Thanks Sherry, I"ve been giving them an orchid fertilizer called bloom booster, but maybe that is the wrong thing to use...I'll have to keep searching for the perfect combination to get them to bloom again. They don't have excessive growth...it's almost as if they are at a standstill...just treading water in a way and going nowhere.
Many orchids need a little rest after they finish blooming. For Phals, I make sure they aren't in full sun and never let water sit in the crotch of the leaves. Paphs are generally a cooler growing orchid. They will bloom just once from the fan and will produce new plants which will mature and bloom at approximately the same time of year as the parent plant. Again, they don't like full sun. They are also semi-terrestrial and their roots are a little different from some of the others. Every 4th fertilizing is with a bloom booster. I use only distilled or collected rainwater on mine and try to keep the humidity level around 50-60%. The key to getting many orchids to bloom is a good 10 degree difference between day and night temperatures. If you don't have enough light for them, some folks like to place theirs under grow lights - I just try to get by with whatever light is available. Oh, and air movement helps too, just don't have a draft or a fan blowing directly on them. This is just general info - if there are any other questions, I am happy to help. If I don't know an answer, I'll help you find one! Here is a cymbidium which has just started blooming in my sun room:
Ooops! The photo didn't make it. I'll try again: cymbidium orchid ( photo / image / picture from plantgoddess's Garden )
Beautiful Cymbidium...My phals bloom like crazy. It is the paphs I have a hard time with. I usually use tap water and let it sit several days, but perhaps they need the distilled or the rainwater...how about snow water...melted...we have loads, and just heard on the news, there could be 6 - 12 inches more on the way...grrrrr...
All gorgeous. I have mixed sucess, and have managed a reflower but the plant sat in the shade in our garden all summer long, never recieving any water other than that which mother nature provided. It came in with the other tender plants in October time, and immediately sent up 2 flower spikes. It has been in flower since before Christmas and still has a few blooms left. let me see if I can find a piccy.
Here we go. It was a gift to my nan, but she didn't know how to look after it, so I now have it. This one seems to thrive on neglect! ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden )
Drissell: Generally, paphs will bloom in the spring to early summer but it really depends on the cultivar. If they have formed baby plants, you have to give the babies a chance to mature before expecting any blooms. Continue with regular watering and fertilizing and make sure they don't get too hot in the summer (I have been known to bring some of the orchids into the air conditioning during those dreadfully hot days). I use distilled/rain water because my well water is much too hard and full of dissolved minerals. I like to wait and collect fresh rain water, but sometimes this isn't possible. So I will take melted snow and make certain to strain it through a couple of cotton towels. I begin storing rain water in the fall with some large bins I keep in the basement to help get me through the winter. But then, I have 100+ orchids to water! We, too, are going to get the approaching storm. It was pretty miserable today! EJ: That's a very pretty oncidium! Does it have a nice fragrance? I have oncidiums, too, but none are yellow. My favorite is Sharry Baby which smells like chocolate when it's blooming. Finally divided it last fall and will see if I get any flowers this year. Sometimes orchids will pout and not flower during the next cycle. I am putting more and more of my orchids outside in a shady location during the summer, but last year was so terribly wet that I had to watch they didn't rot! gfreiherr: Do you know what type of orchids you have? Maybe I can help figure out why they aren't blooming for you! And just so you know, I have a few that took 4-5 years before I saw another spike! - Lynn
Thanks Lynn, That is a lot of orchids...you are a lucky lady. I really love them. One of my favorite outings is going to the Longwood conservatory and walking into their orchid room...heaven. They have a big orchid show at the end of March. Quite a big selection of orchids are displayed all over the conservatory. Last year they had some big Wardian cases with some beautiful displays inside. Do you grow any of yours in a Wardian case?
I don't use any cases, but would love to eventually do this. The whole effect is just gorgeous. Maybe someday... The local orchid society is having their spring show and sale in a couple of weeks. I really want to go, but always end up with more plants! I do love them, though. It's always impressive to see what people with the right conditions can coax into blooming!
I've grown orchids for about 10 years now. Some are more difficult than others. I've had luck with Paphs, oncidiums, Miltassias and Cattleya hybrids. I live in S. Calif. in the desert, and they are happy on pebble trays, so if I can do it in my dry climate, anyone can! Your paphs are gorgeous, by the way! I have a harlequin paph, and the blooms are incredible.
Those orchids are simply BEAUTIFUL, Sherry, the blooms on the phaleanopsis should last a month before "going by". When they do, don't cut off the spike they were on as new blossoms WILL form on it at a later date..just be patient! Was glad to see you have them in little saucers with rocks in the bottom for humidity/drainage as these don't like their "feet" overly wet: keeping the saucer filled with water to just the bottom of pot works ideally. When I purchased two, over a year ago, instructions said to place 3 ice cubes (YEP! ICE CUBES!) once a week around the growing orchid's leaves in top of pot to water them as that's all they need. Thought it was CRAZY but found it WORKS! The cold doesn't seem to hurt the orchids at all, both are going strong and blooming again plus putting out new spikes. I have these, and five other types of orchids, under (or near) a grow light to give them 12 hours of brightness per day, and pots are set on small stones in a large humidity tray. They get NO SPECIAL treatment except a trip to the kitchen sink once a year for a good cleaning, or repotting every 2-3 years in small "orchid chips". When repotting (I've had some of these orchids eight years) I remove all the old chips from around roots, then pack them with dampened sphagnum moss before setting into new chips: is a HIGHLY unorthodox method many won't agree with, but I haven't lost an orchid since I began using it. Care of orchids sounds scary to the beginner with all the do's and don'ts. Light (filtered if outside), warmth, humidity and proper watering methods are all there is to it in actuality: if I can grow them, I believe anyone can. GROW ON and ENJOY!
I love the greenish yellow and brown speckled one, it's very beautiful. I've never been good with orchids so I wish you luck, it never hurts to try and they brighten up your house quite a bit while they are alive.
Wow....so much good information on them...thank you. They are still going strong. I did end up buying a book which should be coming soon....I get e-mails on how to care for them too.
