I'm excited! For the first time ever, my (one and only) orchid rebloomed! Perhaps it saw that I called it out in
this post and also got some inspiration from the Huntington orchids. On that post,
Helene and
Hoover Boo were kind enough to offer advice on getting my orchid to rebloom, so maybe that helped too!
It turns out I was wrong - mine wasn't white, but pink-ish instead:
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| The first flower opened about 2 weeks ago. |
Is it just me, or does it look like it has a face? Weird...
There were 5 buds on the bloom stalk - 4.5 have now opened.
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| Two are on one side |
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| and two on the other side |
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| the last bud is also starting to open - so cool! |
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| the closest I can get to seeing all of them at the same time. |
It is pretty cool, even if it is pink. I've probably had this plant for 2 years, and it's still in the same pot. Maybe after this stalk is done blooming, I should repot it? Hopefully I won't kill it then, but I should be able to enjoy these for a while longer. I have no idea what kind of orchid this might be (other than that it came from Trader Joe's) but i am happy it finally rebloomed!
It's not just you - I saw that flower face looking me right in the eyes in your first photo. If you repot, don't increase the size if the pot too much - orchids like crowded conditions.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the advice! I'm not sure i will repot it - i think i'd be likely to kill it...
DeleteI does have a face! It looks like an exotic insect. Don't you like pink? I think the pattern on the petals is very pretty.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit pink is not my favorite, but i do like the pattern on the petals. I had completely forgotten what color this one was. Thanks for the comment!
DeleteI have no idea what kind of orchid this might be (other than that it came from Trader Joe's)
ReplyDeleteIt's a Phalaenopsis (moth orchid). It's impossible, practically speaking, to determine which particular grex it is, but care doesn't differ a lot from one to the next.
Thanks for the comment! I have to admit that your blog is one of the ones i was reading for advice on what to do with it next... Thanks for visiting!
DeleteIsn't it great when that happens? Years ago my wife bought a bunch of what were advertised as "bloomed out orchids" for $1, and guess what? They all bloomed eventually.
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome!
DeleteCongratulations, I am so happy for you – patience pays off!
ReplyDeleteTo prolong flowering you could give the orchid a fertiliser specifically for the flowering period – I sometimes use two different fertilisers from the same company, Orchid Focus Grow and Orchid Focus Bloom (Amazon) – and sometimes I am lazy and give all of them the same one which is for grow called Big Orchids Liquid Fertilizer (also from Amazon). Up to you how much work you want to put in, but if you use fertilisers it is a good rule of thumb to fertilise during 3 watering in a row and then skip fertiliser on the 4th watering and use only water – this is to clear the pots of any fertiliser salts.
As for repotting, I seldom increase the pot size, I just take them out and clean them up, remove dead roots and prune a little bit and usually they fit back into the same pot with new, clean orchid bark. That’s best for them, and I don’t do this unless I can see dead roots on the surface or through the pot – perhaps every 2-3 years or even less.
Good luck with your Phalaenopsis, may it continue to flower for a long time :-)