How do I get an orchid cactus to bloom? When do they bloom?
They bloom April to June. They need a lot of sunlight and need to be fertilized from April to September
Are you growing it inside or outside?
Outside is trickier.
Inside you can control the light, water and fertilizer.
This site has the best info for getting them to bloom and troubleshooting them if they don't (which sadly they frequently DON'T bloom as these are finicky cusses!!)
homeguides.sfgate.com/
Post back if you get it to shine its lovely flower face!!
I have never had an Orchid Cactus so this question is of particular interest to me. These seem to be very beautiful plants when blooming but much different care than I would have imagined.
It seems every plant site says something just a little different so I'm thinking you may have to check out several and see what instructions seem to fit your plant and area best.
Growing your plant outdoors or indoors calls for different methods of care so I will assume you are growing your plant indoors as this seems to be the most often seen care instructions.
Here are some excerpts from a couple of sites:
"Once the plant is blooming size, totally restrict water starting in November or early December and make sure that the nighttime temperatures are from the mid 30°s to mid 50°s consistently until buds begin to form. This happens in late winter and early spring. Dont be dismayed if the leaves shrivel somewhat. They will bounce back once you resume watering."
"To encourage bloom, provide 8 to 12 weeks of cool temperatures in winter (40F to 60F at night, only slightly warmer in the day) and forgo watering during this time. Begin watering again and bring the plant to a warmer location once the flower buds appear."
"In February when growth begins again, start with mild but regular feedings of weak liquid foliage fertilizer solutions every two weeks during growth."
This seems to be one of the most informative sites that I found on caring for this beautiful plant. Hope you have some beautiful blooms.
plantcaretoday.com/
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
My orchid cactus hasn't bloomed for two years, even though I still treat it with the same fertilizer and light. Any thoughts?
By Marg
