A common question: “My orchids are growing well and have been putting out new leaves and roots. Why haven’t they bloomed yet?”
(Note that this is NOT the same question as “Why won’t my orchids RE-BLOOM for me?” although the answer overlaps with the one presented here.)
There are three major reasons why your orchids haven’t bloomed:
1) It is the wrong season for blooming. While some orchids can bloom any time of the year, most have a typical blooming season. If you got an orchid a few months ago (and they weren’t in bloom), it may simply be that blooming season hasn’t yet arrived.
2) They are still too young to bloom. Most orchids need to reach a certain size (which varies for type to type) before they’re mature enough to bloom. Since there are so many different types of orchids, and what constitutes blooming size is not the same for different types and varieties, it is best to check with your orchid vendor on the size that you purchased, as it may be that your orchid will need to grow a bit more before it will bloom. Here at Orchid Insanity, we offer plants from small seedling size (SD1 or SD2), Near Blooming Size (NBS), and Blooming Size (BS). Depending on the type of orchid, a seedling might take anywhere from 1 to 4+ years to reach Blooming Size. Near Blooming Size plants are generally 12 – 18 months from reaching Blooming Size, but again, that varies depending on the type orchid. A Blooming Size plant is of a size that is typically capable of blooming.
3) Growing conditions can have a big effect on whether orchids bloom. Orchids grown in the home may put on plenty of new leaves and extend roots, but not bloom because they’re not getting enough light, or the temperature doesn’t drop low enough. In the wild, orchids (and all plants) adjust to the change in seasons. Typical growing conditions indoors may mask the change in seasons, and the plant continues on with vegetative growth (i.e., growing more leaves), but doesn’t know that it’s time to initiate flowering. In cases like this, you’ll need to find out what the orchid needs in order to start its blooming program, and this will differ depending on variety.
The best person to ask is the original grower; find out their growing conditions for the type of orchid(s) you have, and you’ll be on your way to getting your plants to bloom!