orchids

Is it a Moth Orchid - 'Phalaenopsis'? If so, cut the stem back to just above the lowest little raised 'flap' that you will see on the stem. Then water as usual and wait for your Orchid to send out another flower stem. If it doesn't after a few weeks, give it the 'cool' treatment! This means placing it in a room where the temperature is over 5 degrees lower than its present place. Leave it there for 3 weeks then bring it back. This usually works for me! Feed it when it starts flowring again. and every fortnight during its flowering period. Get special Orchid food, not ordinary plant food. Hope this helps and that it IS a Moth Orchid!!!! Mine do flower most of the year with this treatment - which reminds me - I must go and fetch one which is having the 'cool' treatment.... LOL

Mine doesn't flower that often, twice a year I'd say, but then I don't really do anything! I got it free from a car boot sale because the flowering stem had got broken in transit...that was 5 and a half years ago. I did re-pot it a few years ago, & keep it on a cool windowsill year round, watering sparingly but often. Don't know which type...it has smaller, pointier (bright pink) petals than the creamy phalaenopsis I've seen, but maybe it's from the same group because the leaves are the same. When it sends up a flower shoot, I feed it with an orchid drip feed from the garden centre. I did read that if you cut the flowering stem above the first 'bump' as the flowers fade, you might prompt a second flowering stem to shoot....in fact, mine needs that now!

You really did get a bargain, Caz....There are lots of different coloured Moth Orchids, white, pale, bright and deep pink, spotted, yellow, all sorts of colours - also miniature ones. I use a pot of powdered feed, I found that the drip feed ones were more expensive because they ran out so quickly! By the way, I did go and fetch the one in the cooler room and lo and behold it has a new flower spike on its way...:-)

thank you for your help