Why Are Your Orchid Flowers Falling Off Too Soon? 3 Causes and Expert Tips to Avoid Them

Why are those gorgeous orchid flowers falling off your plant too soon? Those ethereal flowers are the whole reason you have this plant, and they are dropping like dying leaves in the fall. What’s happening? How do you stop it? An orchid expert explains the most common reasons and what you can do to prevent your orchid flowers from falling off prematurely.

Meet Our Expert

Justin Kondrat is lead horticulturist at the Smithsonian Gardens Orchid Collection, where he cares for the nation’s extensive orchid collection.

How Long Should Orchid Flowers Last?

One of the reasons people love orchids is that the flowers stay on the plant for a long time. A potted azalea or Christmas cactus drops its flowers in a week or two. Moth orchids, also called phalaenopsis orchids, which are commonly sold by florists and big box stores, can last for a couple of months, says Justin Kondrat, lead horticulturist at the Smithsonian Gardens Orchid Collection in Suitland, Maryland. “Depending on the breeding, an orchid can give you a long season of blooms,” he says.

Related: The Best Orchid Care to Keep These Beautiful Plants Thriving

Why Orchid Blooms Fall Off Too Soon

Orchid blooms drop off eventually from natural causes, of course, but if the flowers are falling off prematurely, there may be a problem.

1. Sudden Temperature Changes

Sudden air temperature changes are the main reason for orchid flowers falling off sooner than they should, Kondrat says. Refrain from moving a blooming orchid. You may want to relocate it to a spot where you can see its blooms, but doing so could expose the plant to a draft or too much sunlight. Either will make the orchid drop its flowers.

Kondrat warns that people often expose their orchids to sudden temperature changes when they bring them home from the store. Yep, the moment you walk out of the store with your new orchid could cause the flowers to start falling off.

“You take it out of a climate-controlled environment and put it into a hot car or a cold car and it stresses the plant,” he says. A few days later, flowers are falling like rain off the plant. “You don’t want to transport your orchid in very hot or very cold weather,” Kondrat says. Minimize the chances of stressing a new orchid by buying the plant when outdoor temperatures are mild.

Many orchids are sold wrapped in cellophane. That’s not just decoration, Kondrat says. The cellophane insulates the plant from temperature changes that can happen while it’s being transported from the nursery to the store and from the store to your house.

“Leave the cellophane on until you get the plant home and stabilize it,” Kondrat says. “Bring the orchid inside, put it in a location that is not drafty, let it come to room temperature, and then take the cellophane off.”

Tips

When buying an orchid that’s already in bloom, look for one with more buds than blooms. According to Kondrat, the presence of a lot of buds means the plant is early in its bloom cycle, and you’ll get a longer display of flowers.

2. Overwatering or Underwatering

Orchids need the right amount of water to maintain blooms. Too much water causes soggy, mushy roots that cannot provide nutrients to keep buds and blooms alive on the plant. Too little water can cause the roots, leaves, and stems to dry out and be unable to bring nutrients and moisture to the plant to support buds and blooms.

Kondrat says you typically need to water an orchid every 7 to 10 days, but he cautions that’s a general rule of thumb and your orchid might need a different watering schedule. “It’s one of those things you have to observe to get right,” he says. Check your orchid every couple of days, he says. “Pick up the pot; if it feels lightweight, it needs water. If you see wrinkles in the leaves or the roots look dry, it needs water.”

There is a correct way to water orchids, and it’s not with a cube of ice. “Bring the orchid to a sink and run water over the soil until water comes out of the bottom of the pot,” Kondrat says. “I usually do that for 10 seconds.” This technique flushes any salts that may have accumulated in the potting mixture from past fertilizing and saturates the roots.

Related: The 6 Best Orchid Pots of 2024

3. Pests and Diseases

Insects and plant diseases can weaken your orchid and cause it to drop buds and blooms prematurely. Mealybugs are the primary pest that feeds on orchids, Kondrat says. They suck the sap from the orchid, causing yellowing leaves, dropped blooms, and eventual plant death.

Every time you take your orchid to the sink to water it, Kondrat recommends inspecting the plant for signs of mealybugs. They look like white fluff on the underside of leaves. Use peppermint oil or neem oil mixed according to the instructions on the label to get rid of these pests. Kondrat dips a cotton swab in diluted isopropyl alcohol and swabs the infested leaves to get rid of the mealybugs.

Related: How to Get Orchids to Rebloom with These 5 Must-Know Tips