Don’t panic, your plant may bloom again after the first bloom. All you need to do is cut back the stems on which the flowers have faded. Then place it in a cool spot for two weeks and reduce watering frequency. After this time, you can put it back in its place and a new stem will gradually bloom.
orchid
Water it frequently
Your orchids should be watered regularly, but not too much to avoid root rot.
The best way to water it? Definitely immersion, which consists of placing the plant in a sink or basin filled with water for 20/30 minutes so that it only absorbs the water it really needs. However, remember to drain well after watering so that the water does not stagnate at the bottom of the pot. You can regularly spray a little water on the leaves and roots.
The ideal time to water orchids is when you notice that the soil is no longer moist and is starting to become dry and hard.
Spray water on the leaves and roots regularly, this may be sufficient as watering.
bath orchid
Maintain high humidity
A care tip that applies to the orchid at any time of the year is to keep it in a place where the ambient humidity is sufficiently high (between 60 and 80%).
Of tropical origin, in fact, this plant is used to growing in an environment where the humidity level remains constantly high.
We therefore strongly advise you to install it in the bathroom: this is the room where humidity is generally much higher than other rooms in the house.
Be aware that when humidity is low, the orchid can have significant problems with its leaves or roots.
Read also: How to make orchids bloom all year round? Add a single ingredient to the irrigation water
Consequences and advice
As we have already mentioned, when we make an orchid flower in winter, its growth cycle is altered because we have accelerated its awakening.
For this reason, it is always best to let the orchid follow its natural cycle imposed by the normal change of seasons, without forcing it to flower.
Also read: Pour some on your geraniums to make them bloom quickly: they have never been so lush