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#1
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Phal blooming question
I'm fairly new to all of this, have only been growing for three or four
years, under lights. I've noticed that while my phals bloom each year, with each year the spikes are shorter and the blooms less spectacular. I grow under fluors at about 2000 ftc's and use Dynagrow/Blm, 1/4 tsp/gallon each week. Any thoughts as to why I seem to be left with a bunch of shrinking phals? Thanks. |
#2
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Phal blooming question
One factor you did not mention was heat. What are your day and night
temperatures? Phals like it quite warm in the day and not too cool at night. If they are kept too cold, they will just not grow! And if they bloom without being able to grow, they will actually shrink! Been there and done that in my early years. And I use Miracle Grow at 1/2 tsp per gallon with every other watering. I probably give my plants a bit less light than you as well. My plants grow and bloom well enough that I am not looking to change anything in my environment! David Edgley Langley, WA "Charles Peters" wrote in message ... I'm fairly new to all of this, have only been growing for three or four years, under lights. I've noticed that while my phals bloom each year, with each year the spikes are shorter and the blooms less spectacular. I grow under fluors at about 2000 ftc's and use Dynagrow/Blm, 1/4 tsp/gallon each week. Any thoughts as to why I seem to be left with a bunch of shrinking phals? Thanks. |
#3
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Phal blooming question
Charles, DynaGro is an excellent fertilizer, so I don't think it is the
problem at the strength you're using it. These questions may answer some of your questions: 1. What kind of potting medium do you use? 2. How often do you repot your plants? 3. Have you considered using DynaGro Grow half the year, or mixing Grow and Bloom half and half to arrive at a more balanced fertilizer? 4. What shape are your roots in? Do you have good root balls, or are the roots black on the ends & stunted? We've got people on this forum who get good results with all kinds of potting mediums. The thing is, the medium you use determines the method of watering, how often you change it, etc. If you don't change your medium once every twelve to eighteen months, the amount of fertilizer you use becomes important. Every time you fertilizer, you're adding salts to your medium. If you repot often, it's a moot point. If you haven't repotted your plants since you bought them, it matters a lot. You're not using too much fertilizer, per se, but if you're using bark or gravel or some other well-drained medium, I'd suggest you rinse it before you fertilize it. This leeches out accumulating salts. After rinsing, wait until the pot stops dripping, and then fertilize. If you're using moss, cut down on your fertilizer (1/8 of a teaspoon per gallon). Moss is like a sponge. It not only holds a ton of water for it's weight, it stores fertilizer, too. If you use real dilute fertilizer with it, it will last longer. If your roots are good, the problem is elsewhere. Maybe your plants need more nitrogen. This could especially be true if your using bark. In fact, if you've got your plants in bark, I'd use Grow at least half the year after they've bloomed and are setting leaves until just before blooming season. Or I'd switch to a balanced fertilizer. I was curious when you said your giving your plants 2,000 ft candles. What kind of fluorescents are you using? I use GroLux wide spectrums which I believe are about 1800 when they're new and have had good results with them; although we have people on this forum who get good results with shop lights. How many hours are you giving your plants. I give mine 14 hours. I don't think I'd give them less than 12, and I'd forget about trying to change the amount with the season. That may be necessary for some orchids, but I don't think Phals are that sensitive. If your leaves turn red, that could be a sign of too much light, and you may want to try a plant with reddish leaves in a spot that gets a little less light (east facing window would be good). What kind of water are you using: Tap? R/O? Dehumidifier and what's its pH? These seem like nitpicking little questions, but really hard water will put a lot of calcium carbonate in your pot real fast. It won't kill your plants right away, but as it builds up it will slow 'em down. Changing medium once a year corrects for a world of sins and keeps you in touch with your plants' roots. FWIW. Jim and how often do you repot your plants? , unless you're "Charles Peters" wrote in message ... I'm fairly new to all of this, have only been growing for three or four years, under lights. I've noticed that while my phals bloom each year, with each year the spikes are shorter and the blooms less spectacular. I grow under fluors at about 2000 ftc's and use Dynagrow/Blm, 1/4 tsp/gallon each week. Any thoughts as to why I seem to be left with a bunch of shrinking phals? Thanks. |
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