Orchid Care: How To Fertilize Orchids

A few of my orchids in bloom

I recently updated my post on how to water orchids, and because fertilizing orchids goes hand in hand with watering, I thought it would be a good time to revisit this topic as well.

Like all living things, orchids need nutrition in order to thrive. Feeding orchids is an important part of caring for them and eventually getting them to rebloom. This post will focus specifically on fertilizing Phalaenopsis (moth) orchids because Phals are the most common orchids for beginners, available everywhere from your local florist to Ikea and Trader Joe’s.

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Tips on Caring for a Sick Orchid

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Exhibit A: wrinkled, limp, yellowing leaf

A few of the most common questions I hear from readers are:

  • “My orchid’s leaves are wrinkled/turning yellow/drooping/falling off, what does this mean?”
  • “My orchid’s roots are brown/mushy/hollow, what should I do?”
  • “My orchid is sick, how do I save it?”

So I thought it was high time I wrote a post with advice on how to nurse an orchid back to health. Please note that these tips specifically refer to Phalaenopsis (aka Moth Orchid) care, because that is the most popular type of household orchid. Also, I’m not going to discuss how to treat orchid pest or viral/bacterial problems in this post…we’ll save those for another day.

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When and How to Stake an Orchid Spike

Fall isn’t traditionally the time of year for new plant growth; fall is the season in which the leaves on many outdoor plants start to turn all manner of fiery colors and drop off. On the other hand, certain types of household orchids, such as the ever-popular Phalaenopsis, often begin to put out spikes in the fall that lead to spectacular blooms in the winter and spring. When left to grown on its own, an orchid spike can become heavy with blooms that droop down over the side of the pot, so I highly recommend staking your orchid’s spike to secure it and to make for a lovely cascading spray of flowers like so:FL_phals

The only materials you’ll need to stake an orchid spike are a bamboo flower stake [paid link] and some flower clips [paid link] or twist ties, all of which are readily available in gardening shops, big box home improvement stores, and online. Oh, and a little patience helps too.  🙂

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New! Orchid Care FAQs Page

A cheerful orchid to brighten this chilly day.
A cheerful orchid to brighten this chilly day.

Happy Almost Friday, orchid lovers! Just wanted to drop a brief update here: I’ve added an Orchid Care FAQs tab to the main menu up at the top of my website. I’ve been meaning to collect and organize these blog posts in one location for some time, because I know not everyone can quickly or easily find my blog’s Orchid Beginner Tips category (and I fully admit the category is not super organized once you’ve navigated there).

So here the Orchid Care FAQs are here: click on over to find a list of links to my orchid care tips for newbies.

I hope you find this newly organized hub helpful!

How Do I Get My Orchid to Bloom Again?

This orchid has bloomed several times for me!
This orchid has bloomed several times for me!

I’m willing to bet that most orchid growers are introduced to the hobby through Phalaenopsis orchids (aka moth orchids) that are already in bloom. Phals are attractive houseplants even when they’re not in bloom, but let’s be honest: when was the last time you fell in love with an out-of-bloom Phal in the store and just had to have it?

With some basic care, it’s not hard to keep a Phal alive through its blooming cycle, but once those pretty blooms fade and you cut the flower spike, how do you get an orchid to bloom again? Too many people feel intimidated at the thought and just toss the “dead” plant away. Please, I beg of you: do not throw your no-longer-blooming orchid in the garbage! Getting an orchid to re-bloom can feel challenging, but once you get the hang of it and your orchid flowers again for you, it’s SO worth the bit of work you put in. You CAN get a healthy orchid to re-bloom! Here are the basics…

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