What do I do after my Lady Slipper orchid blooms to get it to re-bloom? and Saguaro Blooms over the Verde River

What do I do after my Lady Slipper orchid blooms to get it to re-bloom?

I'm not sure what I should do with the flower spike after the bloom is done.


bloom best answer:

Answer by daylily
If it's growing outside, you don't need to do anything--it will bloom again at the same time next year (they bloom once each year), and the flower stem will fade and fall on its own. If it bothers you, you can cut it near the bottom after it begins to turn brown. Fertilize according to the advice below.
VCE Master Gardener

"Lady slipper orchids are terrestrial, meaning that they grow in ground locations rather than in trees, as do some orchids. They still require soil-less foundations such as humus, peat moss, fern matter or pebbles. Use 2- to 3-gallon pots with drainage holes and loose, airy and soil-less potting foundations for indoor growing.

Light and Temperature
Landscape-and-Garden's website calls lady slipper orchids the best orchids for indoor growing and notes that these orchids thrive in artificial light. Put the orchids in the center of the house under all-day artificial lights or in sunny windows where they get morning sun and afternoon shade. The orchids do best with temperatures from 50 to 80 degrees F and humidity levels of 40 to 60 percent.

Care
Lady slipper orchids thrive in people-friendly temperatures and humidity levels and don't require any special care in those regards. They do require regular waterings though, and thrive with 1 to 2 inches of fresh water every three to four days. Feed lady slipper orchids with 20-20-20 fertilizer once or twice a month to encourage growth and blooming. Switch to high-phosphorous fertilizer in the blooming season for best blooms. Mix the fertilizer at one-quarter strength to avoid burning the orchids, and water only the roots; water on the crown or foliage causes rot in the lady slipper orchid."
Source(s):
http://www.ehow.com/info_12022134_can-gr…

bloom

Saguaro Blooms over the Verde River


I spent the afternoon with 2 crested saguaros, hundreds of blooming saguaros, 2 chuckwallas, a road runner, some coors light and millions of biting black flies. It was awesome.

This is one of many shots from the day. I have a super cool big tripod and to get this shot I extended it fully and collapsed the legs -- that makes it about 7 feet tall. I am 6' 6" and when I stood on a steep hill with the tripod held as high as I could over my head, I was able to get some cool closeups of the saguaro blooms.

---

Orignal From: What do I do after my Lady Slipper orchid blooms to get it to re-bloom? and Saguaro Blooms over the Verde River