Mike,
I bought the orchid on December 24, 2003. It continued to flower
throughout December, January, and February.
Ok, so then it's not late in reflowering yet. Most of my Phals are in spike
for about 2-3 months before flowering, so if your Phal started a spike now,
it could well be in flower by late Decembor or January. Phals don't
generally follow a strict calender, though it has sometimes happened that
one of my orchids would reflower _exactly_ a year after the last time,
that's a rare exception. Flowering time depends on many factors, some of
which I don't even begin to understand yet, but here are a few: if it was an
unusually sunny or an unusually cloudy summer; unusually hot or unseasonal
cold spells; if the environment that you are growing it in is very different
or very similar to where it grew before it came to your home; etc. Also you
don't know whether December was this Phal's usual blooming time, or if it
was induced by something the previous grower did, that caused this Phal to
flower at not it's usual time. Different Phals have different blooming
seasons depending on their heritage and other factors. But growers sometimes
induce orchids to flower out of their season. Or sometimes a Phal will just
bloom at a different time than usual for it. The nice thing about Phals is
that they do have different seasons, and so one can fairly easily acquire a
collection of Phals, that allows one to have at least one Phal in bloom at
all times of year.
I completely removed the
spike in March (thought it was still green and healthy when I cut it,
but it had finished flowering).
If a Phal is healthy, and it's spike is still green, it may well reuse the
same spike again, so if it does reflower for you, you might consider not
removing the spike if it is still green. I think it is easier to get a Phal
to rebloom from an existing green spike then to get it to put out a new
one -- at least that's my subjective impression, but I may be wrong on this.
Anyway it takes less time for a Phal to reflower from an existing spike,
since it does not have to grow the entire spike from the beginning, so once
it starts continuing the spike or branch of the spike, you have a shorter
wait-time till flowering. However, if there is any doubt about the plants
health then definitely remove the spike.
During March, April, spring, summer, and fall it grew 3 new leaves. It
has 8 or 9 large, beautiful leaves. I repotted the orchid in orchid
mix in July.
Three new leaves is good. It does indead sound like a healthy plant.
Personally I prefer my orchids with a lot of leaves, though I know that it's
the flower count and not the leaf count that really matters, and an orchid
can be healthy with only 3 or 4 leaves. But I really like Phal leaves, the
more the merrier, and it is important for Phal health to grow new leaves
regularly.
The orchid came in a 6" clay pot. However, the orchid was actually
inside a much smaller, clear plastic pot embedded inside the clay pot
with bark.
Very important point: did the clay pot have enough drainage holes? If not,
this is a big problem. Sometimes vendors sell a plant with an outer
decorative pot that does not have sufficient drainage holes, and then one
should take the orchid out of that outer pot when watering. If that's the
kind of pot it was, then the orchid won't be happy being potted directly in
that pot.
I have a question about roots. I often read that orchid roots should
be green. Well, a few of my roots were actually green, but most were a
light brown color. When I took the orchid out of its plastic, clear
pot, it was pretty much full of roots and the roots were coming out of
the drainage holes in the bottom, too. I clipped away the dead, mushy
roots. When I removed the plant from the plastic pot, I noticed that
some of the roots seemed "broken". By that, I mean that there would be
breaks in the roots but the two segments would be held together by the
inner wire-like membrane. I left these roots intact and did not clip
them away. The orchid was repotted in the 6" clay pot with the roots
taking up most of the room.
Phal roots seem to come in different colors, and some of them are broken,
and some of them have only the wiry core that is still alive. I think it
takes experience to tell which roots should be left and which cut. I don't
really know this yet. As long as you had some green or green-white roots
though, that's good.
Regarding the bugs... I don't know where they came from. I sometimes
see them walking around on the bark when I move the bark around. I was
suggested to use an alcohol spray, but I don't know how to do this. Do
I mix the alcohol with anything like water, or do I just spray it
undiluted? How much do I spray on the bark? I don't want to kill the
plant. Is there any other general insecticide that I could treat the
plant with to get rid of any bugs that are living in it?
Did you use all fresh bark mix when repotting? Insects in bark are more
often seen in bark that's not fresh.
I think the alcohol is usually heavily diluted with water, and some dish
soap added, but I don't have much experience with that. The only bug that I
had thus far (in 3.5 years) was a single mealy bug that was promptly killed,
and no more have been sighted since, knock on wood. I've been lucky, but as
a result have nearly no experience on this front.
The plant is getting all the sunlight that I can provide it. I don't
know what else to do.
Hmm, Phals don't like that much light, so it depends on how much light is
"all the sunlight that [you] can provide it". If it is a Southern window,
then that would be too much. But if you have Northern windows only, like I
do, then all the sunlight that you can provide it may not be enough. I grow
in Northern windows with grow lights supplementing the fact that there
really isn't enough sunlight here. I am really envious of people with
Eastern windows. Sigh.
It is my one and only orchid and is beginning to
frustrate me.
I think that you may be a bit too impatient, and I have the same tendency,
and have often been too impatient with my orchids, when it turned out
unnecessary after all. With only one orchid it's really easy to fret too
much over it. You really should get more, then you will worry less over
them, and I suspect that you will be less frustrated. It's still too early
to really be frustrated, since this orchid last bloomed starting in
December, it's not been a year yet, and even when a year passes, it could
just be bit later this year.
Best,
Joanna
On Wed, 27 Oct 2004 23:48:47 GMT, "J Fortuna"
wrote:
Mike,
not between two leaves. So, if I see something emerging from between
two leaves I should celebrate? :-)
No, roots could emerge from pretty much the same place as spikes. Also, a
spike can grow down and roots could grow up, so the direction does not
mean
much. The main ways to differentiate a root from a spike in a Phal a
-- the tips of the roots will be more rounded, whereas the tips of the
spike
will be more pointed
-- the roots are more likely to be shiny and more likely to be covered by
a
white layer, whereas the spike is less likely to have a shiny white
layer,
but will instead be green, brown, or purplish and non-shiny
-- spikes have nodes, sort of like knuckles in fingers, which subdivide a
spike into parts (these nodes are places where the spike might branch or
grow a bud from or grow a keiki from), whereas roots don't have such
nodes
It takes some experience to tell a root from a spike in a Phal, but with
time after you have had many of them you will be able to tell fairly
early
on which one it is. I am usually correct in guessing whether it is a
spike
or root almost right away, but I have 28 Phals and have been observing
roots
and spikes for 3.5 years now.
How long have you had this Phal? When is the last time your Phal bloomed?
Some Phals bloom only in the spring, for example, so this Phal might be a
spring bloomer. Some of my Phals bloom both in the fall and in the
spring,
but I think that's more of an exception than a rule, especially at the
beginning you are less likely to be disappointed if you expect your Phal
to
bloom only once a year. I have one Phal that has now started a new spike
after 1.5 years of not spiking, so that can happen, too.
I would be a bit worried about your night time temperatures, they seem a
bit
too low to me. Also the fact that you have some insects wandering on it,
depending on what kind of insects they are (whether they are an orchid
pest), this may cause stress to the plant and cause it not to bloom.
Also how much light are you providing this orchid? Where is it located?
Have
you tried changing the location to a better one? Sometimes a plant will
not
rebloom, and then one moves it to a different spot, and that does it.
I once read that the two things that are most likely to cause a plant not
to
respike are insufficient light or no difference between day and night
temperature (you have that covered, though maybe your difference is too
much?). The other thing that I read is that sometimes orchids will not
bloom
if they are too happy, so if they are being given too much fertilizer,
too
much light, and being watered too regularly, they may be too lazy to
rebloom -- orchids often thrive on a certain level of benign neglect, and
some speculate that some degree of deprivation may be beneficial and
induce
flowering (though don't overdo this).
That said, I have 2 Phals that have not reflowered for me either, and I
don't have a clue why they have not, while the others have been
reflowering
as expected or even more frequently. I think that having only one orchid
plant increases the chance that you will fret over it more, and have high
expectations for it, and it may not do what you expect. So get more
orchids!
Hope that some of this is helpful to you.
Best,
Joanna
"Mike" wrote in message
.. .
Claude,
The orchid was repotted in July. I would think that it would be well
established by now.
The roots are emerging from the outside part of the base of the plant,
not between two leaves. So, if I see something emerging from between
two leaves I should celebrate? :-)
Mike
On Wed, 27 Oct 2004 15:36:14 -0400, "Claude"
wrote:
Hello again!
Blooming takes lot`s of energy for a plant.
If you just repotted the plant and cut some roots, the plant is busy
adapting to the new environment. The plants needs to establish it`s
roots
before blooming.
Phals grow aerial roots to capture moisture and nutrients from the
air.
They
can grow roots and spike together if the plant is really happy.
A spike looks almost like the tip of the root except it`s flat instead
or
round. Usually, spike emerge between 2 leaves.
My advice, if I may, would be to leave the plant for now since it`s
getting
establish. For the bugs, I would try an alcohol spray and keep the
plant
away from the others.
Claude
"Mike" wrote in message
.. .
| Claude,
|
| Why would the plant be in an active growing period? Shouldn't this
be
| the time when the plant stops growing new leaves and roots and
| produces a spike?
|
| The white bugs (which I've only seem a few) are teeny tiny bugs that
| only crawl. I saw them on and around the new roots and on the
medium.
|
| The orchid came in a small clear plastic pot which was embedded in
| bark inside a clay pot. I repotted the orchid into the clay pot
which
| is 6" I think. The plant had a lot of roots. I clipped away the
dead,
| mushy roots. The remaining roots almost completely filled the pot.
|
| Can a phalaenopsis grow roots and spike at the same time?
|
| What does a flower spike emerging from the base of the plant look
| like? The roots emerged from nodes (bumps) on the base of the plant
at
| the same level where the old spike was cut.
|
| Any help would be much appreciated!
|
| Mike
|
| On Wed, 27 Oct 2004 14:49:17 -0400, "Claude"
| wrote:
|
| Hello!
|
| Here are my guess...
|
| Your day time temperature seems little bit too low! Most phal like
to
grow
| between 21C and 28C, although some like it hotter and some colder.
But
the
| temperature drop at night seems too big. A difference of 10C
between
daytime
| and nighttime would be better.
|
| The fact that the tip of your roots is getting reddish mean that
your
plant
| is in active growing period. That part is called apical meristem.
|
| About your bugs, can you describe them a bit better! Do they fly?
are
they
| on the medium?
| Did you check the leaves? roots?
|
| Claude
|
| "Mike" wrote in message
| .. .
| | 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
| |
| | Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services
| | ----------------------------------------------------------
| | ** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY **
| | ----------------------------------------------------------
| | http://www.usenet.com
|
|
|
| Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services
| ----------------------------------------------------------
| ** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY **
| ----------------------------------------------------------
| http://www.usenet.com
Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services
----------------------------------------------------------
** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY **
----------------------------------------------------------
http://www.usenet.com
Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services
----------------------------------------------------------
** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY **
----------------------------------------------------------
http://www.usenet.com