Insta-Blog 3: The Old Bitty Orchid

Taken on my iPhone. I'm quite enamored with her velvety purple color.

 It's so hard to capture but her leaves sparkle in the setting sun. This is the very first Orchid I ever purchased. Oh... maybe 5 years ago. But, I fear the old gal might be running out of steam. She re-blooms every year, though her flowers don't last nearly as long as they use to.

Any thoughts on that subject? I have very good luck getting the Butterfly Orchids to re-bloom though I don't quite know what should be done with my geriatric gal here. :) If you have suggestions, please let me know.

Tip: If your Orchids are living in bark chips, they'll need lots more nitrogen. The bark gobbles up most of the nitrogen, creating a nitrogen deficiency for your little Orchid. I soak mine for 30 minutes, once a week with a highly diluted 30-10-10 fertilizer.