Orchid sprouting new growth. Fertilise?

[Miljea]

An orchid given as a present early last year, stayed in flower for months but inevitably shed them, but has now just begun to put on new growth. Should I fertilise it as a result? It lives on a window sill.

Thanks.

Gosh best bit of advice a friend gave me about orchids was once a week soak them in a bowl of water for 20 mins. I followed this and the orchid she gave me has lasted yonks. They naturally go through phases of flowering/doing nothing. I give mine a few drops of orchid food occasionally in the weekly dunk, hope this helps

Thanks, yes, that's how I water it.

I think I may add a couple of drops of fertiliser here on in.

Best to use specialist orchid food rather than regular plant food if you want it to flower as well as possible.

I have orchids that I have owned to the last 7+ years and with a weekly/fortnightly dunk and some orchid food they seem to flower every year.

Further to the conversation, would you report this?

Do you cut them back after they have flowered?

@Miljea They flower better slightly pot-bound, but given you have roots coming up vertically from the bark it probably could use a repot. Do use proper orchid compost / bark.

I would cut the flower spikes off too if they are looking dried out.

Further to the conversation, would you report this? Took me a while to unscramble the unwanted spell check, but no. It's looking happy. And I wouldn't repot any plant if it was coming in to flower.

Do you cut them back after they have flowered? If you cut the flower stem back to a healthy bit just above a bud, they are reputed sometimes to throw out a secondary flowering stem. It's not failsafe - it's happened to one of mine - and best to google to see exactly where you're supposed to cut it back to.

Only just spotted my typo!