How long does the orchid bloom?
You may not know how long orchids bloom and the introduction to keeping your pet blooming for 30 days by doing these 5 points. Next, let's introduce them to you.
Some friends have complained to me: Orchids are indeed beautiful and fragrant, but they are not easy to care for, and the blooming period is too short. It only takes a week for them to wither completely.
Is the blooming period of orchids really that short? Actually, among most flower varieties, orchids are considered to have a relatively long blooming period. Other flowers generally wither within a week, while the longest blooming period of orchids can reach more than a month. Especially in the wild environment, the long blooming period of orchids follows its natural laws.
As the saying goes: A woman dresses to please the one she loves. But humans should not be too self-centered; the fragrance of orchids is never meant to please people, nor is their beauty and fragrance created for humans.
In fact, all plant flowers are the same; there is no flower born to serve humans. They bloom, emit fragrance, and display their beauty to attract insects capable of pollination, not for people to smell.
When wild orchids bloom, most insects have not yet reached their active period, so the success rate of pollination is lower than in the season of blooming flowers. If the blooming period of orchids was like other flowers, withering in a week, there would be no time for effective pollination, which would greatly threaten the survival of the species. The Good Photographer often looks for wild orchids in the mountains every year and finds that if there is no insect or rodent damage, the blooming period of wild orchids is generally about a month.
I have encountered orchids with very short blooming periods a few times, mostly due to environmental issues. Twice it was during the normal blooming season, and once it was the out-of-season blooming of the Chinese cinnamon orchid.
Direct reasons affecting the blooming time of orchids
The Chinese cinnamon orchid usually blooms in April, which is normal. But this year, I have three pots of out-of-season Chinese cinnamon orchids that bloomed in July (Figure 1). Although they did not undergo vernalization, the blooms were not bad, only with a few fewer flowers than the conventional Chinese cinnamon orchids, with only 7 flowers on a stem and a good fragrance. However, the blooming period of Chinese cinnamon orchids in summer is also not long. I always keep them on the corridor, getting only an hour of sunlight every morning, with very good ventilation. Theoretically, this meets their blooming environment needs, but the blooming period is still short, and all three pots of Chinese cinnamon orchids have the same blooming period, with the flowers falling after 10 days.
There were also two cases involving spring orchids and Chinese cinnamon orchids. The first time was a few years ago when I was not yet aware of the importance of orchid care environment, thinking that they could be placed anywhere. Before a pot of Chinese cinnamon orchid was about to bloom, I moved it to the study inside the house to add to the atmosphere. The area below the south window was warm, and it could still get sunlight through the glass. I thought this environment was very good, but unexpectedly, within a week, all the flower bells of the Chinese cinnamon orchid fell to the ground. Meanwhile, other Chinese cinnamon orchids that had not been moved were blooming happily. This was due to poor ventilation causing early flower senescence.
The second time was last winter (which should be considered January 2019), when a large pot of spring orchid buds were about to split. Since it was almost the Spring Festival at the time, I moved this pot of orchids from the greenhouse to my home and placed it on a flower stand in the living room. The living room was open, and there are few enclosed living rooms in the rural areas of Jiangnan, as the staircase to the upper and lower floors is also in the living room, so the ventilation was very good. The position of the flower stand did not get sunlight, so during the day, I would move the orchids outside to bask in the sun, basically all day long, and then bring them back in the evening. This pot of orchids bloomed for nearly 40 days, and even when I cut it at the end, there was still a hint of fragrance.
Now I know that the main factors affecting the blooming duration of orchids are ventilation and temperature. And ventilation is not only important during the blooming period but also in any stage of orchid care, although it is more evident during the flowering season. Especially the environment of basking in the sun through glass is a big no-no in orchid care, and orchid enthusiasts should be very careful! Because it causes闷晒, not only will it cause early flower senescence but also directly affect the growth of the orchid plant.
Also, the temperature during blooming directly affects the duration of the blooming period. When the temperature is very high and the temperature difference is small, the blooming period of orchids will also be short. About this, I have also compared the orchids inside and outside the greenhouse in spring and drawn conclusions that are consistent with this.
Reasons other than ventilation and temperature
The above two points are common mistakes made by新手 orchid enthusiasts and directly affect the blooming duration. In addition to these, there are a few other points that can also affect the blooming time of orchids.
One, water. Do not water too much during the blooming period of orchids. Of course, if they are kept outdoors all the time, they can rely on rain and dew, and there is no need to water them during the blooming period. And for orchid enthusiasts who keep their orchids on the balcony, they should not water too much during the blooming period. Don't think that because blooming consumes water, you should supply a lot of it, as this will result in a shorter blooming period.
Two, fertilization. I have experimented with foliar fertilization during the blooming period, and as long as the concentration is properly controlled, there is no problem. But applying liquid fertilizer (chemical fertilizer) directly causes the end of the blooming period. Because the petals of orchids are very sensitive, and once they come into contact with fertilizer or are steamed by it, the blooming period will end prematurely.
Three, not daring to kill insects. When orchids bloom, they secrete sweet nectar to attract pollinating insects, but this also attracts pests, especially aphids. If insecticides are not sprayed in time, not only will the blooming period end prematurely, but the growth of new seedlings after flowering will also be affected, as aphids will absorb the sap from the orchid plant. Practice has proven that orchids can be sprayed with insecticides during the blooming period, the principle is the same as foliar fertilization.
In summary: Who doesn't want to enjoy the fragrance of orchids for a few more days after taking care of them to bloom? Orchids are not that delicate; as long as what you do does not violate their natural growth laws, you can make their blooming period the longest. The key is the points mentioned above: ventilation, temperature, water, fertilization, and pest control.
The introduction above about how long orchids bloom and the detailed explanation of keeping them blooming for 30 days by doing these 5 points are hoping to provide you with some help in caring for them!