How do I get my Orchid's to rebloom?

[EdinAZ]

When I was growing on windowsill and outdoors several years ago, I had a VERY difficult time getting anything to re-bloom. I finally learned there was not enough day-night temperature differential, and so started leaving (or putting) them outside in the fall, and leaving them there day and night until the low temp's were down into the fifties (left cymbidiums out until frost). They started to re-bloom almost 100%.

This was in Washington D.C. and in southern Arizona, but it worked in both places. I had mostly Phal's. (about 15 or so) and a couple of other species. We currently have a friend in Chicago who does this with all her "windowsill" Orchids (about 35-40 plants - a variety of species), and everything blooms well.

Don't know where you live, but you DO need to watch the water when things are outside (in Arizona, we had to hose them at least once every day), and you will probably pick a pest or two, but . . .

There are (as I now know) many other factors in getting/keeping plants healthy and blooming, but this simple solution did work for blooms, at least.

Ed