GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

06-04-2006, 09:30 PM posted to rec.gardens.orchids

On Wed, 5 Apr 2006 17:39:55 -0700, wrote
(in article .com):

Thanks for the help Tom. So when the the plant isn't blooming it will
grow leaves? I had another orchid once that flowered for a long time,
looked great and then suddenly died. The flowers died and then the
leaves turned yellow. At first I thought the plant had gone dormant
but now it sounds like it just croaked.

I hope that doesn't happen this time.

In general how long is the none blooming season? Is it at any
particular time of year? Do I feed it even if it isn't blooming?

Jane

Some orchids are deciduous; most, including Phals, are not. It is normal for
the lowest pair of leaves on a phal to yellow and shrivel with further growth
of the upper part, but generalized yellowing and shriveling suggest
approaching death, often due to poor condition of the roots, which is why a
look at the root system, and repotting when necessary, are so important.
BTW, Phals often put out a lot of aerial roots, which are not a bad thing,
and should probably be left alone except for soaking or spraying when you
water.
I'm not one of the several experts in the group, but my experience has been
that the most prolific blooming season is in the late Winter and Spring,
though some orchids seem to enjoy blooming in Summer and early Fall. Not
infrequently, a healthy orchid will even bloom 2 or more times a year.
Probably varies with the species and cultural conditions. It is common for
growers to manipulate light and temperature exposure to bring plants into
bloom at any time for the market.

Tom
Walnut Creek, CA
Nikon D70