Can orchids be too happy to spike?

[sand_tiger86]

Thanks for the help people! Yeah, this time of year the temperature difference goes from 102 in the day, to 85 at night. Despite being a nearly 20 degree difference, I think my plants still just register is as "hot as hell". It won't be warm in the day and genuinely cool at night until about October. Growing 'chids in Texas is really hard work.
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[phalspital]

We all have our weather challenges. For me, it's pelting rain every afternoon, 90 day/79 night. I have several oncidiums in bloom, one now has 8 spikes and my Gower Ramsay is in full bloom. Across-the-street neighbor has GR oncs girdling her palms, and they are a yellow cloud of flowers! My phal Dalmatian (white with burgundy spots) is blooming again, but all my other phals are busy making keikis. So sometimes orchids just go against all the rules...

[TwoStems]

I have the same problem with my phals. Maybe it's time to neglect them a little! Best of luck getting yours to spike!! I'm going on about 3 years with no spikes but tons of roots and leaves.

[King Kjeldz]

If your plants don't flower, give them more sunlight. Even if you think it's enough, if you don't see the light green leaves and red freckles here and there, you will not get blooms. When I first joined someone told me pretty orchids don't bloom. I have to agree. Due to construction I placed my shelves much closer to the edge of the shade/sun boundry this year and i'm getting tons of new growth, roots, sheaths and buds. It's where my "bloom or burn" thing came from. I go to a local nursery that grows dendrobiums in full sun. they turn red and burn, then bloom the hugest spikes ever. When everyone keeps saying more sun, it's usually right....and it's totally true what I was told: Pretty orchids don't bloom.

hhhaahhahah ur evil.....slighty red and nice spots are attractive but i cant bring myself to let a leaf burn.....i know how sunburn feels....just enuff light before it burns...have to find that balance...once humidity and airflow is present this should be easier

[tucker85]

Commercial growers wouldn't need to describe some orchids as 'reliable bloomers' if it weren't for the fact that some orchids are not reliable bloomers.

I feel that the most important information is what time of year the orchid normally blooms. During the spring and summer, most orchids are taking advantage of the longer days to put on new growth and store energy for the blooming season. I always keep a notebook listing when each of my orchids bloom.

If you want to induce blooming by stressing the plant, you will have better results if you do it at the time of year that the plant normally blooms. The traditional time to stress cattleyas for blooming, is October. Many cattleyas bloom in the fall and early winter so people either use a bloom booster or stop fertilizing and decrease watering to encourage blooming. Other cattleyas are spring bloomers and just a few in the summer.

Commercial growers breed plants specifically to bloom during the fall through early spring 'orchid show season'. They want plants to be in bloom for the shows so they can sell more of them. Early on I bought most of my orchids at the Fort Lauderdale Orchid show every Jan/Feb, so naturally I wound up with about 50 orchids that all bloomed in Jan/Feb. I try to be more careful now and buy orchids that bloom at other times.

[Teena]

I say go with the neglect, it's what I do. Any plant that survives my care is a winner and now that you've reminded me it must be at least a month since I've fed them so without further ado ... by the way I've got 6 in bloom and 4 in spike.

martha

[panam]

That's it, Kelly - - you're just too darned nice!! But then, we all knew that.

[nagurski]

Thanks for the help people! Yeah, this time of year the temperature difference goes from 102 in the day, to 85 at night. Despite being a nearly 20 degree difference, I think my plants still just register is as "hot as hell". It won't be warm in the day and genuinely cool at night until about October. Growing 'chids in Texas is really hard work.
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This is very interesting...having lived in the Northeast my whole life, it's like a whole set of other challenges I never would have thought of. I think there are some other good ideas here, though...stressing and forgoing the fertilizer seem to be a common theme.

Well, good luck!

[sand_tiger86]

That's it, Kelly - - you're just too darned nice!! But then, we all knew that.

I know, right? I guess we all have our faults...I wish I could be a little more misanthropic honestly. :P

[phalspital]

I buy at the early January shows in Florida...they bloom into April, then rebloom at the weirdest times...like my Dalmatian that is blooming now! It's the only phal presently blooming. Go figure.