Changes

One month ago I was given a large orchid in full bloom.  It looked great up until a few days ago when it got down to its last couple of flowers, which today completely dried up.  So, I cut the two large spikes off, like I usually do with plants that are done flowering.  After cutting it off, I was informed that the spikes might have rebloomed if I'd left them alone.  This is not something I'd ever heard, and since I couldn't think of another plant like that off the top of my head, I did some research and depending on the genus, it indeed could rebloom on that stem.  Considering how hard it can be to get orchids to rebloom without optimal conditions, I'm now regretting the decision to cut off the spikes.  I'd much rather have tried for a second bloom on these stems.  We need to put together a table on Gardenology.org of which genus' rebloom, with a way to tell them apart, so that others won't make that mistake.  Another lesson learned!

[[File:Gardenology-IMG 4776 hunt10mar.jpg|thumb|300px|Orchids at the Huntington Gardens]]One month ago I was given a large [[orchid]] in full bloom.  It looked great up until a few days ago when it got down to its last couple of flowers, which today completely dried up.  So, I cut the two large spikes off, like I usually do with plants that are done flowering.  After cutting it off, I was informed that the spikes might have rebloomed if I'd left them alone.  This is not something I'd ever heard, and since I couldn't think of another plant like that off the top of my head, I did some research and depending on the genus, it indeed could rebloom on that stem.  Considering how hard it can be to get orchids to rebloom without optimal conditions, I'm now regretting the decision to cut off the spikes.  I'd much rather have tried for a second bloom on these stems.  We need to put together a table on Gardenology.org of which genus' rebloom, with a way to tell them apart, so that others won't make that mistake.  Another lesson learned!

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