I will try increasing the amount of light the plant is getting.

Can you explain what an MH light is? Can I just put the plant under a
room lamp and have the lamp's light shine down on it all day?

What watt bulb would I use? 40W, 60W? How long should I leave the
plant under this light every day? How far away should the lamp be from
the plant? Or is using a room lamp a bad idea?

Mike

On Thu, 28 Oct 2004 00:02:55 GMT, dd
wrote:

Mike,

I'm no expert at phals, but I have failed a lot--A LOT-- with getting
them to live and to flower, so please learn from my mistakes. First,
your fertilizer is dead wrong. Ditch the 10-60-10. The "60" is a big No
No. In nature, these guys only get a squirt of nutrients when a bird
flies overhead and has a bladder probem, or some rain forest stuff is
mildly decomposing... Go for a more balanced fertilzer, and use it at a
diluted strength--1/4 to 1/2 tsp per gallon.

Second, rapid root growth might be a "trying to survive" signal. Mist
the aerial roots daily. Many of my phals that were growing aerial roots
in response to semi-hydroponic media are now spiking--rampant root
growth and spikes. So, humor the aerial roots, mist them with mildly
fertilized water, and if you have sufficient light, spikes will not be
far behind.

Your night temperatures are too cool. You are courting messophyl cell
collapse, I'd guess. Boost your night temps to 60 degrees F, and have
your day temps be at about 75-80 degrees F.

A wise old orchid dude once told me that if you can't get the sucker to
flower, move it to a different location in your growing area. In your
case, this might mean an area with more light or under light, such as
MH lights.

Regarding bugs: Use the small cannons first: a weekly water spray and
wipes with cotton balls drenched in rubbing alchohol can go a long
way.. If that doesn't work, blast them with chemicals, being careful
not to poison yourself, your family, or your beloved pets.

Good luck.


In article , Mike
wrote:

Orchid friends,

My Phalaenopsis is growing two new roots and no spike yet! The plant
is extremely healthy and happy. It has 8 healthy leaves at the moment.
I am fertilizing it with 10-60-10 (Schultz Bloom Plus) to push it into
spike. I am even giving it the cold treatment at night for a few
hours. Day temps are about 22C/71F and night temps are about 8C/46F.
But there is no sign of a spike yet! I live in Southwestern Ontario,
so the plant should be producing a spike right about this time.

The roots are pointy and about 0.5 cm in length. The tips are reddish.
I'm assuming they are roots since they are growing down.

I also see tiny white and black bugs walking around. Which
insecticides are safe to use with an orchid?

What am I doing wrong?

Mike

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