How to Take Care of Orchids After Blooming

Orchids are elegant flowering houseplants. Many gardeners consider the plant difficult to grow and care for, but this is not entirely true. Orchids have care requirements that differ from the usual houseplants, but they are not necessarily harder to care for. Many ambitious gardeners or homeowners purchase orchids and then mistakenly treat them the same way they would a spider plant or other similar houseplant. It is important to know how to care for your orchids after they bloom to keep them healthy and to encourage blooms the following spring.

Instructions

- 1
  Water your orchid as usual through the blooming period and afterward. Water the potting medium only when it feels dry to the touch during the blooming period. After the blooms have withered and fallen, allow the media to feel dry for two days before watering.
- 2
  Place the orchid within 36 inches of a window that has plenty of sunlight during the day. Remove the orchid from the window area at night if the weather is cool.
- 3
  Clip the stalk of the orchid after the last flower wilts and falls off of the plant. Clip it right down to the base with a pair of gardening shears.
- 4
  Reduce the frequency of fertilization after the blooming period. If you normally fertilize every month, which is recommended in the spring and summer, cut back to fertilizing every three months throughout the fall and winter.

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