Inducing Phal spikes w/grow lights & heat mats

[redphal]

This is the start of my second year growing phalaenopsis, and my first time trying to induce them to spike, rather than buying them in bloom. I have them in semi-hydro, and on seedling heat mats. I grow them under lights, one 5k and one 3k, and didn't take them outside in the summer.

My question is, do I need to change anything to induce spiking? Will the heat mats prevent the phals from feeling cool enough for blooming, or will the general room temperature (am in NJ) be enough? Should I alter the length of time the grow lights are on per day, to mimic the sun? Should I add ice cubes, or turn off the heat mats for a few weeks?

Sorry to bombard with questions, but there are a lot of variables and I don't want to miss out on flowers this winter! Thanks for the help.

[Kmac]

I've not tried using heat mats, so I can't help there. But YES, change lights to mimic the natural day length. Many orchids are triggered to bloom by day length, and/or by the drop from daytime to nightime temps. My phals grow indoors, so they don't get that much temp variance, but the light change seems to do it for them.

Good luck!

[redphal]

I've not tried using heat mats, so I can't help there. But YES, change lights to mimic the natural day length. Many orchids are triggered to bloom by day length, and/or by the drop from daytime to nightime temps. My phals grow indoors, so they don't get that much temp variance, but the light change seems to do it for them.

Good luck!

Huh, interesting. I've heard the reverse, that phals, unlike other orchids, aren't sensitive to light changes. But if it works for you, it's worth a try! After the drop in lighting for a few weeks, do you go back to a longer light time?

[opaline]

Hi RedPhal. With my phals and most other orchids except those that are specifically placed in situ for higher and year round temp are subjected to nov,dec,jan without 3 of the 4 heatmats under the 4 plastic trays filled with bark and moss, they get no fertilizer at all, general feed or bloom feed and get sprayed alternate days only as opposed to a good daily soaking in grow time. All my plants are mounted though from chids to bromeliads and from epiphyllums to nepenthes. I dont use artificial lighting as they all face east with an hour average of a bit of southern east sun. Also i in mid england uk so they automatically get reduction in day light.

[Alice]

I think that the room temperature should be enough for most of the phals. I believe though that there`s a few species which require lower winter temperatures.
Most of my phalaenopsis begin to grow spikes after the the temperature drop(to 66-72) with sufficient light.

[Teena]

I don't do anything special at all. West facing windowsill in the winter, out on the deck in the summer. Winter house temps are set to a low of 52 at night and high of 65 in the daytime, oil heat costs so we all live in a cool environment. Summer they get early morning direct sun and then shade for the rest of the day. They all finished blooming between April and May and are now in full bloom again after their summer vacation outdoors. It seems my phals are ignoring all the rules for blooming or their DNA was set in the southern hemisphere and they are going to start blooming every October no matter what the conditions are.

martha

[redphal]

I've been doing more research on phal spiking, and here's what I've learned:

1. First rule is that the phal has to be healthy enough to spike. Apparently a lot of phals bought are previously forced, which stresses the phal enough that they will skip the next year of spiking. Not to mention the root damage that hard-packed sphag does! So it's actually likely that a first time attempt at respiking will fail, but the second year the phal should be OK, assuming it's been repotted and the roots had TLC.

2. Light management is mostly used by commercial growers for said forcing, and as long as artificial light isn't hugely different from day length, no change is required for the home grower.

3. Normal room conditions of temperature and humidity in temperate climates are also sufficient to signal the season change. It's only phals in tropical areas or greenhouses where the grower has to actively cool the phal.

So, in summary: A healthy phal that isn't stressed, and is in a temperate climate with either sun or grow lights, will pretty much spike on its own. If you're in a warmer climate, you might need to put the phal somewhere cooler for a few weeks, but otherwise that should do it.

[redphal]

Just wanted to update this with the news that I'm now getting a *ton* of spikes on my phals. I'm very pleased and it looks like almost every single one of the plants is going to bloom! Every week I see more popping out. I didn't make any changes to light or temp apart from the average house temp.

[bechinolina]

you have to drop temperature around 15-16°c at night for 3-4 weeks. this will induce spiking for most hybrids.
spikes that are raised under cooler temps and less light will produces bigger flowers but of course need more time.

about species it's a bit different as some phal can spike all year round, some need a "dry" period, lower temp, less light...

[redphal]

That ties into what I said in #3 above. House temps now that the weather is cooler are a low of 60-62F at night. Again, in temperate regions like the Northeast US, that will happen naturally.

However, I do have all my phals on heat mats, so I wasn't sure how that would factor in. Clearly it hasn't interfered!

BTW, all of my phals are hybrids. They are all sorts, but the ones that have spiked over the past month are:
Two NOIDs
Phal. Sogo Rose 'Sogo F-987'
Dtps. Chian Xen Naumon
Dtps. Chingruey's Goldstaff 'Fortune'
Dtps. Ever Spring Fair
Dtps. Fusheng Pink Pearl
Dtps. Jiuhbao Red Rose
Dtps. Sogo Chabstic 'Vini Harlequin' (actually spiked in Sept, just opened its buds)
Phal. Ai Gold 'Rose Glow'
Phal. Cat's Paw Firebird 'Montclair'
Phal. Desert Dreams 'Mahalo'
Phal. Fortune Buddha X Lawless Rigoletto 'Brennan's Orchids'
Phal. I-Hsin Spot Eagle 'Montclair'
Phal. Ming-Hsing Yellow Boy 'Montclair'

So as you can see, quite a cross-section of hybrids!