"simon" wrote in message
I was given an orchid as a present about 2 years ago and it flowered but
since then i have not been able to get it to flower again. I think i have
been feeding it too much!

The problem is that i'm not sure what sort it is, it didnt have a tag in
the
pot and the person who bought it hasnt got a clue what it was! It has
quite
long narrow leaves (about 2.5cm wide, 60-70 cm long), and would have been
bought in a garden centre, not from a specialist orchid place.

Any ideas what it might be? From pictures on the web i have been thinking
Cymbidium. Unfortunately i cant remember what the flower looked like (was
so
long ago!!).

If i'm not sure of the type, what can i try and do to get it to flower
again?

If it's a Cymbidium the leaves will be tough and strong and there will be a
tough looking and hard pseudobulb at the base from which a number of leaves
come. Flower spikes and new growths come from the base of these pseudobulbs
but are easily distinguished once you know what to look for.
Cymbidiums need cool, even cold (but not frosty), nights to initiate flower
spikes so they often don't flower again after being purchased because they
are kept indoors all year, too warm. They are best put outside for the
summer in a lightly shady but open aspect and left out until the nights get
cold and then brought inside before any chance of frost, say end Sept down
here, flower spikes will normally appear soon afterwards depending on
variety.
They do like a good feed too, and chicken manure pellets work well.

Of course it could be an Oncidium, Odontoglossom etc., but they have much
softer greener leaves that are not as long and which point upwards whereas
Cymbidiums leaves curve over, grass like.

From experience flower spikes break off easily too. :-(

--
Bob
http://www.pooleygreengrowers.org.uk/ about an allotment site
in Runnymede, fighting for its existence against bureaucracy.