How Long Do Orchid Blooms Last?

Orchids are considered one of the most beautiful plant species in the world. These delicate plants flower up to twice a year for around 3 months.

You can grow your orchid in your garden or at home but this sensitive plant needs excellent conditions to thrive.

In this article, we explore how long your orchid blooms last, when you can expect the flowers to bloom and how to care for a blooming orchid.

How Long Do Orchid Blooms Last?

The beautiful blooms of your orchid flowers can last between 10 to 12 weeks. Typically, orchids follow the natural blooming cycle of nature.

This means that an orchid blooms at least once a year. However, some long-lasting orchids may even bloom twice annually.

How Long Do Orchid Blooms Last Indoors?

If you keep your orchid indoors, then you can expect it to flower for between 6 to 10 weeks.

The length of time your orchid blooms depends on how healthy the plant is and what condition it is in.

If your orchid thrives in excellent conditions, then your plant can bloom for up to 10 weeks indoors.

When To Expect The Next Bloom Of Your Orchid

It can be difficult to determine when your orchid blooms next. When you buy an orchid from a store, then you usually don’t know how old your plant is and when it last bloomed.

Orchids are extremely sensitive plants and they don’t like repotting or a change in their conditions.

This means that they don’t bloom easily. You may have to wait for at least a year until your orchid has recovered and it blooms again.

Orchids typically start their growing season over the summer, which means you can expect your orchid to flower in fall or winter of the following year.

If you notice any new leaves appearing on your orchid, then you can be sure that the plant is growing and it should bloom in the coming 12 months.

How To Get Your Orchid To Rebloom

Orchids need the right conditions to grow new flowers and bloom. While the flowers will eventually fade and drop, you can encourage your plant to rebloom.

This being said, orchids grow very slowly and it takes a lot of patience to help them bloom again.

As a rule of thumb, you should give your orchid the best growing conditions possible. Try to avoid repotting unless necessary, and start a fertilizing schedule for your plant.

Orchids like a balanced humidity. Gardening experts recommend a humidity of 40% to 70% for orchids.

How Do You Keep Your Orchid Blooming?

When you give your orchid the right conditions to thrive, then you can encourage the plant to rebloom sooner and keep blooming in future.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that orchids naturally don’t bloom all year round. They have a natural resting phase where they are dormant for a few months.

This being said, you can still provide everything your orchid needs once it emerges from its dormant state to encourage a healthy blooming.

Provide Enough Light

Orchids need plenty of light to grow flowers and thrive. While some orchids are happy with partial shade, most orchid plants need a lot of light.

This depends very much on the type of orchid you have and your individual plant’s requirements.

It’s a good idea to start off with some shade, and if you notice that your orchid isn’t growing or flowering, then expose it to more light.

Keep The Orchid Roots Healthy

Orchids can be deceptive. While their leaves may look good, their roots might be struggling. However, when orchid roots are in bad condition, then the plants won’t flower.

You need to make sure that your plant is properly repotted and watered to avoid nutrient deficiency.

It’s essential that you repot your orchid every one to two years. This ensures that your plant has enough oxygen, nutrients and other minerals it needs to grow.

Provide Sufficient Water

Most orchids require watering every other week. If you notice that the soil turns dry, then it’s time to water your orchid.

When you water your plant, you need to ensure that it is watered on all sides, so all the roots get enough water.

Some people also recommend using ice cubes to water your orchid. This slowly allows the water to drip into the roots over time.

This is a great way to water your orchid in the summer when it’s hot.

Prune Your Orchid Carefully

When an orchid begins to grow, then it starts growing some bloom spikes along its stem. You will be able to spot multiple little bloom spikes over time.

That’s when you need to be very careful with pruning your plant. You don’t want to cut off the new bloom spikes.

These spikes typically emerge from the underside of the orchid leaves and they will continue to grow for up to 8 weeks.

Then, your first blooming flowers will start to come out. You should be able to enjoy these new orchid blooms for up to 12 weeks.

Make A Note Of Your Orchid’s Last Blooming

Each orchid has its own time of the year when it blooms. It’s a good idea to note down when your orchid started blooming and when the first blooms drop off.

This will give you a feeling for how long your orchid blooms and when.

What To Do With An Orchid After The Flowers Fall Off

There are a few different things you can do once the flowers of your orchid start to drop off.

You can either leave the flower spike, trim it back to a node or simply cut it off fully. If you notice the flower spike turning yellow or brown, then just trim the entire spike off.

Final Thoughts

In the right conditions, orchid blooms can last up to 3 months. This means that you can enjoy the beautiful orchid flowers for a considerable time of the year.