Question
Thanks Jim for all the good info.  I forgot to ask one question.  After the blooms all drop off, should I trim the stem they were on back to the base, or just leave it alone?
Cheers, Carla
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Followup To

Question -
We actually live just north of you in Redwood City.  These are just Trader Joe plants - the one I have says ODM. VIOLETTA VON HOLM "BLANCA"  They come from the Nurserymen's Exchange IN Half Moon Bay.  A friend said it makes a difference if they are in dirt or in that bark stuff, whether you can bring them back or not.
Thanks!
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Followup To

Question -
Is there a way to revive and help an orchid to rebloom once it has lost all the flowers?  We buy them and they last quite a long time, some are beautiful and I would like to have them rebloom.


Answer -
Hello Carla,

Yes, it is possible to get orchids to rebloom but you didn't say what type of orchids you have.  Without knowing what type they are, it is difficult to tell you what to do to get them to rebloom for you.  

I'm not being evasive.  There are over 35,000 different types of orchid species along with well over 100,000 hybrids and 1,000's of intergeneric hybrids as well.  Orchids have been discovered on all the continents except Antarctica, so what works for one may not work for another.  

If you can tell me what type of orchids you have, I'll try to give you some guidelines on how to care for them.  If there are no name tags with the orchids, can you describe the plant and flowers?  I might be able to guess what they might be and go from there.  It would also be helpful to know what city you live in and I can be a little more specific in my guidelines for growing them.  Fair enough?  

Write back with the information.  

Jim Kawasaki
San Jose, Ca.

Answer -
Hi Carla,

First, I'd like to apologize for taking so long to respond.  I went up to Lake Tahoe to work on my mother's house, lots of things needed repairing or replacement because nothing had been done for quite some time.

What a small world, you're up in Redwood City, huh.  Hi neighbor!  (LOL)  

What you have is an Odontocidium orchid which is a hybrid between Odontoglossum and Oncidium orchid.  They are related somewhat, sort of like cousins.  Both require about the same growing environment; bright but indirect sunlight, warm temperatures (50 to 85 F), humidity above 40%, water just enough to maintain moisture (not wet), some light air movement.  That's about it, easy hunh?  (grin)  More on the sunlight, morning direct sunlight is okay until about noon here in the bay area, even direct all day sun during winter.  Feed it a light dose of fertilizer several times a month when you water, you can use a balance type orchid fertilizer all year round.  

As for bringing it back to life, the potting material does make a difference for many orchids.  Most orchids do not do well in dirt type mixes because their roots need some exposure to the air.  Dirt types restrict air around the roots, that's why many orchids run into trouble with that type of mix once you get it home.  It may be fine at the nursery because they can control just about everything from temperature to watering to humidity to air movement.  But at home it is best to use a mix that can maintain some openness and thus allow air to flow up and through the mix.  There are lots of orchid potting mixes available but the easiest to find and use is orchid bark.  I would recommend "fine" grade orchid bark for your Odontocidium due to the thin roots.

To repot it, lift it out of the pot, remove as much of the old mixture then repot.  Have all your supplies ready before starting.  Use a pot the same size or next size larger than the pot it came in.  Be a little careful with the roots because they may be a little brittle.  You can make things a little easier by thoroughly watering it before starting. Before putting it in the pot, place a little new potting mix in the bottom then place the roots in until the bottom of the bulbs sits just below the pot rim.  Try to center the plant in the pot, if at all possible.  Add more mix, gently shaking the pot to settle it around the roots.  Once the pot is full, gently press down to compress it then add more mix as needed to fill the pot.  Water it then place it in a warm shady location for 2 to 3 weeks before moving it back to where you've been growing it.  

I've been to Nurserymen's Exchange several times over the years, in fact I was there a couple of months ago to pick up some baby rose plants for my nieces wedding reception for table decorations.  

Hope this has helped.  Good luck, neighbor!  

Jim

Answer
Hi Carla,

Yes, trim off the stem once the flowers die and fall off as it will not produce any more flowers on it.  Leave about an inch of the stem to make sure you don't accidentally damage the plant.  

Be patient and care for it and it will reward you with new flowers next year.  

Jim