Please Help Me With My Orchid, Thanks!
 

I have a Phalaenopsis orchid. I got it as a gift a couple years ago.
It had flowers when I got it. Once the flowers were gone, they have
not come back again. The leaves are still large and full and green
and solid but no sign of any growth anywhere else. It is in the same
pot it came in (probably not the ideal pot for growing but something
cheap the store used, I can see all the roots inside the pot). I was
watering it once a week with luke warm water. I have Schultz 19-31-17
plant food and it's directions are to use 1/4 tsp. every time I water
or use more food if feeding less often. The plant is hanging from my
ceiling by the window. The room is bright with light but it passes
through a thin drape sort of like material for a wedding veil, so
there is a lot of light but not direct burning light from the sun. I
keep the house during the winter at 70 degrees centigrate during the
winter and it is currently at that temperature but will rise soon
because of the summer to 80 + I do have a basement that stays cooler
if I need to bring it down there at night. I have never moved the
plant to cooler temperatures in the evening and then back to warmer
temperatures at night. This orchid is supposed to be easy to care
for. How can I get this plant to bloom? Please help in simple and
easy to understand step by step instructions. I am not a green thumb
but I want this beautiful thing to bloom again so I am willing to do
some work. Thanks for your help.

Please Help Me With My Orchid, Thanks!
 

What triggers most phalaenopsis to form new flower stems is a sharp
day/night differential. Here, this happens in the fall; we usually see our
first tiny little spike-nubbins around Halloween. Our shadehouse is
open-air most of the year, closed only on really cold nights when we need to
run the heaters.

If you are keeping the plant at a constant temperature, it is not getting
its "cue" and doesn't know that it's flowering season has arrived. If the
temperature in your basement is 12-15 degrees F cooler than the house,
taking it down there every night for a couple-three weeks is likely to
induce new spikes. Once the spike is initiated, it will grow and bloom in
the house, but if the temps are much above 80F, the flower count is likely
to be low. [Sorry, I don't think in degrees C.]

So it might be better to repot the plant now -- it's certainly due, if not
past-due -- and then wait until fall to try to initiate new flower stems.
It may not need a bigger pot, but it would almost certainly appreciate some
fresh potting medium. If it's been growing well for you, other than not
blooming, you could even put it back into the same pot.

If the night-time cooling doesn't induce spikes within 2-3 weeks, you might
try (1) skipping a couple of feedings; (2) substituting a low-nitrogen, high
phosphorus, high potassium formula fertilizer for a couple of feedings; or
(3) adding extra magnesium [Epsom Salts will do, chelated magnesium is
better].

Good growing,
--
Kenni Judd
Juno Beach Orchids

http://www.jborchids.com
wrote in message
...
I have a Phalaenopsis orchid. I got it as a gift a couple years ago.
It had flowers when I got it. Once the flowers were gone, they have
not come back again. The leaves are still large and full and green
and solid but no sign of any growth anywhere else. It is in the same
pot it came in (probably not the ideal pot for growing but something
cheap the store used, I can see all the roots inside the pot). I was
watering it once a week with luke warm water. I have Schultz 19-31-17
plant food and it's directions are to use 1/4 tsp. every time I water
or use more food if feeding less often. The plant is hanging from my
ceiling by the window. The room is bright with light but it passes
through a thin drape sort of like material for a wedding veil, so
there is a lot of light but not direct burning light from the sun. I
keep the house during the winter at 70 degrees centigrate during the
winter and it is currently at that temperature but will rise soon
because of the summer to 80 + I do have a basement that stays cooler
if I need to bring it down there at night. I have never moved the
plant to cooler temperatures in the evening and then back to warmer
temperatures at night. This orchid is supposed to be easy to care
for. How can I get this plant to bloom? Please help in simple and
easy to understand step by step instructions. I am not a green thumb
but I want this beautiful thing to bloom again so I am willing to do
some work. Thanks for your help.

Please Help Me With My Orchid, Thanks!
 

Thanks for your help! I will try that.


On Wed, 21 May 2003 16:38:41 -0400, "Kenni Judd"
wrote:

What triggers most phalaenopsis to form new flower stems is a sharp
day/night differential. Here, this happens in the fall; we usually see our
first tiny little spike-nubbins around Halloween. Our shadehouse is
open-air most of the year, closed only on really cold nights when we need to
run the heaters.

If you are keeping the plant at a constant temperature, it is not getting
its "cue" and doesn't know that it's flowering season has arrived. If the
temperature in your basement is 12-15 degrees F cooler than the house,
taking it down there every night for a couple-three weeks is likely to
induce new spikes. Once the spike is initiated, it will grow and bloom in
the house, but if the temps are much above 80F, the flower count is likely
to be low. [Sorry, I don't think in degrees C.]

So it might be better to repot the plant now -- it's certainly due, if not
past-due -- and then wait until fall to try to initiate new flower stems.
It may not need a bigger pot, but it would almost certainly appreciate some
fresh potting medium. If it's been growing well for you, other than not
blooming, you could even put it back into the same pot.

If the night-time cooling doesn't induce spikes within 2-3 weeks, you might
try (1) skipping a couple of feedings; (2) substituting a low-nitrogen, high
phosphorus, high potassium formula fertilizer for a couple of feedings; or
(3) adding extra magnesium [Epsom Salts will do, chelated magnesium is
better].

Good growing,