Just stopped babying my orchids and they actually started blooming again

For years I was that person who watered my orchids on a strict schedule every 7 days exactly. I had a whole system with ice cubes and measured amounts. Last spring I got busy with work and forgot about them for almost 3 weeks. When I finally checked, the leaves were wrinkly but two of them had new flower spikes shooting out. Now I just water when the roots look silvery and the pots feel light. Has anyone else had better luck after backing off the constant care routine?

3 comments

3 Comments

max_brown13d ago

Same thing happened to me, killed three orchids with kindness before I learned to leave them alone.

angelarivera12d ago

Once I forgot my orchids existed for six weeks during a cross-country move. Found them in a box with the watering schedule I'd written down. One was blooming. Three were dead. The survivor had somehow grown a root through a crack in the pot and attached itself to a cardboard box. It's still alive four years later and I like to think it holds a grudge against me.

the_olivia12d ago

My orchids probably hold regular committee meetings to discuss how much I've neglected them. Honestly surprised they haven't formed a union yet.