Reasons Why Orchids Fail to Bloom
Today's editor provides an in-depth explanation of the experience of cultivating orchids, the reasons why orchids fail to bloom, and the editor will introduce them next.
Many orchid enthusiasts work hard to cultivate orchids, only to find that their orchids do not bloom, and they are truly unclear about the reasons why orchids fail to bloom. This article is a summary of several phenomena and causes of orchid non-blooming based on the author's years of experience in orchid cultivation, which is very helpful for新手 orchid enthusiasts.
A healthy adult orchid, as long as it has reached a plant with two to three seedlings connected, can bloom under normal cultivation conditions (a few orchids with a single seedling can also bloom, such as the cold orchid with thick roots and thin leaves). It is often heard that some orchid enthusiasts have not seen their orchids bloom for several years, and the reasons are roughly as follows:
First, seedlings and tissue culture seedlings may not bloom even after years of cultivation, just like other plants, such as fruit trees that need to reach a certain age before they can bloom and bear fruit. Orchids also need to reach a certain age before they can bloom and produce seeds.
Second, the species differences among orchids and the varying climatic conditions in different regions can make it difficult for orchids to bloom. For example, some areas may find it difficult for spring orchids to bloom, or there are very few that bloom. In the southern part of Hainan or Guangdong, the temperature is relatively higher and more stable compared to other parts of the country, and even if spring orchids produce flower buds, they cannot bloom due to the lack of normal spring flowering conditions (cold training). There are also other orchid species where the phenomenon of not blooming or not blooming normally due to large climatic differences between the north and south is observed, such as some wild orchid species that are extremely sensitive to climate and no longer bloom in areas with significant climate differences. However, such orchid species are rare, and spring orchids, Cymbidium, Eulophia,春剑,连瓣,墨兰, and cold orchids can bloom in most provinces across the country, not to mention that it is now possible to use air conditioners and sunlight greenhouses to control the temperature and promote orchid growth and blooming.
Third, the physiological growth of orchids can be disrupted for various reasons, and if new leaf buds suddenly appear during the flower bud formation period, the orchid plant will not have enough nutrients to maintain the normal differentiation of the flower bud, leading to the cessation of flower bud growth and failure to bloom.
Fourth, improper cultivation methods may also lead to orchids not blooming, and there are mainly the following situations:
(1) Excessive nitrogen content in the orchid's planting material and insufficient phosphorus and potassium fertilizers can lead to excessive vegetative growth and suppressed reproductive growth. This is similar to fruit trees planted in front of houses, where due to overly fertile soil and frequent addition of garbage and livestock manure, they only grow leaves and do not bloom or bear fruit. The solution is to switch to planting material with balanced nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium nutrients or to increase the application of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers.
(2) Excessive watering during the flower bud differentiation period and the resulting moist planting material can also lead to vigorous vegetative growth and suppressed reproductive growth. Moist planting material causes nutrients to frequently leach out and be absorbed by the roots and transported to the leaves to participate in plant metabolism, which can enhance respiratory activity and offset the products of leaf photosynthesis, affecting the accumulation of organic matter in the orchid plant and lacking the necessary energy for flower bud differentiation. The solution is to control water appropriately for orchids every July and August (the flower bud differentiation period for most orchids), making the planting material slightly dry, and spraying potassium dihydrogen phosphate on the leaves every 10-15 days, twice or three times in a row, which is beneficial for orchid flower bud differentiation and formation.
(3) Insufficient lighting is also one of the reasons why orchids fail to bloom. Although orchids are shade-loving plants, they still need some sunlight to maintain normal physiological activities. Sufficient sunlight for orchids can lead to a relatively higher accumulation of organic matter, providing enough energy for flower bud formation. Some orchid enthusiasts have to cultivate orchids indoors due to space limitations, resulting in fewer blooms. The solution is to allow orchid plants that do not receive sunlight to enjoy as much sunlight as possible (without direct exposure), especially the warm and gentle morning sunlight. In addition to sunlight, the accumulation of photosynthetic products (organic matter) also depends on day-night temperature differences. Without significant day-night temperature differences, orchids often fail to bloom in areas where the temperature is relatively stable. Consider creating day-night temperature differences artificially in these areas during the flower bud formation period.
Fifth, there is also a special reason why some orchids cannot bloom, or very few orchids are not fond of blooming. This phenomenon has occurred in various orchid species, and I have encountered it: In 2004, a purebred Cymbidium grown in the mountains, which has been cultivated in our garden for six or seven years and has developed into more than a dozen pots, has never bloomed to this day. This might be the infertility or sterility phenomenon in plants (orchids).
The above shared content about the reasons why orchids fail to bloom is for reference by green plant enthusiasts, hoping to solve your problems in green plant and flower management.