I understand that there are a myriad of different cultural considerations
that leave a broad question like this pretty much redundant, but if you
please, let me posit it anyway.

Take a plant, in spike and laden with flower buds. Will such a plant want
more water than an equivalent plant not in spike (leaving seasonal and
weather conditions aside). Or perhaps put more simply, does the act of
throwing up a spike make a plant thirstier than it normally would be?

Thanks kindly for thoughts,

sneff

On Sat, 24 May 2003 01:27:52 GMT, "sneff"
wrote:

I understand that there are a myriad of different cultural considerations
that leave a broad question like this pretty much redundant, but if you
please, let me posit it anyway.

Take a plant, in spike and laden with flower buds. Will such a plant want
more water than an equivalent plant not in spike (leaving seasonal and
weather conditions aside). Or perhaps put more simply, does the act of
throwing up a spike make a plant thirstier than it normally would be?

Thanks kindly for thoughts,

sneff

The act of opening the flowers takes a certain "hydrostatic
pressure" is how I have heard it described. So my answer would
be yes. But that is only because I have seen flowers fail to
fully open when "dry".


SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php

Of course the plant will consume and lose more water when blooming: more
surface area equals more loss, over and above the hydrostatic pressure thing
Sue mentioned. That's more of a relocation of water, not a loss, although
the water will need to be replaced eventually.

However, remembering that orchids do have some sort of water-storage
mechanism, that need is not urgent.

Maybe I'm wrong, but it appears to me that sometimes, some blooming orchids
just refuse to take up water through their roots! As an example, I have an
Encyclia randii in full bloom in my kitchen, and despite watering, the bulbs
are shrunken and wrinkled. Could this be something akin to not wanting to
absorb minerals that will change some aspect of the blossom????

--

Ray Barkalow First Rays Orchids
http://www.firstrays.com
Secure Online Ordering & Lots of Free Info!


"sneff" wrote in message
...
I understand that there are a myriad of different cultural considerations
that leave a broad question like this pretty much redundant, but if you
please, let me posit it anyway.

Take a plant, in spike and laden with flower buds. Will such a plant want
more water than an equivalent plant not in spike (leaving seasonal and
weather conditions aside). Or perhaps put more simply, does the act of
throwing up a spike make a plant thirstier than it normally would be?

Thanks kindly for thoughts,

sneff