How Long Do Orchids Rest? Or Is My Orchid Dead? (2024)

FAQs

Is my orchid resting or dead? ›

Look for these tell-tale differences

1) Crown and roots: If the crown--the part of the plant that connects the leaves and the roots--is brown and mushy (often a result of overwatering), the orchid is likely dead. However, a healthy, resting orchid has roots that are green or white and plump or firm to the touch.

Dormancy typically lasts six to nine months, and your orchid may rebloom all on its own! But if you want to help it along after it goes dormant, just follow these steps. Fertilize. As soon as your orchid goes dormant, start fertilizing it every other week to help rebuild its nutrient stores for blooming again.

While the orchid is dormant, you can expect the stem to shrivel up and for leaves to dull and flatten out. Just give your orchid some extra care during this period and you'll be rewarded with even more blooms next time. Orchids can bloom for years to come. Five tips to care for resting orchids.

A happy, healthy orchid will usually rebloom every 8 to 12 months but some will flower again in the same season (tips coming up below for how to get your orchid to bloom again right away).

When an orchid has finished blooming, its blooms will wilt and fall off, making many orchid plant parents worry that their orchid has died. Don't worry! This is what orchids do before entering into a resting period, allowing it to store up energy for eventual reblooming.

Not only do blooms fall off during dormancy, the orchid stem may dry and turn brown, and remaining orchid leaves may take on a dull and faded appearance or become limp and flat. This is why people often mistake resting orchids for being dead.

The Orchid May Be Resting, Not Dead

Orchids actually go into periods of rest during which they do not look their best. Some even look unattractive. They sit there with no signs of growing new leaves or flowers. It can go on for months.

Phalaenopsis orchids will rebloom on old stems; however, most other orchid types will not. However, cutting the spike down to three inches is recommended to redirect the plant's energy to the roots during dormancy.

In most cases, this is normal: your orchid has reached the end of its blooming cycle and is now storing up energy to rebloom. During this normal phase of resting, the orchid is busy growing new leaves and roots to grow stronger. However, sometimes bloom loss can signal a bigger problem in the health of your orchid.

Limp, wrinkled, or torn leaves: This is a sure sign of dehydration in your plant. Look to increase your watering for a while and inspect your orchid's roots for signs of stress. Healthy hydrated roots should be firm and green while dehydrated roots will be white, brown, or shriveled.

What does a poor mans orchid look like? ›

Schizanthus pinnatus variously colored flowers reportedly resemble the flowers of some orchids, hence the common name. Plants typically grow to 18” tall on erect, branching stems with deeply cut leaves (to 4” long) having entire to dentate segments. Flowers bloom in cymes from spring until the heat of summer sets in.

Any orchid mix can be over watered and lead to the demise of the plant. Most orchids like to get almost dry and then be flooded with water and allowed to get almost dry again. With sphagnum it is easy to tell when they are dry, the moss feels crunchy when you touch it.

A dormant orchid is also known as a "sleeping orchid." While it's easy to mistake an orchid for dead at this point, take a close look at the plant's roots and crown (the part connecting roots to leaves).

It's a little known fact (to the orchid killers club, anyway) that orchids go dormant. Actually, the flowers on your plant only last 1-3 months. So, chances are, once you get acquainted with your orchid, the blooms are bound to fall off (no matter what you do!). Natural dormancy lasts 6-9 months out of the year.

An orchid with root rot will have brown/mushy roots while healthy roots will be plump and green. Very dark green leaves: Your orchid is not getting enough light. Move it to a place where it receives plenty of bright, indirect sunlight. White leaves: Your orchid is receiving too much light.