Wayne

They haven't bloomed for a while due to bad conditioning, now they've been placed over humidity pebble tray and water every so often and misted twice daily, i also use pro orchid fertilizer and soil mix, charcoal, bark, rocks . the flower stems completely gone. Help
?
-Wayne-

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Lilith

Hi Wayne,
the trigger for Phalaenopsis orchids to rebloom is cooler teps. They need a definite differential of at least 10 degrees F between day and night time temps to initiate the desire to spike.

SOmetimes, that can be accomplished just by moving them into a windowsill, the cool nighttime temps and the warmer daytime temps will be different enough in the window to help them out.

ALso, a good fertilizer regimen through the rest of the year is helpful.

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11/2008 Outer Banks Marathon 26.2, Kitty Hawk NC--3:50
2/2009 5 Points of Life Marathon, 26.2, Gainesville FL--4:00
4/2009 Boston Marathon, 26.2-- 4:38
10/2009 Marine Corps Marathon, DC, 26.2--457
1/2010 Houston Marathon, 26.2--3:55:09
2/2010 5 Points of Life Marathon, Gainesville--415
Halloween Day 2010 Marine Corps Marathon, DC--
2/2011--Austin TX Marathon--

Wayne

Alright then sounds good enough to me. i can wait for those white flowers.!
they use phalaenopsis alot in TV shows backgrounds, ever notice that?, and is there anyway to know when its emerging,? where would i look to on the plant? number of leaves...? a bump...?


-Wayne-

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sandy0225

Also, don't cut off the flower spikes from before. Leave them on the plant unless they totally dry up and turn brown. The reason being, the plant will actually branch out from the old bloom spike to rebloom the next year if the plant carries that spike over the next growing season. It's easier for the plant to just rebud that spike than to grow another one, they're very lazy!
If you already cut off the spent bloom spikes,don't despair, though. The plant will grow another one if it wants to bloom. The new spike will look a lot like an aerial root at first from the base of the plant, but as time progresses you'll see that it's getting too long and too green. Then you'll know. Mine always seem to bloom in January and February here, when they're grown in the windowsill. They like it Cold, if you have drafty old farmhouse windows, all the better.

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Tog Tan

Hi Wayne,
Being an ex-big time orchid guy this is what I can tell you, just feed the phalaenopsis like crazy both growth and flower inducing fert. Most serious players here foliar feed the plts at least twice a week. You have the advantage of the cold season where you are. Here, unless they are put into a cool room to induce them to bloom, they will only do it once every 2 yrs or so. I am talking about the big flowered Taiwan hybrids. I still have a couple of them like the Ph Everspring clones. These are the medium sized flowers with a very dark big maroon patch on the pure white petals. One of them just bloomed after a 5 yr hiatus.
They are now so cheap here like about usd$6 to $10 for a big blooming plt that people just buy them to see the flower and then dump them in the garden when its done. Then they go and buy another bloomer!
Basically, I keep many of the tropical species especially those that can take a lot of sun like the Ph cornu-cervi. Small flowered but very free year round blooms and many at a time.
Just be patient and.... feed...feed...feed...

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Tog Tan has sadly suddenly passed away 6/16/09. We will miss you Tog Tan.

Lilith

Yes, it is hard in a warm climate to get the phals to bloom and there where you live Tog I can imagine how hard it is Its hard here too, Florida doesn't have the cold they want either except between about October, when it drops from lows of 75-78 at night to 55-75 at night through March/April. All my phals start blooming about now and will bloom over the winter.

Just remember, though...no orchid will bloom well if it isn;t getting the light it needs, so be certain yours in getting enough. Especially if you plan to feed it heavily.

Phals are cheap here too, about $10 at all the box stores.

__________________
11/2008 Outer Banks Marathon 26.2, Kitty Hawk NC--3:50
2/2009 5 Points of Life Marathon, 26.2, Gainesville FL--4:00
4/2009 Boston Marathon, 26.2-- 4:38
10/2009 Marine Corps Marathon, DC, 26.2--457
1/2010 Houston Marathon, 26.2--3:55:09
2/2010 5 Points of Life Marathon, Gainesville--415
Halloween Day 2010 Marine Corps Marathon, DC--
2/2011--Austin TX Marathon--

lorax

I normally pop mine in the fridge to induce blooming. Of course, my temps never go below +18 so it's kind of necessary. It's one big reason that I have primarily Ecuadorian species orchids, because caring for the foreign ones is sometimes a pain.

island cassie

Well - please don't tell mine that they are supposed to be tricky! They live in the garden in shade, only getting sunlight before 10am and after 4pm, temps at the moment of 72f nighttime and 84f during the day. I guess the temp differential is just enough to make them flower regularly about every 6 months, and are just putting out new flower spikes off the old ones - my neighbour has even more than I do, and hers are the same.

Good luck Wayne - it will be easy once you get the knack!

damaclese

i have many Phal and most of mine Bloom almost continually i attribute this to the fact that i have them on the back of my sink in the kitchen where they get indirect ac all Summer long its quite cool there the ideal temps to induce blooming are 65 night and 80 day ruffly a 15 deg spread i read in your first msg that you mist your phals this is vary bad to do if you let water stand in the crown of the leaf base they are prone to bacterial infections also many phalaenopsis particularly ones coming from Asia have roots that are infected with a type of vertasileam (not sure i spelled that right) if your phals have roots that look all bumpy are even brown this can be a sine but brown roots do not necessarily mean that but its a thought if your phals have this problem id take the plant out cut off the dead roots and pour 3% hydrogen peroxide don't worry it is good for the plant then repot in good 4 or even better 5 star Morse the moses from south America are the best as they last the longest don't be afraid to keep the roots tight they like to be root bound also get several types of food and switch off ever couple of weeks that way you will be sure that the plants are getting all the nutrients they need some firt is incomplete make sure the have micro nutrients in them also water with tepid water cool waters can shock any orchid i don't subscribe to you have to use distiled water club i do have an RO system but i don't aways use it some times i just go for plane old tap water well thats my 2 cents and i know ever one has there way of doing it but as i stated my phals bloom contiguously and no they don't decline i keep them healthy i have one thats over 10 years of and has only been out of bloom for 6 months because it had an infection and i cut the bloom spike off
also Orchid digest is a superb resource for any one that wants to explore the world of orchids are president Carol Siegel wrights articles from time to time for them and joining your local Orchid society is good to its nice to be with others that share there experiences and encouragement i have a nice set of articles that i can post from time to time for you i get them from my club but i don't currently have any thing on phals on the computer but if i can get are president to send the old paper copy to me all post it for you would any one like to see a resend article written by Martin Motes on Vanda's hes considered one of the leading experts on them and has lots of books sorry that was so long winded!

Go Orchids Go ya-ha! lol
Paulo

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