After Bloom Care for Orchids

it blooms again soon.The first thing to do after the bloom drops is to cut back the flower stem. Some people opt to leave a healthy stem intact, as there is a small chance that it is going to regenerate a bloom from the tip. Others choose to cut it down slightly in hopes of tricking the stem into a new flower spike from the cut area. If the stem is turning brown or yellow, then it should get cut off entirely, which increases the chances that the plant can produce a new healthy stem.The next thing to do after dealing with the stem is to expose the orchid to optimal temperatures. Orchids thrive when they receive bright light that is also indirect. Daytime temperatures should hover around 75 degrees, while nighttime temperatures can drop to 65 degrees. Gardeners should feed the orchids monthly with orchid feed or fertilizer, plus water them weekly and allow the soil to drain well.Most orchids only flower once a year, which means that gardeners need to care for them for much of the year without expecting any flowers. To trick an orchid into blooming, gardeners can move the plant to an area with slightly lower nighttime temperatures. Usually, a nighttime temperature of about 55 degrees is cool enough. The orchid should stay in the cooler area, still receiving bright and indirect sunlight, until a new bloom spike appears. Once the spike appears, then owners should move the orchid back to a warmer area. After the spike appears the plant needs feeding every other week and the stem should have a support stake. More reference links: http://www.orchid-thrive.com/ http://www.pallensmith.com/articles/how-to-care-for-phalaenopsis-orchids-after-they-bloom