I will try increasing the amount of light the plant is getting.

Can you explain what an MH light is? Can I just put the plant under a
room lamp and have the lamp's light shine down on it all day?

What watt bulb would I use? 40W, 60W? How long should I leave the
plant under this light every day? How far away should the lamp be from
the plant? Or is using a room lamp a bad idea?

Mike

On Thu, 28 Oct 2004 00:02:55 GMT, dd
wrote:

Mike,

I'm no expert at phals, but I have failed a lot--A LOT-- with getting
them to live and to flower, so please learn from my mistakes. First,
your fertilizer is dead wrong. Ditch the 10-60-10. The "60" is a big No
No. In nature, these guys only get a squirt of nutrients when a bird
flies overhead and has a bladder probem, or some rain forest stuff is
mildly decomposing... Go for a more balanced fertilzer, and use it at a
diluted strength--1/4 to 1/2 tsp per gallon.

Second, rapid root growth might be a "trying to survive" signal. Mist
the aerial roots daily. Many of my phals that were growing aerial roots
in response to semi-hydroponic media are now spiking--rampant root
growth and spikes. So, humor the aerial roots, mist them with mildly
fertilized water, and if you have sufficient light, spikes will not be
far behind.

Your night temperatures are too cool. You are courting messophyl cell
collapse, I'd guess. Boost your night temps to 60 degrees F, and have
your day temps be at about 75-80 degrees F.

A wise old orchid dude once told me that if you can't get the sucker to
flower, move it to a different location in your growing area. In your
case, this might mean an area with more light or under light, such as
MH lights.

Regarding bugs: Use the small cannons first: a weekly water spray and
wipes with cotton balls drenched in rubbing alchohol can go a long
way.. If that doesn't work, blast them with chemicals, being careful
not to poison yourself, your family, or your beloved pets.

Good luck.


In article , Mike
wrote:

Orchid friends,

My Phalaenopsis is growing two new roots and no spike yet! The plant
is extremely healthy and happy. It has 8 healthy leaves at the moment.
I am fertilizing it with 10-60-10 (Schultz Bloom Plus) to push it into
spike. I am even giving it the cold treatment at night for a few
hours. Day temps are about 22C/71F and night temps are about 8C/46F.
But there is no sign of a spike yet! I live in Southwestern Ontario,
so the plant should be producing a spike right about this time.

The roots are pointy and about 0.5 cm in length. The tips are reddish.
I'm assuming they are roots since they are growing down.

I also see tiny white and black bugs walking around. Which
insecticides are safe to use with an orchid?

What am I doing wrong?

Mike

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Hi Mike:

Welcome to the group; there are some pretty smart people in here -
you've come to the right place for advice. A phal. is a perfect start
for you. Read up on them and the rest is just lots of patience, don't
hurry them.
Things to remember, don't treat them like a regular house plant,
you know keeping them moist and in dirt. Orchids like sphagnum moss and
to be almost completely dry when you water them (for phals. anyway).
Don't let the water stand in the drip tray, dump it out. Remember let
it go almost dry. Some people say, "Well I water it once a week and
tend to forget about it sometimes." AWWWK! If a person waters a plant
when it's dry that could be any number of days not once a week. If it's
hot weather your plant might dry out in two days. As for light for a
beginner you can do like I have and get a grow light for plants. The
bulb specifically says that. Mines in a hood and I can find new bulbs
at hardware stores. Now I'm gonna go check on a 'mealie' posting in
here cause I hate mealie bugs!!!!! Had a hoya once and they took over
and killed it in just a matter of days.
Good luck and and remember read up on phals. and don't loose your tag if
it has one..........Burr
Only one orchid? You poor man little do you know - they're
so addictive - I have 6.

MH light is a metal halide bulb. I have a 400-watt bulb in a housing.
These cost several hundred dollars, so you might want to wait to get
one of these until you have more plants. (You will.) Flourescent grow
lights are cheaper and will work for phals. A regular light bulb is NOT
the same thing and won't give your plant the intensity of light or the
spectrum that it needs. All plants need a period of darkness, so limit
any artificial light to no more than 14 hours a day. Your best bet at
this time of year is probably to put the plant in front of a
south-facing window and supplement that light with a spot grow light.
Make sure that your plant is not too getting too warm during the day
when the sun shines through the glass (you don't want to cook the
leaves) nor too close to the window at night, when the leaves could get
too cold.




In article , Mike
wrote:

I will try increasing the amount of light the plant is getting.

Can you explain what an MH light is? Can I just put the plant under a
room lamp and have the lamp's light shine down on it all day?

What watt bulb would I use? 40W, 60W? How long should I leave the
plant under this light every day? How far away should the lamp be from
the plant? Or is using a room lamp a bad idea?

Mike

On Thu, 28 Oct 2004 00:02:55 GMT, dd
wrote:

Mike,

I'm no expert at phals, but I have failed a lot--A LOT-- with getting
them to live and to flower, so please learn from my mistakes. First,
your fertilizer is dead wrong. Ditch the 10-60-10. The "60" is a big No
No. In nature, these guys only get a squirt of nutrients when a bird
flies overhead and has a bladder probem, or some rain forest stuff is
mildly decomposing... Go for a more balanced fertilzer, and use it at a
diluted strength--1/4 to 1/2 tsp per gallon.

Second, rapid root growth might be a "trying to survive" signal. Mist
the aerial roots daily. Many of my phals that were growing aerial roots
in response to semi-hydroponic media are now spiking--rampant root
growth and spikes. So, humor the aerial roots, mist them with mildly
fertilized water, and if you have sufficient light, spikes will not be
far behind.

Your night temperatures are too cool. You are courting messophyl cell
collapse, I'd guess. Boost your night temps to 60 degrees F, and have
your day temps be at about 75-80 degrees F.

A wise old orchid dude once told me that if you can't get the sucker to
flower, move it to a different location in your growing area. In your
case, this might mean an area with more light or under light, such as
MH lights.

Regarding bugs: Use the small cannons first: a weekly water spray and
wipes with cotton balls drenched in rubbing alchohol can go a long
way.. If that doesn't work, blast them with chemicals, being careful
not to poison yourself, your family, or your beloved pets.

Good luck.


In article , Mike
wrote:

Orchid friends,

My Phalaenopsis is growing two new roots and no spike yet! The plant
is extremely healthy and happy. It has 8 healthy leaves at the moment.
I am fertilizing it with 10-60-10 (Schultz Bloom Plus) to push it into
spike. I am even giving it the cold treatment at night for a few
hours. Day temps are about 22C/71F and night temps are about 8C/46F.
But there is no sign of a spike yet! I live in Southwestern Ontario,
so the plant should be producing a spike right about this time.

The roots are pointy and about 0.5 cm in length. The tips are reddish.
I'm assuming they are roots since they are growing down.

I also see tiny white and black bugs walking around. Which
insecticides are safe to use with an orchid?

What am I doing wrong?

Mike

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"dd" wrote in message
...
snip
Your best bet at
this time of year is probably to put the plant in front of a
south-facing window and supplement that light with a spot grow light.
Make sure that your plant is not too getting too warm during the day
when the sun shines through the glass (you don't want to cook the
leaves) nor too close to the window at night, when the leaves could get
too cold.

dd,
Is Mike (or are you?) in the Southern Hemisphere? If not, then putting a
Phalaenopsis in a Southern window will be too much (unless there is a sheer
curtain there or the plant is far enough away from the window), and adding a
spot grow light beyond that would be overkill. It's a Phal not a cattleya,
and so if it's in a window it won't need artificial light unless it's a
Northern window ... unless of course you are in the Southern hemisphere, and
your Southern window is like my Northern window, and in that case your
advice is exactly what I am doing in the other hemisphere. But before Mike
invests in grow spotlights, I would like to make sure that he does not have
an Eastern or a Western window, in which case sunlight should be enough
without grow lights ... until he has so many orchids that he can't crowd
them all in front of the windows.
Joanna

In article , Mike
wrote:

I will try increasing the amount of light the plant is getting.

Can you explain what an MH light is? Can I just put the plant under a
room lamp and have the lamp's light shine down on it all day?

What watt bulb would I use? 40W, 60W? How long should I leave the
plant under this light every day? How far away should the lamp be from
the plant? Or is using a room lamp a bad idea?

Mike

On Thu, 28 Oct 2004 00:02:55 GMT, dd
wrote:

Mike,

I'm no expert at phals, but I have failed a lot--A LOT-- with getting
them to live and to flower, so please learn from my mistakes. First,
your fertilizer is dead wrong. Ditch the 10-60-10. The "60" is a big No
No. In nature, these guys only get a squirt of nutrients when a bird
flies overhead and has a bladder probem, or some rain forest stuff is
mildly decomposing... Go for a more balanced fertilzer, and use it at a
diluted strength--1/4 to 1/2 tsp per gallon.

Second, rapid root growth might be a "trying to survive" signal. Mist
the aerial roots daily. Many of my phals that were growing aerial roots
in response to semi-hydroponic media are now spiking--rampant root
growth and spikes. So, humor the aerial roots, mist them with mildly
fertilized water, and if you have sufficient light, spikes will not be
far behind.

Your night temperatures are too cool. You are courting messophyl cell
collapse, I'd guess. Boost your night temps to 60 degrees F, and have
your day temps be at about 75-80 degrees F.

A wise old orchid dude once told me that if you can't get the sucker to
flower, move it to a different location in your growing area. In your
case, this might mean an area with more light or under light, such as
MH lights.

Regarding bugs: Use the small cannons first: a weekly water spray and
wipes with cotton balls drenched in rubbing alchohol can go a long
way.. If that doesn't work, blast them with chemicals, being careful
not to poison yourself, your family, or your beloved pets.

Good luck.


In article , Mike
wrote:

Orchid friends,

My Phalaenopsis is growing two new roots and no spike yet! The plant
is extremely healthy and happy. It has 8 healthy leaves at the
moment.
I am fertilizing it with 10-60-10 (Schultz Bloom Plus) to push it
into
spike. I am even giving it the cold treatment at night for a few
hours. Day temps are about 22C/71F and night temps are about 8C/46F.
But there is no sign of a spike yet! I live in Southwestern Ontario,
so the plant should be producing a spike right about this time.

The roots are pointy and about 0.5 cm in length. The tips are
reddish.
I'm assuming they are roots since they are growing down.

I also see tiny white and black bugs walking around. Which
insecticides are safe to use with an orchid?

What am I doing wrong?

Mike

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----------------------------------------------------------
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I live in Southwestern Ontario near Detroit, MI. From what I can tell
(without a compass to be sure) my house gets East and West sunlight.
In the mornings one side of the house gets all the sun, and in the
afternoons the other side gets all the sun. The orchid is on the West
side (the afternoon sun side).

I've checked the day temps and they are around 22C to 26C (depending
on how much sunlight there is that day). In the evenings, I'm placing
the orchid next to an open window for a few hours to cool it down to
12C to 15C to hopefully make it spike. I don't know if the plants are
supposed to get the cold treatment all night or if a few hours is
enough.

Would direct sunlight still be dangerous to the orchid at this time of
the year? The sun is lower and lower in the sky as winter approaches.
So would the sunlight shining directly on the orchid still harm it at
this time, in the winter, and early spring?

Mike

On Sat, 30 Oct 2004 14:36:45 GMT, "J Fortuna"
wrote:


"dd" wrote in message
t...
snip
Your best bet at
this time of year is probably to put the plant in front of a
south-facing window and supplement that light with a spot grow light.
Make sure that your plant is not too getting too warm during the day
when the sun shines through the glass (you don't want to cook the
leaves) nor too close to the window at night, when the leaves could get
too cold.

dd,
Is Mike (or are you?) in the Southern Hemisphere? If not, then putting a
Phalaenopsis in a Southern window will be too much (unless there is a sheer
curtain there or the plant is far enough away from the window), and adding a
spot grow light beyond that would be overkill. It's a Phal not a cattleya,
and so if it's in a window it won't need artificial light unless it's a
Northern window ... unless of course you are in the Southern hemisphere, and
your Southern window is like my Northern window, and in that case your
advice is exactly what I am doing in the other hemisphere. But before Mike
invests in grow spotlights, I would like to make sure that he does not have
an Eastern or a Western window, in which case sunlight should be enough
without grow lights ... until he has so many orchids that he can't crowd
them all in front of the windows.
Joanna

In article , Mike
wrote:

I will try increasing the amount of light the plant is getting.

Can you explain what an MH light is? Can I just put the plant under a
room lamp and have the lamp's light shine down on it all day?

What watt bulb would I use? 40W, 60W? How long should I leave the
plant under this light every day? How far away should the lamp be from
the plant? Or is using a room lamp a bad idea?

Mike

On Thu, 28 Oct 2004 00:02:55 GMT, dd
wrote:

Mike,

I'm no expert at phals, but I have failed a lot--A LOT-- with getting
them to live and to flower, so please learn from my mistakes. First,
your fertilizer is dead wrong. Ditch the 10-60-10. The "60" is a big No
No. In nature, these guys only get a squirt of nutrients when a bird
flies overhead and has a bladder probem, or some rain forest stuff is
mildly decomposing... Go for a more balanced fertilzer, and use it at a
diluted strength--1/4 to 1/2 tsp per gallon.

Second, rapid root growth might be a "trying to survive" signal. Mist
the aerial roots daily. Many of my phals that were growing aerial roots
in response to semi-hydroponic media are now spiking--rampant root
growth and spikes. So, humor the aerial roots, mist them with mildly
fertilized water, and if you have sufficient light, spikes will not be
far behind.

Your night temperatures are too cool. You are courting messophyl cell
collapse, I'd guess. Boost your night temps to 60 degrees F, and have
your day temps be at about 75-80 degrees F.

A wise old orchid dude once told me that if you can't get the sucker to
flower, move it to a different location in your growing area. In your
case, this might mean an area with more light or under light, such as
MH lights.

Regarding bugs: Use the small cannons first: a weekly water spray and
wipes with cotton balls drenched in rubbing alchohol can go a long
way.. If that doesn't work, blast them with chemicals, being careful
not to poison yourself, your family, or your beloved pets.

Good luck.


In article , Mike
wrote:

Orchid friends,

My Phalaenopsis is growing two new roots and no spike yet! The plant
is extremely healthy and happy. It has 8 healthy leaves at the
moment.
I am fertilizing it with 10-60-10 (Schultz Bloom Plus) to push it
into
spike. I am even giving it the cold treatment at night for a few
hours. Day temps are about 22C/71F and night temps are about 8C/46F.
But there is no sign of a spike yet! I live in Southwestern Ontario,
so the plant should be producing a spike right about this time.

The roots are pointy and about 0.5 cm in length. The tips are
reddish.
I'm assuming they are roots since they are growing down.

I also see tiny white and black bugs walking around. Which
insecticides are safe to use with an orchid?

What am I doing wrong?

Mike

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Mike wrote:

Would direct sunlight still be dangerous to the orchid at this time of
the year? The sun is lower and lower in the sky as winter approaches.
So would the sunlight shining directly on the orchid still harm it at
this time, in the winter, and early spring?


Yes, it could be. Practically, it probably wouldn't be unless there
were a drastic change in light levels over a short time. Orchids (most
plants, in fact) adapt to changes in light intensity by changing the
pigment levels in the leaves, like getting a tan. So, the leaves may
turn lighter green, perhaps even red or slightly yellowed, in high
light, and back to deeper green in lower light. Watch the plant, and be
prepared to move it back from the window a few inches if it starts to
get too yellow.

So, if you have a big deciduous tree outside your south window, and
the leaves fall off on a windy day in early november, your plant might
get burnt. While the sun may have been lower in the sky over a period
of time, the leaves were blocking the full intensity of the sun, and
when they are gone so is your plant. Without the tree and the leaves,
the orchid may have adapted to the gradually increasing light levels,
even (perhaps) to tolerating a few hours of direct sunlight.

Anyway, it is the drastic changes that get you. Like when my wife
put several flats of seedlings outside for a few minutes to clean
underneath them. Each and every one burned to a crisp in less than 15
minutes. But I had plants of the same genus living outside at the same
time.

Me, I get sun burned if I look at a picture of the sun, much less
spend any time outdoors...

Rob

--
Rob's Rules: http://www.msu.edu/~halgren
1) There is always room for one more orchid
2) There is always room for two more orchids
2a. See rule 1
3) When one has insufficient credit to purchase
more orchids, obtain more credit
LittlefrogFarm is open - e-mail me for a list )

Hi Mike,
I am a few hours east of you. I have had good luck with Phals in an east
window, set them back a bit from the window so that they do not get a chill
during the cool weather. Mike is in the "banana belt" of Canada, that's why
I said "cool weather" as it never gets cold (wish that was true). I also
have Phals in west windows but moved further back from the window. Our
house temperature drops back at night to about 16c (64f). automatically.
These plants have bloomed year after year. Our house Phals under these
conditions do as well as the ones that we keep in the greenhouse. My Phals
tend to sulk if they get to cool (heating problem in the greenhouse once).
I feed with a balanced fertilizer while the plant is in growth then switch
to one with a high second number (10-60-10 has worked for me in the past) as
the plant begins to spike and through out the blooming period. Once a month
I flush with clear water to remove any salts build up.
This method has worked well for me for years, hopefully some of this will
be of use for you.
All the best
Don

"Mike" wrote in message
...
I live in Southwestern Ontario near Detroit, MI. From what I can tell
(without a compass to be sure) my house gets East and West sunlight.
In the mornings one side of the house gets all the sun, and in the
afternoons the other side gets all the sun. The orchid is on the West
side (the afternoon sun side).

I've checked the day temps and they are around 22C to 26C (depending
on how much sunlight there is that day). In the evenings, I'm placing
the orchid next to an open window for a few hours to cool it down to
12C to 15C to hopefully make it spike. I don't know if the plants are
supposed to get the cold treatment all night or if a few hours is
enough.

Would direct sunlight still be dangerous to the orchid at this time of
the year? The sun is lower and lower in the sky as winter approaches.
So would the sunlight shining directly on the orchid still harm it at
this time, in the winter, and early spring?

Mike

On Sat, 30 Oct 2004 14:36:45 GMT, "J Fortuna"
wrote:


"dd" wrote in message
t...
snip
Your best bet at
this time of year is probably to put the plant in front of a
south-facing window and supplement that light with a spot grow light.
Make sure that your plant is not too getting too warm during the day
when the sun shines through the glass (you don't want to cook the
leaves) nor too close to the window at night, when the leaves could get
too cold.

dd,
Is Mike (or are you?) in the Southern Hemisphere? If not, then putting a
Phalaenopsis in a Southern window will be too much (unless there is a
sheer
curtain there or the plant is far enough away from the window), and
adding a
spot grow light beyond that would be overkill. It's a Phal not a
cattleya,
and so if it's in a window it won't need artificial light unless it's a
Northern window ... unless of course you are in the Southern hemisphere,
and
your Southern window is like my Northern window, and in that case your
advice is exactly what I am doing in the other hemisphere. But before
Mike
invests in grow spotlights, I would like to make sure that he does not
have
an Eastern or a Western window, in which case sunlight should be enough
without grow lights ... until he has so many orchids that he can't crowd
them all in front of the windows.
Joanna

In article , Mike
wrote:

I will try increasing the amount of light the plant is getting.

Can you explain what an MH light is? Can I just put the plant under a
room lamp and have the lamp's light shine down on it all day?

What watt bulb would I use? 40W, 60W? How long should I leave the
plant under this light every day? How far away should the lamp be
from
the plant? Or is using a room lamp a bad idea?

Mike

On Thu, 28 Oct 2004 00:02:55 GMT, dd
wrote:

Mike,

I'm no expert at phals, but I have failed a lot--A LOT-- with
getting
them to live and to flower, so please learn from my mistakes. First,
your fertilizer is dead wrong. Ditch the 10-60-10. The "60" is a big
No
No. In nature, these guys only get a squirt of nutrients when a bird
flies overhead and has a bladder probem, or some rain forest stuff
is
mildly decomposing... Go for a more balanced fertilzer, and use it
at a
diluted strength--1/4 to 1/2 tsp per gallon.

Second, rapid root growth might be a "trying to survive" signal.
Mist
the aerial roots daily. Many of my phals that were growing aerial
roots
in response to semi-hydroponic media are now spiking--rampant root
growth and spikes. So, humor the aerial roots, mist them with mildly
fertilized water, and if you have sufficient light, spikes will not
be
far behind.

Your night temperatures are too cool. You are courting messophyl
cell
collapse, I'd guess. Boost your night temps to 60 degrees F, and
have
your day temps be at about 75-80 degrees F.

A wise old orchid dude once told me that if you can't get the sucker
to
flower, move it to a different location in your growing area. In
your
case, this might mean an area with more light or under light, such
as
MH lights.

Regarding bugs: Use the small cannons first: a weekly water spray
and
wipes with cotton balls drenched in rubbing alchohol can go a long
way.. If that doesn't work, blast them with chemicals, being careful
not to poison yourself, your family, or your beloved pets.

Good luck.


In article , Mike
wrote:

Orchid friends,

My Phalaenopsis is growing two new roots and no spike yet! The
plant
is extremely healthy and happy. It has 8 healthy leaves at the
moment.
I am fertilizing it with 10-60-10 (Schultz Bloom Plus) to push it
into
spike. I am even giving it the cold treatment at night for a few
hours. Day temps are about 22C/71F and night temps are about
8C/46F.
But there is no sign of a spike yet! I live in Southwestern
Ontario,
so the plant should be producing a spike right about this time.

The roots are pointy and about 0.5 cm in length. The tips are
reddish.
I'm assuming they are roots since they are growing down.

I also see tiny white and black bugs walking around. Which
insecticides are safe to use with an orchid?

What am I doing wrong?

Mike

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----------------------------------------------------------
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Hi Mike,
I am a few hours east of you. I have had good luck with Phals in an east
window, set them back a bit from the window so that they do not get a chill
during the cool weather. Mike is in the "banana belt" of Canada, that's why
I said "cool weather" as it never gets cold (wish that was true). I also
have Phals in west windows but moved further back from the window. Our
house temperature drops back at night to about 16c (64f). automatically.
These plants have bloomed year after year. Our house Phals under these
conditions do as well as the ones that we keep in the greenhouse. My Phals
tend to sulk if they get to cool (heating problem in the greenhouse once).
I feed with a balanced fertilizer while the plant is in growth then switch
to one with a high second number (10-60-10 has worked for me in the past) as
the plant begins to spike and through out the blooming period. Once a month
I flush with clear water to remove any salts build up.
This method has worked well for me for years, hopefully some of this will
be of use for you.
All the best
Don

"Mike" wrote in message
...
I live in Southwestern Ontario near Detroit, MI. From what I can tell
(without a compass to be sure) my house gets East and West sunlight.
In the mornings one side of the house gets all the sun, and in the
afternoons the other side gets all the sun. The orchid is on the West
side (the afternoon sun side).

I've checked the day temps and they are around 22C to 26C (depending
on how much sunlight there is that day). In the evenings, I'm placing
the orchid next to an open window for a few hours to cool it down to
12C to 15C to hopefully make it spike. I don't know if the plants are
supposed to get the cold treatment all night or if a few hours is
enough.

Would direct sunlight still be dangerous to the orchid at this time of
the year? The sun is lower and lower in the sky as winter approaches.
So would the sunlight shining directly on the orchid still harm it at
this time, in the winter, and early spring?

Mike

On Sat, 30 Oct 2004 14:36:45 GMT, "J Fortuna"
wrote:


"dd" wrote in message
t...
snip
Your best bet at
this time of year is probably to put the plant in front of a
south-facing window and supplement that light with a spot grow light.
Make sure that your plant is not too getting too warm during the day
when the sun shines through the glass (you don't want to cook the
leaves) nor too close to the window at night, when the leaves could get
too cold.

dd,
Is Mike (or are you?) in the Southern Hemisphere? If not, then putting a
Phalaenopsis in a Southern window will be too much (unless there is a
sheer
curtain there or the plant is far enough away from the window), and
adding a
spot grow light beyond that would be overkill. It's a Phal not a
cattleya,
and so if it's in a window it won't need artificial light unless it's a
Northern window ... unless of course you are in the Southern hemisphere,
and
your Southern window is like my Northern window, and in that case your
advice is exactly what I am doing in the other hemisphere. But before
Mike
invests in grow spotlights, I would like to make sure that he does not
have
an Eastern or a Western window, in which case sunlight should be enough
without grow lights ... until he has so many orchids that he can't crowd
them all in front of the windows.
Joanna

In article , Mike
wrote:

I will try increasing the amount of light the plant is getting.

Can you explain what an MH light is? Can I just put the plant under a
room lamp and have the lamp's light shine down on it all day?

What watt bulb would I use? 40W, 60W? How long should I leave the
plant under this light every day? How far away should the lamp be
from
the plant? Or is using a room lamp a bad idea?

Mike

On Thu, 28 Oct 2004 00:02:55 GMT, dd
wrote:

Mike,

I'm no expert at phals, but I have failed a lot--A LOT-- with
getting
them to live and to flower, so please learn from my mistakes. First,
your fertilizer is dead wrong. Ditch the 10-60-10. The "60" is a big
No
No. In nature, these guys only get a squirt of nutrients when a bird
flies overhead and has a bladder probem, or some rain forest stuff
is
mildly decomposing... Go for a more balanced fertilzer, and use it
at a
diluted strength--1/4 to 1/2 tsp per gallon.

Second, rapid root growth might be a "trying to survive" signal.
Mist
the aerial roots daily. Many of my phals that were growing aerial
roots
in response to semi-hydroponic media are now spiking--rampant root
growth and spikes. So, humor the aerial roots, mist them with mildly
fertilized water, and if you have sufficient light, spikes will not
be
far behind.

Your night temperatures are too cool. You are courting messophyl
cell
collapse, I'd guess. Boost your night temps to 60 degrees F, and
have
your day temps be at about 75-80 degrees F.

A wise old orchid dude once told me that if you can't get the sucker
to
flower, move it to a different location in your growing area. In
your
case, this might mean an area with more light or under light, such
as
MH lights.

Regarding bugs: Use the small cannons first: a weekly water spray
and
wipes with cotton balls drenched in rubbing alchohol can go a long
way.. If that doesn't work, blast them with chemicals, being careful
not to poison yourself, your family, or your beloved pets.

Good luck.


In article , Mike
wrote:

Orchid friends,

My Phalaenopsis is growing two new roots and no spike yet! The
plant
is extremely healthy and happy. It has 8 healthy leaves at the
moment.
I am fertilizing it with 10-60-10 (Schultz Bloom Plus) to push it
into
spike. I am even giving it the cold treatment at night for a few
hours. Day temps are about 22C/71F and night temps are about
8C/46F.
But there is no sign of a spike yet! I live in Southwestern
Ontario,
so the plant should be producing a spike right about this time.

The roots are pointy and about 0.5 cm in length. The tips are
reddish.
I'm assuming they are roots since they are growing down.

I also see tiny white and black bugs walking around. Which
insecticides are safe to use with an orchid?

What am I doing wrong?

Mike

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Hi Mike,
I am a few hours east of you. I have had good luck with Phals in an east
window, set them back a bit from the window so that they do not get a chill
during the cool weather. Mike is in the "banana belt" of Canada, that's why
I said "cool weather" as it never gets cold (wish that was true). I also
have Phals in west windows but moved further back from the window. Our
house temperature drops back at night to about 16c (64f). automatically.
These plants have bloomed year after year. Our house Phals under these
conditions do as well as the ones that we keep in the greenhouse. My Phals
tend to sulk if they get to cool (heating problem in the greenhouse once).
I feed with a balanced fertilizer while the plant is in growth then switch
to one with a high second number (10-60-10 has worked for me in the past) as
the plant begins to spike and through out the blooming period. Once a month
I flush with clear water to remove any salts build up.
This method has worked well for me for years, hopefully some of this will
be of use for you.
All the best
Don

"Mike" wrote in message
...
I live in Southwestern Ontario near Detroit, MI. From what I can tell
(without a compass to be sure) my house gets East and West sunlight.
In the mornings one side of the house gets all the sun, and in the
afternoons the other side gets all the sun. The orchid is on the West
side (the afternoon sun side).

I've checked the day temps and they are around 22C to 26C (depending
on how much sunlight there is that day). In the evenings, I'm placing
the orchid next to an open window for a few hours to cool it down to
12C to 15C to hopefully make it spike. I don't know if the plants are
supposed to get the cold treatment all night or if a few hours is
enough.

Would direct sunlight still be dangerous to the orchid at this time of
the year? The sun is lower and lower in the sky as winter approaches.
So would the sunlight shining directly on the orchid still harm it at
this time, in the winter, and early spring?

Mike

On Sat, 30 Oct 2004 14:36:45 GMT, "J Fortuna"
wrote:


"dd" wrote in message
t...
snip
Your best bet at
this time of year is probably to put the plant in front of a
south-facing window and supplement that light with a spot grow light.
Make sure that your plant is not too getting too warm during the day
when the sun shines through the glass (you don't want to cook the
leaves) nor too close to the window at night, when the leaves could get
too cold.

dd,
Is Mike (or are you?) in the Southern Hemisphere? If not, then putting a
Phalaenopsis in a Southern window will be too much (unless there is a
sheer
curtain there or the plant is far enough away from the window), and
adding a
spot grow light beyond that would be overkill. It's a Phal not a
cattleya,
and so if it's in a window it won't need artificial light unless it's a
Northern window ... unless of course you are in the Southern hemisphere,
and
your Southern window is like my Northern window, and in that case your
advice is exactly what I am doing in the other hemisphere. But before
Mike
invests in grow spotlights, I would like to make sure that he does not
have
an Eastern or a Western window, in which case sunlight should be enough
without grow lights ... until he has so many orchids that he can't crowd
them all in front of the windows.
Joanna

In article , Mike
wrote:

I will try increasing the amount of light the plant is getting.

Can you explain what an MH light is? Can I just put the plant under a
room lamp and have the lamp's light shine down on it all day?

What watt bulb would I use? 40W, 60W? How long should I leave the
plant under this light every day? How far away should the lamp be
from
the plant? Or is using a room lamp a bad idea?

Mike

On Thu, 28 Oct 2004 00:02:55 GMT, dd
wrote:

Mike,

I'm no expert at phals, but I have failed a lot--A LOT-- with
getting
them to live and to flower, so please learn from my mistakes. First,
your fertilizer is dead wrong. Ditch the 10-60-10. The "60" is a big
No
No. In nature, these guys only get a squirt of nutrients when a bird
flies overhead and has a bladder probem, or some rain forest stuff
is
mildly decomposing... Go for a more balanced fertilzer, and use it
at a
diluted strength--1/4 to 1/2 tsp per gallon.

Second, rapid root growth might be a "trying to survive" signal.
Mist
the aerial roots daily. Many of my phals that were growing aerial
roots
in response to semi-hydroponic media are now spiking--rampant root
growth and spikes. So, humor the aerial roots, mist them with mildly
fertilized water, and if you have sufficient light, spikes will not
be
far behind.

Your night temperatures are too cool. You are courting messophyl
cell
collapse, I'd guess. Boost your night temps to 60 degrees F, and
have
your day temps be at about 75-80 degrees F.

A wise old orchid dude once told me that if you can't get the sucker
to
flower, move it to a different location in your growing area. In
your
case, this might mean an area with more light or under light, such
as
MH lights.

Regarding bugs: Use the small cannons first: a weekly water spray
and
wipes with cotton balls drenched in rubbing alchohol can go a long
way.. If that doesn't work, blast them with chemicals, being careful
not to poison yourself, your family, or your beloved pets.

Good luck.


In article , Mike
wrote:

Orchid friends,

My Phalaenopsis is growing two new roots and no spike yet! The
plant
is extremely healthy and happy. It has 8 healthy leaves at the
moment.
I am fertilizing it with 10-60-10 (Schultz Bloom Plus) to push it
into
spike. I am even giving it the cold treatment at night for a few
hours. Day temps are about 22C/71F and night temps are about
8C/46F.
But there is no sign of a spike yet! I live in Southwestern
Ontario,
so the plant should be producing a spike right about this time.

The roots are pointy and about 0.5 cm in length. The tips are
reddish.
I'm assuming they are roots since they are growing down.

I also see tiny white and black bugs walking around. Which
insecticides are safe to use with an orchid?

What am I doing wrong?

Mike

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In article 1GNgd.1327$pY6.431@trnddc04, J Fortuna
wrote:

"dd" wrote in message
...
snip
Your best bet at
this time of year is probably to put the plant in front of a
south-facing window and supplement that light with a spot grow light.
Make sure that your plant is not too getting too warm during the day
when the sun shines through the glass (you don't want to cook the
leaves) nor too close to the window at night, when the leaves could get
too cold.

dd,
Is Mike (or are you?) in the Southern Hemisphere? If not, then putting a
Phalaenopsis in a Southern window will be too much (unless there is a sheer
curtain there or the plant is far enough away from the window), and adding a
spot grow light beyond that would be overkill. It's a Phal not a cattleya,
and so if it's in a window it won't need artificial light unless it's a
Northern window ... unless of course you are in the Southern hemisphere, and
your Southern window is like my Northern window, and in that case your
advice is exactly what I am doing in the other hemisphere. But before Mike
invests in grow spotlights, I would like to make sure that he does not have
an Eastern or a Western window, in which case sunlight should be enough
without grow lights ... until he has so many orchids that he can't crowd
them all in front of the windows.
Joanna


He's in Canada, and I'm in New England. The sun is very weak this time
of year in this latitude, and the temperatures are not hot. On the very
brightest days, I check for leaves that might be too warm, but there
are not many of those days, and usually even on bright days, with my
windows, I don't need any protection via a curtain. (BTW, the catts and
dendrobiums are are closest to the windows--and they do not mind full
sun at all--very cool air coming off of the windows are another
matter.) Overall, the days are very short and most are overcast. Simply
put, it's a dark and dismal time of year for New Englanders, probably
more so for Mike, and using a sheer curtain would cut down on the
available light, such as it is. My concern would be that his plants are
right next to or touching the glass, which could be a bad thing.
Anyway, my plants do not need a curtain at this time of year, and I
doubt that Mike's do either--If I lived in Florida, it would be a very
different matter. From now until the vernal equinox, natural light is
in short supply. After that, it's a different ballgame.

dd and Mike,
Oh oh, yes I guess I was not factoring in the possibility of latitude
difference as I should have. In our latitude (Washington DC area) we still
can get very bright and hot days even at this time of year. I haven't been
that far North in the winter, only time I visited Canada was in the summer.
Feeling sorry for you both now, dreary days aren't fun. Hope your orchids
will provide you some flowers to brighten up your dreary days. One of mine
right now has reflowered with these beautiful orange flowers that look like
sunshine and make me smile. I wish you similar.
Joanna

"dd" wrote in message
...
He's in Canada, and I'm in New England. The sun is very weak this time
of year in this latitude, and the temperatures are not hot. On the very
brightest days, I check for leaves that might be too warm, but there
are not many of those days, and usually even on bright days, with my
windows, I don't need any protection via a curtain. (BTW, the catts and
dendrobiums are are closest to the windows--and they do not mind full
sun at all--very cool air coming off of the windows are another
matter.) Overall, the days are very short and most are overcast. Simply
put, it's a dark and dismal time of year for New Englanders, probably
more so for Mike, and using a sheer curtain would cut down on the
available light, such as it is. My concern would be that his plants are
right next to or touching the glass, which could be a bad thing.
Anyway, my plants do not need a curtain at this time of year, and I
doubt that Mike's do either--If I lived in Florida, it would be a very
different matter. From now until the vernal equinox, natural light is
in short supply. After that, it's a different ballgame.

dd and Mike,
Oh oh, yes I guess I was not factoring in the possibility of latitude
difference as I should have. In our latitude (Washington DC area) we still
can get very bright and hot days even at this time of year. I haven't been
that far North in the winter, only time I visited Canada was in the summer.
Feeling sorry for you both now, dreary days aren't fun. Hope your orchids
will provide you some flowers to brighten up your dreary days. One of mine
right now has reflowered with these beautiful orange flowers that look like
sunshine and make me smile. I wish you similar.
Joanna

"dd" wrote in message
...
He's in Canada, and I'm in New England. The sun is very weak this time
of year in this latitude, and the temperatures are not hot. On the very
brightest days, I check for leaves that might be too warm, but there
are not many of those days, and usually even on bright days, with my
windows, I don't need any protection via a curtain. (BTW, the catts and
dendrobiums are are closest to the windows--and they do not mind full
sun at all--very cool air coming off of the windows are another
matter.) Overall, the days are very short and most are overcast. Simply
put, it's a dark and dismal time of year for New Englanders, probably
more so for Mike, and using a sheer curtain would cut down on the
available light, such as it is. My concern would be that his plants are
right next to or touching the glass, which could be a bad thing.
Anyway, my plants do not need a curtain at this time of year, and I
doubt that Mike's do either--If I lived in Florida, it would be a very
different matter. From now until the vernal equinox, natural light is
in short supply. After that, it's a different ballgame.