Melinda's Garden Moment Radio Tips
Melinda Myers
Nationally known gardening expert, TV/Radio host, author & columnist with over 30 years of horticulture experience and tons of gardening information to share! www.melindamyers.comMelinda's Garden Moment videos will help you create that beautiful landscape you’ve always wanted. Each week throughout the growing season, a new gardening video will be added right here, so be sure to stop back. You can also watch Melinda’s Garden Moments on your local network TV station affiliate.
Phalaenopsis, also known as moth orchids, provide months of beauty with minimal care. Extend your enjoyment by encouraging a second flush of flowers with cool nights and proper care.
Fertilize your moth orchid when it has finished flowering and is actively growing. Use a dilute solution of an orchid or balanced fertilizer like a 20-20-20 according to label directions.
You have several options for reblooming your orchid. Leave the flower stem intact and the plant may produce a second flush of smaller blooms at the tip of the stem. Or cut the flower stem back between the 2nd and third node, bumps on the stem, from the bottom.
For the best rebloom and to allow the plant to replenish energy spent on flowering, prune the flower stem back to about ½” above the leaves and enjoy a second flush of flowers in about a year.
A bit more information: And if reblooming your orchid sounds like too much work, simply treat it like a long-lasting bouquet and an opportunity to try some new varieties. And if you can’t stand to let it go, just look for an avid gardener. There’s always someone willing to adopt and try to rebloom your non-flowering plant.