How to Flower White Orchid Plants

Orchids, from the family Orchidaceae, grow in up to 30,000 different species in the wild, in habitats that range from hot and tropical to cool and mountainous. In the home environment, different orchids require slight differences in humidity and temperature, but always need the same type of growing foundation, lighting and maintenance. These requirements are particularly important when it comes to blooming. Encourage your white orchid to bloom with the right year-round care.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

• 3- to 6-inch pot
• Peat moss, fern matter or orchid potting mix
• Orchid fertilizer
• Pruning shears or scissors

1. Maintain your orchid in a 3- to 6-inch pot with drainage hole to give it good air circulation and drainage. Use orchid potting media or a non-soil option like peat moss or fern matter to give the orchid the air, drainage and room it requires. Never plant an orchid in soil. Orchids that grow in the right foundation are more likely to grow and bloom.

2. Keep the orchid in a spot where it gets only artificial light, or indirect natural light, for six to eight hours every day. Orchids thrive with morning sun, and in south and north facing windows but fail if they get bright, burning sunlight.

3. Water your orchid only when the growing foundation dries. Orchids prefer dry conditions to wet soil, and will fail if they sit in standing water. Put the orchid on a schedule of 1 inch of water every seven to 10 days and test the foundation for moisture before you water.

4. Feed orchids once a month with water-soluble, 1-1-1, 5-5-5 or 3-1-1 orchid fertilizer. Mix the fertilizer with water per the directions on the package, and water the orchid as normal. The right fertilizer schedule will give the orchid the resources it needs for both growth and blooming. Increase to weekly feedings when the orchid has new growth or is in bloom.

5. Cut off the end of the flower spike, to just above the next growing joint, after the flowers fade and fall off. This may encourage the orchid to grow a new shoot and bloom again immediately.

Tips & Warnings

• Different orchid species bloom at different times of year. Phalaenopsis orchids bloom from April to June, while Dendrobium orchids flower in fall, winter and spring.