Orchids need to receive sufficient water, fertiliser and light for them to thrive and bloom.
However, they also rely on one other factor. Shane Dibbs, director of Seed Barn claims that it is the drop in temperatures that triggers this houseplant to bloom.
He noted that when orchids are grown in the homes, owners can encourage blooming by mimicking that temperature change at the proper point in their growth cycle.
Sean said: “Orchids can be difficult to encourage to bloom multiple times, especially if they’re being grown indoors.
“But an easy trick that can help enormously, make sure the temperature at night is lower than during the day.
“Lowering the temperature by five degrees, usually in autumn, will encourage your plants into flowering.”
It may be as simple as moving the plant into a different room in the house, which could have a “massive effect on their growth”.
Orchid expert Graham Rice at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) agrees with this. He said: “It doesn’t take much, but lowering the heat by five degrees will often kick plants into flowering.”
Amanda Matthews, an orchid expert at Orchideria, explained that temperature is “essential” to influence an orchid to bloom.
She said: “Finding the correct temperature for growing your orchid is essential for it to bloom.
“You can water, apply humidity, provide light, and fertilise correctly, but if there’s not a temperature fluctuation at night, most orchids will refuse to bloom.”
Shane also pointed out that choosing the right species of orchids will also play a huge role in their blooming.
Moth orchids (Phalaenopsis) are the “easiest” and are available in a variety of colours and patterns, and are a “great option for plant enthusiasts looking to grow their own”.
Another group of orchids that you can encourage to rebloom easily is the slipper orchids, Paphiopedilum, especially those with mottled leaves.
These lovely plants, with their bold pouched flowers, may only carry a single flower on each stem, but that flower may bloom for as long as four or five months. Dropping the temperature in autumn will encourage more flowers year after year.
