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dakota01

Spring bloom or winter bl�oming Phals?

dakota01
9 years ago

Is there a way to tell if you have a Spring or Winter bl�oming Phal?

If it didn't send up a spike when I subjected it to cool fall night air could it be a spring bloomer? Do you treat them differently? Or just leave a spring bloomer near a window in the winter and hope for a spike in the spring?

Many Thanks!

Comments (7)

  • arthurm
    9 years ago

    Maybe if you had a plant tag someone would be able to tell you if it normally blooms in spring.
    Many bloom in spring after getting slight cool down in late autumn/winter, others must need a different trigger to flower. The Phal. enthusiasts in the local orchid society always have a few on the show bench though there is a big peak in numbers in spring.

    Added link

    Here is a link that might be useful: FAQ on Flowering Phals.

    This post was edited by arthurm on Mon, Dec 1, 14 at 14:53

  • dakota01
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Wish I did have tags, but all mine are either Just Add Ice orchids or plants from Lowes/Home Depot. They never have tags.

  • jane__ny
    9 years ago

    Where do you live?? Advice can't be given without knowing where you are growing these plants, the conditions you have, light, temps.

    Please add this information when you ask questions.

    Jane

  • dakota01
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hi Jane - I live in PA where it is now winter and I am a window sill grower. So, when the temps go into the teens, I do move them off of the sills. Days are shorter now, so my natural light could be better, but my sills get light pretty much all day. I keep my house around 68-70 degrees .

    I water weekly and bi-weekly I flush and use a light fertilizer. I use Magna-Grow, grow formula.

    I did see one of my my phals that is being kept in a cold/cooler room just start putting out a spike. THe others look to be setting new leaves, however, they are in the same room for now. Once I see more of the spike, I will move it to a warmer room.
    I have a previous post, where you repied to give the ones I moved to the cold/storage room another month and that was at the first of Nov. Rather than keeping them in the cold room - I may move them to a room that is around 67 rather than my first floor which is 69-70.

  • westoh Z6
    9 years ago

    jeannie,

    They need a drop in temps from day to night of @15-20 degrees. Crack a window at night to try and get the temp differences needed to cause a hybrid phal to spike. This needs to occur for @2 weeks in my experience, once you see the spikes, you can stop opening the window.

    I'm still seeing a few of my hybrid phals developing new spikes, so you may still get flowers this spring. I am also getting some spikes on a few species phals, so it works for most hybrids and some species phals in my experience.

    Good luck,

    Bob

  • dakota01
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks Bob, keeping them in this cooler room, that is unheated,, above my garage definitely is giving them a drop at nite.
    Maybe there is still time fot them to set a spike.
    I am going to start marking on the pot when/if they bloom, and my repot date. Maybe it will help me in the future.

    Is it true they have to grow two new leaves before they will bloom again? I do cut my spikes down very low after they flower.
    All my roots look very healthy so it shouldn't be a root issue.

  • westoh Z6
    9 years ago

    I'm not sure about the 2 leaf rule, but a well grown phal should produce at least 2 new leaves each year.

    If it is getting the temp drops and the roots look good, it could be a lack of light issue. A couple of hours of early morning or late afternoon sun is about perfect for them, IMO.

    I grow outdoors and under lots of lights in the winter, without the artificial lights I'd struggle to get my phals to bloom when only sitting in front of an east window. But then again, my east windows aren't the brightest either.

    Bob

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