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#1
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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 |
#2
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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 |
#3
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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 --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.688 / Virus Database: 449 - Release Date: 18.05.04 |
#4
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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 |
#5
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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 |
#6
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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 |
#7
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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 |
#8
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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 |
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