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Light - Phalenopsis vs EPLC, BLC and DGMNA
EPLC (Epilaeliocattleya) Mae Bly "Emily"
BLC (Brassolaeliocattley) Chyong Guu Chaffinh "Ta Hsin" DGMRA (Degarmoara) WinterWonderland "White Fariy" I have a number of Lowes Home improvement Phaleonopsis and 2 -3 each of the above plants . They are in a west facing window in North Central Texas. Horizontal 2 inch blinds are used to moderate the sunlight. The blinds are almost fully open. Prior to placing the blinds in the windows, the Phaleonopsis would get burned. Now with the blinds the P's are blooming like crazy with large healthy flowers. The other plants were brought in, divided, and repotted and placed in the same windows. As expected the existing blooms and flower stalks died back. Phaleonopsis is potted in sphagnum peat moss. The others are in Scott Orchid mix (Fir, charcoal and pine) and a few have some peat moss mixed in. They are watered every 3-4 days (from a watering can) with a 30 minute soak every other weekend. The P's are watered when the peat moss is dry an inch down (about every 7 days) . all are in 8 inch pots with gravel filled saucers. The saucers are filled with water every 2 days. I am considering changing the growing medium out and adding more peat moss as several of them appear thirsty dry. IE the bulbs are not filled out and as fleshy I the ones I saw at local shows or pictures The question: EPLC, DGMRA, and BLC are not putting flower stalks out. They are growing new roots, shoots and basal KeiKi's (new roots with shoot off a stem right at the level of the medium). As a amateur, I have no feeling for how soon I would expect new flower spikes to appear, or if maybe I need to modify the growing conditions. I look at the phaleonopsis and see how fast the bloomed and think "Hmmmmm. Should these be blooming that fast? Or DO I need to modify the growing conditions?" One thing I really wonder is do they need more light? (IE the Phaleonopsis love it so the light may not be enough for the others.) a wee bit more light |
#2
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Light - Phalenopsis vs EPLC, BLC and DGMNA
On Mon, 3 Jul 2006 22:58:34 -0500, "Bruce Musgrove"
wrote: EPLC (Epilaeliocattleya) Mae Bly "Emily" BLC (Brassolaeliocattley) Chyong Guu Chaffinh "Ta Hsin" DGMRA (Degarmoara) WinterWonderland "White Fariy" ---------clip----------------------- The question: EPLC, DGMRA, and BLC are not putting flower stalks out. They are growing new roots, shoots and basal KeiKi's (new roots with shoot off a stem right at the level of the medium). As a amateur, I have no feeling for how soon I would expect new flower spikes to appear, or if maybe I need to modify the growing conditions. I look at the phaleonopsis and see how fast the bloomed and think "Hmmmmm. Should these be blooming that fast? Or DO I need to modify the growing conditions?" One thing I really wonder is do they need more light? (IE the Phaleonopsis love it so the light may not be enough for the others.) Bruce - The Pal's need a LOT less light than the others can use. But since you are growing the others in 'Ph al Light', you will need to s-l-o-w-l-y introduce them to more light. IF you just switch them to their normal growing light conditions you will probably sunburn them. So you have two problems, One is where to grow the 3 light hogs and the second is how to change them to full light. If there is a South or other west window the 3 can move to, start with them feet back and each week move them closer to the full light. A sheer curtain may scatter the light with out absorbing as much as your blinds are reflecting. IF there is no other window. They you may wish to consider growing the phals under florescent lights or at the back of the table so the other plants and distance keep the direct sun off the plants. Your EPLC (Epidendrum x Laelia x Cattleya) and BLC (Brassavola x Laelia x Cattleya) are Cattleya crosses. They need light strong enough that you hand held a hand span above a surface will cast a definite shadow on the surface. IF your getting a cloud effect instead of a hand shadow the light is not strong enough to uniformly and regularly cause each new growth to bloom. These plants must put up a new growth before each bloom cycle. The DGMNA (Brassia x Miltonia x Odontoglossum) may bloom well in the middle, but generally would follow the idea of more light more blooms. All 3 will do better if regularly fertilized at about 1/2 strength of any balanced fertilizer. The fertilizer will collect in the pot if you do not rinse it out about every 4th watering. Normal watering practices would be to water heavily so that water washes thru the pot then allow to drain well before setting back in the grow area. I am not sure what you do in your "soak." Soaking one plant after another in the same pot of water can lead to sharing diseases and pests as they wash out of one pot and are absorbed by the next. Your Phals would probably enjoy a bit of fertilizer as well. I find mine in moss do not want as much as my plants in bark mix. Some Phals will bloom multiple times a year or for very long stretches of time. They bloom from the bottom or beneath the leaves. The 'worry' point of a phal is a bloom spike or rot of the center (called the crown) of the plant. The Phal will die if it can not produce new leaves to continue it's growth. Do NOT allow water to sit in the crown over night, this practice will lead to crown rot. SuE http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/orchids |
#3
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Light - Phalenopsis vs EPLC, BLC and DGMNA
Must go get a light meter.....
So, more light is definitely in order for those. If I read your reply right, the light hogs as you called them will grow in a west window, but my shades probably are reflecting too much light. Quite possible as those same windows burned a Phal before I put the shades in. I already have them in 2 different windows (side by side windows), Phals in one and the others in the other window, all about a foot from the windows (they are on 12" wire shelves). I can experiment with slowly pulling the shades up in one window so the bottom shelf of light hogs get more exposure and the top shelf does not change, AND get my curtain shears sewn togethor. The Phals are producing new leaves. No problem with that. On the others, do they only flower on new growth, or do they only bloom after a new growth cycle? "Susan Erickson" wrote in message ... On Mon, 3 Jul 2006 22:58:34 -0500, "Bruce Musgrove" wrote: EPLC (Epilaeliocattleya) Mae Bly "Emily" BLC (Brassolaeliocattley) Chyong Guu Chaffinh "Ta Hsin" DGMRA (Degarmoara) WinterWonderland "White Fariy" ---------clip----------------------- The question: EPLC, DGMRA, and BLC are not putting flower stalks out. They are growing new roots, shoots and basal KeiKi's (new roots with shoot off a stem right at the level of the medium). As a amateur, I have no feeling for how soon I would expect new flower spikes to appear, or if maybe I need to modify the growing conditions. I look at the phaleonopsis and see how fast the bloomed and think "Hmmmmm. Should these be blooming that fast? Or DO I need to modify the growing conditions?" One thing I really wonder is do they need more light? (IE the Phaleonopsis love it so the light may not be enough for the others.) Bruce - The Pal's need a LOT less light than the others can use. But since you are growing the others in 'Ph al Light', you will need to s-l-o-w-l-y introduce them to more light. IF you just switch them to their normal growing light conditions you will probably sunburn them. So you have two problems, One is where to grow the 3 light hogs and the second is how to change them to full light. If there is a South or other west window the 3 can move to, start with them feet back and each week move them closer to the full light. A sheer curtain may scatter the light with out absorbing as much as your blinds are reflecting. IF there is no other window. They you may wish to consider growing the phals under florescent lights or at the back of the table so the other plants and distance keep the direct sun off the plants. Your EPLC (Epidendrum x Laelia x Cattleya) and BLC (Brassavola x Laelia x Cattleya) are Cattleya crosses. They need light strong enough that you hand held a hand span above a surface will cast a definite shadow on the surface. IF your getting a cloud effect instead of a hand shadow the light is not strong enough to uniformly and regularly cause each new growth to bloom. These plants must put up a new growth before each bloom cycle. The DGMNA (Brassia x Miltonia x Odontoglossum) may bloom well in the middle, but generally would follow the idea of more light more blooms. All 3 will do better if regularly fertilized at about 1/2 strength of any balanced fertilizer. The fertilizer will collect in the pot if you do not rinse it out about every 4th watering. Normal watering practices would be to water heavily so that water washes thru the pot then allow to drain well before setting back in the grow area. I am not sure what you do in your "soak." Soaking one plant after another in the same pot of water can lead to sharing diseases and pests as they wash out of one pot and are absorbed by the next. Your Phals would probably enjoy a bit of fertilizer as well. I find mine in moss do not want as much as my plants in bark mix. Some Phals will bloom multiple times a year or for very long stretches of time. They bloom from the bottom or beneath the leaves. The 'worry' point of a phal is a bloom spike or rot of the center (called the crown) of the plant. The Phal will die if it can not produce new leaves to continue it's growth. Do NOT allow water to sit in the crown over night, this practice will lead to crown rot. SuE http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/orchids |
#4
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Light - Phalenopsis vs EPLC, BLC and DGMNA
On Tue, 4 Jul 2006 20:46:22 -0500, "Bruce Musgrove"
wrote: The Phals are producing new leaves. No problem with that. On the others, do they only flower on new growth, or do they only bloom after a new growth cycle? They flower once per growth. Generally on the newest mature growth. Some mature in the late summer and flower on it the next spring, some flower as soon as mature. It depends on the particular plants in the crosses. They should flower apx the same time every year. If you bought them in flower - you can predict the next season of blooms. SuE http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/orchids |
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