Orchid

oligopoly

Hi. I don't seem to have much luck with these beautiful plants.

My oldest one turned a bit poorly and someone suggested I cut the stems right back to stumps which I did. This must be a couple of years ago now. It hasn't grown back since although, surprising to me, the leaves are still nice and green (and I think they may have grown bigger). Will these stumps ever grow back or should I just admit defeat??

Here are two photos:

Debbie_Savard

It looks like it could do with the dead roots trimmed and repotting in an orchid mix.

Orchids also need fertilizer to flower. I find mine do best on a west facing window-sill, out of cold draughts. Mist them often from May to to Oct.

There's many orchid care videos on YouTube

JulieM

It's unlikely that the stumps will grow back but a new shoot should eventually appear at the base of the leaves. From my experience, they don't flower at the same time each year, so a new shoot could appear any time.

As Debbie says, it might help to repot, you could also try moving it to a different spot, this sometimes shocks the plant into putting out a new shoot.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

FIL is a bit of an orchid fan. He reckons that every one that you bring home from the supermarket is already so stressed and damaged from the transport and storage that not dying immediately after purchase is a miracle, especially as most people's first thought is to get them flowering again when they were cossetted into producing the ones they were sold with.

You've got nothing to lose by repotting it and then leaving it alone other than occasional watering when it's dry (and draining thoroughly) - he describes it as more like looking after cacti than anything else, as although many come from rainforest situations, they don't actually get much in the way of water due to the other plants.

madjackslam

That looks pretty healthy to me. As others have said, I'd be tempted to repot. But keep those lovely plump roots at the top out in the light and air. Regular feeding, from now until the autumn, seemed to encourage my orchids to flower.

oligopoly

Thanks everyone. I've covered the lower roots in compost and have put it outside overnight just to let it get some sun and air. Will bring it in tonight and move it to west-facing window and see how it goes!

getmore4less

We got a mini one from Waitrose around Xmas reduced to 99p still got the same flowers and looking healthy.
if we remember it gets a soak/drain
Very shaded south window in the kitchen.

Another from M&S a bit bigger and £1.50 has decide to shed its flowers , got a new leaf and the flower stems have 3 growing tips, it was at the other end of the window, trimmed the stems back to leave the growing tips and moved to a cool north facing window that gets a lot of light and late sun(!).

No idea a what I am doing yet but I think the later could do with something, a repot or feed.

wantonnoodle

I've had the same orchid for the past 5 years or so. Every time I think its given up the ghost it surprises me by sending up a new flower spike. I got it from B&Q.

I do very little with it - it has a baby bio orchid drip feed in it, and gets watered when I remember and that's about it. I've never repotted it or trimmed the roots (which are beginning to get a bit unwieldy I'll admit)

For the past 12 months its been on a south facing kitchen windowsill with light filtered through a venetian blind in the house we bought last year. Before that it had been on a draughty north facing windowsill above a radiator.

Generally, I just leave it be when its not flowering. I wait for the stem to die back, then cut it just above where its still living (which can sometimes be half way). Sometimes it puts a new set of flowers out from just below this cut, other times it grows a new stem.

The flowers on it seem to last for ages. It flowered in November 2016 and these flowers didn't drop off until September 2017. It then flowered in December 2017, and is still going strong, showing no sign of fading yet.

oligopoly

Look who's back from the dead (how apt!). Mwah ha ha ha