How to get these orchids to bloom?
 

Hi,
I have a blc/pot cross which I got as a seedling, which has finally
reached blooming size. The last 2 shoots to mature, had something in
the centre that looked like it was going to develop into a spike, but
before it got to be more than a little knob, it stopped growing &
turned brown at the tip. They looked dried out but I did not change
the watering, and had read somewhere that you should actually cut back
on watering when the shoot matures, & move it to a cooler place -- but
if it's drying out with normal watering that doesn't sound like a good
idea. It lives on a south windowsill with a sheer curtain.
Also I have a beallara which was supposed to be blooming size
according to the vendor, but didn't bloom on the last shoot. It's now
growing another.
And, for that matter, I just remembered the ascocentrum which bloomed
2 years ago & has not done so again. Nothing has changed in its
growing conditions. Same place, same watering habits.
I do have orchid fertilizer which is supposed to encourage blooming.
Is there something more I should be doing with these, to coax them to
bloom?
Suggestions appreciated; thanks :)

Alison

How to get these orchids to bloom?
 

"Alison" wrote in message
om...
Hi,
I have a blc/pot cross which I got as a seedling, which has finally
reached blooming size.

Maybe not. Some of these have to get rather big in order to come to
blooming size. Do you know the cross?

The last 2 shoots to mature, had something in
the centre that looked like it was going to develop into a spike, but
before it got to be more than a little knob, it stopped growing &
turned brown at the tip. They looked dried out but I did not change
the watering, and had read somewhere that you should actually cut back
on watering when the shoot matures, & move it to a cooler place -- but
if it's drying out with normal watering that doesn't sound like a good
idea. It lives on a south windowsill with a sheer curtain.

Could also be just an immature p/bulb trying to get to blooming size and
aborting the sheath because its not mature enough. Or a draft, or
fluctuating temps/ambient humidity with weather variation. Hard to say.
And hard to control on a windowsill.

The idea behind a cooler place WITH A POTINARA is to take advantage of the
deeper color the sophronitis gives to the flower. I wouldn't necessartily
do so with all flowers.

Also I have a beallara which was supposed to be blooming size
according to the vendor, but didn't bloom on the last shoot. It's now
growing another.
And, for that matter, I just remembered the ascocentrum which bloomed
2 years ago & has not done so again. Nothing has changed in its
growing conditions. Same place, same watering habits.
I do have orchid fertilizer which is supposed to encourage blooming.
Is there something more I should be doing with these, to coax them to
bloom?
Suggestions appreciated; thanks :)

How about being sure they are getting at least a 10 F diurnal fluctuation in
temps?

K Barrett

How to get these orchids to bloom?
 

Also, maybe if you tell us what you *do* get to bloom alongside these, we
could tell what your conditions are like.
--
Reka

This is LIFE! It's not a rehearsal. Don't miss it!
http://www.rolbox.it/hukari/index.html

"K Barrett" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:Inuqc.21168$gr.1719296@attbi_s52...
"Alison" wrote in message
om...
Hi,
I have a blc/pot cross which I got as a seedling, which has finally
reached blooming size.

Maybe not. Some of these have to get rather big in order to come to
blooming size. Do you know the cross?

The last 2 shoots to mature, had something in
the centre that looked like it was going to develop into a spike, but
before it got to be more than a little knob, it stopped growing &
turned brown at the tip. They looked dried out but I did not change
the watering, and had read somewhere that you should actually cut back
on watering when the shoot matures, & move it to a cooler place -- but
if it's drying out with normal watering that doesn't sound like a good
idea. It lives on a south windowsill with a sheer curtain.

Could also be just an immature p/bulb trying to get to blooming size and
aborting the sheath because its not mature enough. Or a draft, or
fluctuating temps/ambient humidity with weather variation. Hard to say.
And hard to control on a windowsill.

The idea behind a cooler place WITH A POTINARA is to take advantage of the
deeper color the sophronitis gives to the flower. I wouldn't necessartily
do so with all flowers.

Also I have a beallara which was supposed to be blooming size
according to the vendor, but didn't bloom on the last shoot. It's now
growing another.
And, for that matter, I just remembered the ascocentrum which bloomed
2 years ago & has not done so again. Nothing has changed in its
growing conditions. Same place, same watering habits.
I do have orchid fertilizer which is supposed to encourage blooming.
Is there something more I should be doing with these, to coax them to
bloom?
Suggestions appreciated; thanks :)

How about being sure they are getting at least a 10 F diurnal fluctuation
in
temps?

K Barrett




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How to get these orchids to bloom?
 

"K Barrett" wrote
Do you know the cross?

It's a Pot. Hisako Akatsuka "Volcano Queen" x Blc. Jeremy Island
"Carmela".


Could also be just an immature p/bulb trying to get to blooming size and
aborting the sheath because its not mature enough.

Do you mean, it could start to make a flower spike & then quit? I
have no experience with this variety & am a beginner anyway, so I'm
not too clear how blooming "works" with them.

Alison

How to get these orchids to bloom?
 

"Reka" wrote in message ...
Also, maybe if you tell us what you *do* get to bloom alongside these, we
could tell what your conditions are like.
--
Reka

I have a miniature phalaenopsis which is quite happy beside them.
It's a south window with sheer curtain; day temps 70-85F, night 60-70.

Alison

How to get these orchids to bloom?
 

"Alison" wrote in message
om...
"K Barrett" wrote
Do you know the cross?

It's a Pot. Hisako Akatsuka "Volcano Queen" x Blc. Jeremy Island
"Carmela".


Could also be just an immature p/bulb trying to get to blooming size and
aborting the sheath because its not mature enough.

Do you mean, it could start to make a flower spike & then quit? I
have no experience with this variety & am a beginner anyway, so I'm
not too clear how blooming "works" with them.

Alison

Hey! I have something similar! Mine's Pot. Hisako Akatsuka "Volcano Queen" x
Blc. Wendy's Valentine from Carmela. If I undrestand the notes I put on the
tag I last repotted it in 9/03 and I probably had it 2 yrs before that, so
mine's probably 4-5 yrs old. Mine finally bloomed for me last year, a small
red flower.

Yes, it could start to make a flower spike & then quit. Catts will do that
when they approach flowering size, so next season could be the trick! Or
maybe later this season, since I can't recall whether mine bloomed in fall
or spring.

Nevertheless, your pollen parent Jeremy Island is a much larger plant than
mine's Wendy's Valentine. I'd expect yours to need to get to a decent
pseudobulb size (6-8 inches tall, maybe?) before flowering.

IIRC your culture conditions sounded OK, like it should bloom for you under
your conditions... but I can't recall exactly. As with anything else, opt
to push it into slightly brighter light or light thats available for more
hours in a day (Which I think you had)

Keep the faith

K Barrett

How to get these orchids to bloom?
 

"K Barrett" wrote in message news:1t2uc.18652$Ly.13240@attbi_s01...
"Alison" wrote in message
om...
"K Barrett" wrote
Do you know the cross?

It's a Pot. Hisako Akatsuka "Volcano Queen" x Blc. Jeremy Island
"Carmela".


Could also be just an immature p/bulb trying to get to blooming size and
aborting the sheath because its not mature enough.

Do you mean, it could start to make a flower spike & then quit? I
have no experience with this variety & am a beginner anyway, so I'm
not too clear how blooming "works" with them.

Alison

Hey! I have something similar! Mine's Pot. Hisako Akatsuka "Volcano Queen" x
Blc. Wendy's Valentine from Carmela. If I undrestand the notes I put on the
tag I last repotted it in 9/03 and I probably had it 2 yrs before that, so
mine's probably 4-5 yrs old. Mine finally bloomed for me last year, a small
red flower.

Yes, it could start to make a flower spike & then quit. Catts will do that
when they approach flowering size, so next season could be the trick! Or
maybe later this season, since I can't recall whether mine bloomed in fall
or spring.

Nevertheless, your pollen parent Jeremy Island is a much larger plant than
mine's Wendy's Valentine. I'd expect yours to need to get to a decent
pseudobulb size (6-8 inches tall, maybe?) before flowering.

IIRC your culture conditions sounded OK, like it should bloom for you under
your conditions... but I can't recall exactly. As with anything else, opt
to push it into slightly brighter light or light thats available for more
hours in a day (Which I think you had)

Keep the faith

K Barrett

Our plants are cousins :) I think mine must be at least 6; I've had
it 4 years & it was a decent seedling size when I got it. The last
shoot is at least 8" tall, & that was one of the ones that fizzled.
It's got 2 more coming. Don't suppose you recall, if you did anything
in particular with yours before it bloomed, like more or less water?
The only thing I could do light wise is to move it onto the really hot
unshaded south kitchen windowsill, from the bedroom south windowsill
with the sheer curtain. It's pretty hot & bright there too.
Thanks for the tips. It's nice to know they abort spikes normally;
maybe it wasn't my fault :)

Alison

How to get these orchids to bloom?
 

"Alison" wrote in message
om...
"K Barrett" wrote in message
news:1t2uc.18652$Ly.13240@attbi_s01...
"Alison" wrote in message
om...
"K Barrett" wrote
Do you know the cross?

It's a Pot. Hisako Akatsuka "Volcano Queen" x Blc. Jeremy Island
"Carmela".


Could also be just an immature p/bulb trying to get to blooming size
and
aborting the sheath because its not mature enough.

Do you mean, it could start to make a flower spike & then quit? I
have no experience with this variety & am a beginner anyway, so I'm
not too clear how blooming "works" with them.

Alison

Hey! I have something similar! Mine's Pot. Hisako Akatsuka "Volcano
Queen" x
Blc. Wendy's Valentine from Carmela. If I undrestand the notes I put on
the
tag I last repotted it in 9/03 and I probably had it 2 yrs before that,
so
mine's probably 4-5 yrs old. Mine finally bloomed for me last year, a
small
red flower.

Yes, it could start to make a flower spike & then quit. Catts will do
that
when they approach flowering size, so next season could be the trick!
Or
maybe later this season, since I can't recall whether mine bloomed in
fall
or spring.

Nevertheless, your pollen parent Jeremy Island is a much larger plant
than
mine's Wendy's Valentine. I'd expect yours to need to get to a decent
pseudobulb size (6-8 inches tall, maybe?) before flowering.

IIRC your culture conditions sounded OK, like it should bloom for you
under
your conditions... but I can't recall exactly. As with anything else,
opt
to push it into slightly brighter light or light thats available for
more
hours in a day (Which I think you had)

Keep the faith

K Barrett

Our plants are cousins :) I think mine must be at least 6; I've had
it 4 years & it was a decent seedling size when I got it. The last
shoot is at least 8" tall, & that was one of the ones that fizzled.
It's got 2 more coming. Don't suppose you recall, if you did anything
in particular with yours before it bloomed, like more or less water?
The only thing I could do light wise is to move it onto the really hot
unshaded south kitchen windowsill, from the bedroom south windowsill
with the sheer curtain. It's pretty hot & bright there too.
Thanks for the tips. It's nice to know they abort spikes normally;
maybe it wasn't my fault :)

Alison

Yeah, I didn't think your trouble was light. I didn't do anything different
with mine, either. Just treated it like any catt. Day/night temp
differential, feed occasionally, there it is. See what happens.

K