The Orchid Garden

Orchids Never Bloom

Question:

The best books for a beginner I have found are Henry Jaworski’s _Orchids Simplified_ and the Ortho book. Regards, Scott – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – sorry, and I am just picking, no offense intended…. we have a problem Houston, a phal with pseudobulbs? Lemme offer a good suggestion, better than advice you will get here even….. get a book, Taylor’s guide to orchids is the best, ortho and sunset guides to growing orchids are okay also, or a 100 orchids  (all available at local bookstores if you live in the US).  If you aren’t in the US, get any orchid book you can buy.  This will help you figure out what kind of plants you have and some simple terminology.  Good luck.  Kaya Are you sure this is a Phal?  Phals don’t have pseudobulbs . . . . 1.  Phaleonopsis – I water this 2x a week because the pseudobulbs wilt. Medium: Bark. Pot: Terracotta.

Response:

In our experience, when a healthy, mature orchid won’t bloom, the most likely reason is insufficient light. That said, you also need to differentiate a bit amongst your collection. Phaleanopsis do not take as much light as Cattleyas, for example–a phal will burn in good catt light.  [Phaleanopsis also do not have pseudobulbs, so if you have a plant with pseudobulbs that is labelled as a phal, the label is wrong.  You are correct, tho, about the Bc. and Blc. being in the Catt family.]  It also sounds like some of the plants are not yet mature enough to bloom, and others may be divisions which might’ve skipped a year if they were divided with only 2-3 growths, or didn’t have good root systems. As long as you are getting good new roots and growths, you’re still in the game.  Try moving one or two of the biggest, healthiest-looking catt-types into a brighter spot, but make the moves gradual–you can’t plop a shade-grown orchid out into full sun without sunburning it anymore than a northerner who’s been indoors all winter can come to Florida and spend a day on the beach without becoming a lobster <G.  Watch the leaf color as you make the adjustments.  Aim for a light "grass" green color. Good growing, — Kenni Judd Juno Beach Orchids http://www.jborchids.com

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi – I’m new to this newsgroup and look forward to reading the postings. I live in Virginia, USA.  I have several types of orchids that were given to me or bought in the past 3 years.  I have not been able to get any of them to bloom again. I keep them all together in a window that receives direct morning light, and gets indirect light throughout the day.  I water them all once a week, except for one phaleonopsis and one cattelaya – if I don’t water them twice a week, the bulbous parts of the orchids start to shrivel and wrinkle. The others I let the potting material get bone dry. They all have had new roots and leaves, but no new flower shoots.  I feed them with orchid food as directed with each watering.  I have repotted two of them because the leaves and roots were too large for the original pot. After these repottings I saw many more new leaves/roots.  I also have them all on overturned plates or pottery bottoms, sitting in a large rectangular container in which I put water about twice a week (never to the roots) to maintain humidity.  I don’t mist them (I always forget). Any ideas on how I can get these things to flower? Thanks!

Response:

Hi – I’m new to this newsgroup and look forward to reading the postings. I live in Virginia, USA.  I have several types of orchids that were given to me or bought in the past 3 years.  I have not been able to get any of them to bloom again. I keep them all together in a window that receives direct morning light, and gets indirect light throughout the day.  I water them all once a week, except for one phaleonopsis and one cattelaya – if I don’t water them twice a week, the bulbous parts of the orchids start to shrivel and wrinkle.  The others I let the potting material get bone dry. They all have had new roots and leaves, but no new flower shoots.  I feed them with orchid food as directed with each watering.  I have repotted two of them because the leaves and roots were too large for the original pot. After these repottings I saw many more new leaves/roots.  I also have them all on overturned plates or pottery bottoms, sitting in a large rectangular container in which I put water about twice a week (never to the roots) to maintain humidity.  I don’t mist them (I always forget). Any ideas on how I can get these things to flower? Thanks!

Response:

In order for us to give you an accurate and more detailed diagnosis, we must know what kind of orchids you are growing.  How many hours of morning sunlight do they receive?  Is there anything outside of your window blocking the light from coming in such as a tree or patio?  Can we assume that this window faces East?  For most orchids, light is the most critical factor in getting them to bloom. BTW – Cattleya is pronounced, CAT – Lay – Uh, not Cattle – Lay – Uh Matthew Swift

Response:

In order for us to give you more detailed information we need to know what kind of orchids you have.  For most orchids, light is the most critical element in their culture for them to flower.  How many hours of morning sunlight are they receiving?  What direction does the window face?  Is there anything blocking the light from coming in such as a tree or patio covering? Matthew Swift – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I keep them all together in a window that receives direct morning light, and gets indirect light throughout the day.  I water them all once a week, except for one phaleonopsis and one cattelaya – if I don’t water them twice a week, the bulbous parts of the orchids start to shrivel and wrinkle. The others I let the potting material get bone dry.

Response:

Sorry about that, my server was giving me fits!!

Response:

Hi Matthew, OK here are the orchids I’m growing: In order for us to give you an accurate and more detailed diagnosis, we must know what kind of orchids you are growing.

1.  Phaleonopsis – I water this 2x a week because the pseudobulbs wilt. Medium: Bark. Pot: Terracotta. 2.  LC. Princess Margaret Imperial x BLC Summer Bay – this was a gift and is young and has not flowered yet.  Water 2x a week because the pseudobulbs shrivel.  Medium: Bark.  Pot: Terracotta. 3. BC. Maikai x BLC. Bryce Canyon (BTW I don’t know what BC and BLC means, but I’m guessing these are Cattleyas).  Water 1x week.  Medium: dense bark/stone medium. Pot: Plastic. 4 & 5 – Two unknown orchids…fat leaves.  One has medium flowers, and one larger.  Medium: moss. Water 1xweek and let get bone dry, plastic pots. How many hours of morning sunlight do they receive?  All morning hours although the sun is not direct at all times, and indirect light throughout the day.  Is there anything outside of your window blocking the light from coming in such as a tree or patio?

Not really.  There are trees outside, but the morning sun comes directly in for most of the morning, with indirect lighting throughout the day.  I’m living in an apartment and this is the best lighting I can get, without subjecting my orchids to the mad squirrels on my balcony.  Can we assume that this window faces East?  For most orchids, light is the most critical factor in getting them to bloom.

Yes mostly east.  A little off direct east. BTW – Cattleya is pronounced, CAT – Lay – Uh, not Cattle – Lay – Uh

Thanks for that tidbit!  My fault – I spelled it wrong. Lisa Matthew Swift

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – In order for us to give you more detailed information we need to know what kind of orchids you have.  For most orchids, light is the most critical element in their culture for them to flower.  How many hours of morning sunlight are they receiving?  What direction does the window face?  Is there anything blocking the light from coming in such as a tree or patio covering? Matthew Swift I keep them all together in a window that receives direct morning light, and gets indirect light throughout the day.  I water them all once a week, except for one phaleonopsis and one cattelaya – if I don’t water them twice a week, the bulbous parts of the orchids start to shrivel and wrinkle. The others I let the potting material get bone dry.

Response:

I second "Taylor’s Guide to Orchids" and "Orchids Simplified" as good beginner books.  Both will give you a cross-section of the different types of plants available to give you some idea of what you want to collect and how to care for the plants.

Response:

  *If* it is a phal, I’d suggest that it not get actual direct sunlight. I’ve always understood that phals should get bright, indirect light. I have my phals either on the porch or on tables w/ eastern exposures, but protect them from the direct rays of the sun.   Karen Are you sure this is a Phal?  Phals don’t have pseudobulbs . . . . 1.  Phaleonopsis – I water this 2x a week because the pseudobulbs wilt. Medium: Bark. Pot: Terracotta.

Before you buy.

Response:

sorry, and I am just picking, no offense intended…. we have a problem Houston, a phal with pseudobulbs? Lemme offer a good suggestion, better than advice you will get here even….. get a book, Taylor’s guide to orchids is the best, ortho and sunset guides to growing orchids are okay also, or a 100 orchids  (all available at local bookstores if you live in the US).  If you aren’t in the US, get any orchid book you can buy.  This will help you figure out what kind of plants you have and some simple terminology.  Good luck.  Kaya – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Are you sure this is a Phal?  Phals don’t have pseudobulbs . . . . 1.  Phaleonopsis – I water this 2x a week because the pseudobulbs wilt. Medium: Bark. Pot: Terracotta.

Response:

Are you sure this is a Phal?  Phals don’t have pseudobulbs . . . . – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – 1.  Phaleonopsis – I water this 2x a week because the pseudobulbs wilt. Medium: Bark. Pot: Terracotta.

Response:

Filed under: Growing Orchids

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