How do I keep my orchid blooming?
![Deb Whitehead](https://cdn-fastly.hometalk.com/media/profile/2017/01/23/18099496_1.jpg?size=91x91)
![](https://cdn-fastly.hometalk.com/resources/imgs-responsive/avatar-letters/avatar-N-69E0FF.png?size=50x50)
![](https://cdn-fastly.hometalk.com/media/profile/2020/07/12/1281282_3.jpg?size=50x50)
![](https://cdn-fastly.hometalk.com/media/profile/2019/07/12/3885127_2.jpg?size=50x50)
Related Discussions
GNATS - How to get rid of them?
![Gina Garbo](https://cdn-fastly.hometalk.com/media/profile/2017/12/06/32034409_1.jpg?size=50x50)
Somehow my house and garden got tiny gnats that killed my fuchsia plant and fly everywhere. I have tried ALL the Web recommendations - soap and oil dishes, sand in th... See more
Marigolds growing! Should I pinch the buds?
![Dianne King](https://cdn-fastly.hometalk.com/media/profile/2016/09/20/12054535_1.jpg?size=50x50)
My marigold plants are growing. I heard that pinching the buds until Autumn will allow them to grow without killing the plant. Is this true?
Growing garlic
![Decor&Dine](https://cdn-fastly.hometalk.com/media/profile/2017/05/06/154186_3.jpg?size=50x50)
Growing our first garlic, should we wait until the leaves are drying out before we pick it? Husband picked first one today along with our first potatoes.
How to keep mice out of your garden?
![Debra](https://cdn-fastly.hometalk.com/resources/imgs-responsive/avatar-letters/avatar-D-605BE8.png?size=50x50)
Hi everyone, I have mice in my garden destroying my vegetables and I have also noticed them in the barn and shed. Please can someone tell me how to prevent them from ... See more
What's the best flower/plant to grow in Texas?
![Susan](https://cdn-fastly.hometalk.com/media/profile/2017/02/08/20096479_3.jpg?size=50x50)
I know that opinions vary, but what's your opinion?!I have great luck w Rosemary plants. Green all year long.
My flowers keep dying in my brick planter- what do I need to do?
![Elizabeth Beavers](https://cdn-fastly.hometalk.com/media/profile/2016/04/21/5809899_1.jpg?size=50x50)
My flowers keep dying My brick planter I added miracle grow soil to itThey live for a little while then they die. What do I need to do?
How do I keep my cats from using my flower beds as litter boxes?
![Mnt29760458](https://cdn-fastly.hometalk.com/media/profile/2018/09/29/29760458_1.jpg?size=50x50)
Orchids cycle, however placing an ice cube or two in the bark mulch helps keep them watered without over watering. Cut off the blossom stalk once blooms fade.
Hi Deb!
See below for instructions. Good luck to you.
https://www.simplemost.com/6-easy-ways-keep-orchids-alive/
Here's a post that might help - https://www.justaddiceorchids.com/just-add-ice-orchid-blog/bid/81436/how-to-trigger-reblooming-of-your-phalaenopsis-orchid
Orchid flowers last a long time, but there is no way to keep them blooming for a longer period. They flower once or twice a year and need the rest time to build up nutrients for the next cycle. Because the roots are so close to the surface, or even above the surface, ice cubes could be damaging to the roots. It may be easier to give them ice cubes for moisture, but would be no different than you or I being outside in tropical heat and humidity (they dwell in the canopy of the rain forests) and then having to leap into an ice bath, very shocking. Orchids like to be root bound, so need repotting every two years or so, or unless the medium is breaking down. If they are not getting nourishment from the orchid bark medium they will not flower. I had one that was close to two years we had had it and it didn't flower when our others did. I noticed the bark was breaking down and was in smaller pieces, so I purchased new orchid bark medium, repotted it and within two week a new flower stalk was already almost a foot high and showing signs of buds. Use a good brand orchid fertilizer (I use a spray) as the packing suggested in their instructions and that will help them stay healthy, too. When it is dry air in the house, misting it every couple of days will help them out and make sure to soak them every week to den days in tepid water to keep the bark medium moist (they live off the humidity that comes from the water that the bark soaks up. Lastly, they like south windows, but not direct sunlight. You can put them outside as long as they are shaded, but they like staying warm, so don't let them stay out when the temps dip. Taking them outside also risks getting bugs you don't necessarily want to deal with. I hope this helps you, Deb!