Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Vanda 'Miss Joaquim' bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Singapore Orchid, Princess Aloha Orchid (Vanda 'Miss Joaquim').

More about vanda 'miss joaquim'

About Vanda 'Miss Joaquim'

Vanda 'Miss Joaquim' · also called Singapore Orchid, Princess Aloha Orchid · flowering

Vanda 'Miss Joaquim', Singapore's national flower, is a vigorous free-flowering hybrid (Vanda hookeriana x Vanda teres) of the slender terete-leaved type. With pencil-like leaves and rosy-mauve blooms nearly year-round, it loves full tropical sun, daily watering, and warmth. Hugely popular as a cut flower, it grows tall and clambering given a stake and bright light.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Poor flowering in shade: As a terete sun-lover, anything less than near-full sun curbs its famous free blooming. Maximise direct light to keep flowers coming.

The reasons vanda 'miss joaquim' isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming vanda 'miss joaquim' traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding vanda 'miss joaquim' a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get vanda 'miss joaquim' to flower

Maximise sun. Give vanda 'miss joaquim' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for vanda 'miss joaquim' and get the feeding right with the vanda 'miss joaquim' fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Vanda 'Miss Joaquim' flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full vanda 'miss joaquim' care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Vanda 'Miss Joaquim' blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my vanda 'miss joaquim' flower?

Vanda 'Miss Joaquim' blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make vanda 'miss joaquim' bloom?

Give vanda 'miss joaquim' the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does vanda 'miss joaquim' normally bloom?