- 1). Deadhead the orchid blooms when they wilt and fade. Immediate pruning gives the orchid more time for new growth and reblooming, while deadheading "signals" to the orchid that it must produce new flowers.
- 2). Cut the flower stalk, depending on the cultivar and the plant's health. Cut off the top half of the stem on Phalaenopsis and Dendrobium orchids for reblooming from the same stalk. Make this cut just above a fresh, unused growing joint. Cut stems on other species to just above the crown for new growth. If a stem rots or dries and withers, cut it to just above the crown, regardless of the species.
- 3). Sprinkle cinnamon over the cut to heal it and prevent infection. Phalaenopsis and Dendrobium orchids produce new flowers at the remaining nodes, or grow new flower stalks from the highest remaining node. Other varieties produce a new flower stalk from the crown.
- 4). Switch to high-phosphorous 15-30-15 or 20-20-20 water-soluble fertilizer to promote new growth. Mix the fertilizer at one-half or one-quarter strength to avoid burning the orchid, and apply it as usual.
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