speaking of bud blast

[Cinderella]

Since many of my orchids have made the decision not to bloom this Summer, just to spite me, I am hoping for Fall/Winter blooms. Someone raised the issue of bud blast and I have read several explanations for why this can happen. Underwatering, overwatering, low humidity or even several cloudy days in a row. It is very, very cloudy here in the winter.

Anybody know the best ways to avoid bud blast or is this a rhetorical question?

[Aerides]

I think one of the main ways is not to make any sudden environmental changes while a plant is budding. Don't move it. Protect from draughts. Just my two cents.

Sometimes it just happens. I had a Cycnodes Rocky Clough a couple of years ago that developed the prettiest long spike. Then the buds started to develop and when they reached a certain size, they blasted. I was frantic (but I'm the excitable type). I'd heard about the dangers of high humidity at night, so I reduced the humidity by about 10% at night (from 70% to 60%). The rest developed just fine. Coincidence?

John

[Dana]

Well Cin, you could add extra grow ligh...unfortunally i can't tell you much about this but maybe some1 else can help clarify this.

I haven't bought any grow lamps yet...but i really should since we have very little light here in the winter.

The other 3 things you you have to watch is:
* cold drafts ( a sudden change in temperature can cause bud drop)
* ripening fruits (ethylene gas can cause buds or flowers to drop)
* smoke and smog

I'm by no means an expert...bud i hope this helps you a little

[Persistence]

Dana has a good point with her top three. it also can depend on air movement and also the type of plant. the species Acinita must be kept wet during bud formation otherwise they will blast.

[Cinderella]

John it is interesting that you say high humidity because once when it happened to me we were using a humidifier at night (I have allergies). Just out of curiosity, why did you have high humidity at night?

[Aerides]

Hi, Cinderella.

I grow under HID lights, and when I was just getting started, I was reading about what other people were doing in their grow rooms to introduce humidity. Many had foggers set on humiditstats and suggested setting it on 70 and forgetting about it (with plenty of air movement). So I started with that.

It was a mistaken conception, especially since I artificially cool down the room to 60 degrees at night (65 degrees during summer), using a/c. Even with good air movement that makes for cool wet conditions!

So I still keep humidity at 70% when the lights are on, and drop to 60% at night. That seems to work.