Something's missing...oh yeah FLOWERS!

[isurus79]

So not to , but sun seems to be the key. The plant in your last pic has foliage that is way too dark. I think your first pic is the Gramm. I live farther south than you do so my sun is much stronger and all the Gramms here THRIVE on full sun all day long. You would have to acclimate accordingly (over the course of a several weeks), but I think it would do your plants a world of difference. Also, if your friends have thrown their plants in the bushes and forgotten about them and it works.........then why havnt you done the same??

[AaronM]

Thank-you all. Your comments were very enlightening.
I think that part of the problem is my random mix of plants. My intensive carearium (that's right I made up a word, and it's fun to say) has so many different plants in it that whenever I adjust the Venetian blinds to add more light someone always gets sunburned. Curse you, wimpy Dendrobiums!!
As for my Vandas, if I got as much sun as they do for even a couple hours I'd look like a British on day three of an Orlando vacation. You may not know this but the Brits are the Dendrobiums of the human world, very pleasant but no tolerance whatsoever for direct sunlight. Anyway, both Vandas are a nice lime green color and so far have not burned. I put them outside as soon as the nighttime temps. were high enough so they could get used to increasing sun naturally.
As for the rest, I'll shift some things around and see what happens. I may actually break out that cool table top grow lamp I bought on clearance at HD.

Always glad to entertain.

AaronM

[Ross]

I also agree with the others here. More light might be something to look at. There are perhaps a couple other things as well. You don't describe your water/fertilizer regime (even though you do a great job describing other factors ) I have had better luck with a steady diet of fertilizer as per Ray's description at Plant Nutrition than before with the old (I mean really old - mid 1960s) tried and true binge and starve method I was used to. My plants like this and they bloom more regularly for me. To each his (or her) own, I guess.

[Ross]

Originally Posted by AaronM

Curse you, wimpy Dendrobiums!!

I am always glad to run across someone who has finally awakened and seen the bright side of the force! Dendros are basically evil They have a habit of just sitting there and saying "feed me" when they have no intention of producing in return. Then to add misery to madness, they up and die -- for no reason! I've been happy with deciduous dendros (especially anosmum) but all the others are basically a waste of space for me. Sorry.

[AaronM]

My fertilizing regimen is as follows. Yes I do.




O.K. I try to alternate between high nitrogen and high phosphorus fertilizers that I mix into my sprayer at approximately 1/16 tsp per gallon. This is used to mist the plants once or twice a day. I also give the plants an occasional few days of water only or Superthrive only for those plants that need a little encouragement in the root department. I use more of the phosphorous than the nirto since someone around here warned me too much nitro prevents flowering.

AaronM

[Swamper]

Aaron there's a fairly new book out called Florida Orchid Growing by Martin Motes, Im reading it now and I think anyone in Florida growing orchids should read it. I know you will like it. Especially if you are growing all diff types.
Good luck.

[cloudswinger]

I say just throw them all outside. In the bushes even. Why are you in Florida and growing under grow lights? It might get a little cold in the winter in Orlando, but that's 5 months from now. I have dens and I leave them out with the vandas. They get morning sun and afternoon shade and seem to be happy. And there are some that have been mostly ignored for 10 years and still are blooming away. Overgrown like crazy, but blooms. Sun behind glass is not the same as sun outside.

[isurus79]

Originally Posted by cloudswinger

I say just throw them all outside. In the bushes even. Why are you in Florida and growing under grow lights? It might get a little cold in the winter in Orlando, but that's 5 months from now.

Thats what I was wondering!

[JennS]

I don't think I could personally stomach throwing them in a bush, but my guys are situated happily BEHIND a bush Except for the Vandas, they are more out from being under the overhang (that sounds funny...). They are under a tree and get direct morning sun. Even before the direct, sun, the one I had still bloomed, jsut not as great as when it gets direct morning sun.

On another note, I am in Central Fl too, and I leave mine outdoors nearly all year. Some of the dens. really like the slightly chilly air at night, unless they are really wet. I just bring them in when there is a frost or freeze coming. I do baby the vandas though and if I can't make myself bring everyone in I might just bring them in and hang in the living room. Then I leave them inside for the following day in case it doesn't warm up enough for my standards. They end up getting a really good mist 2x a day in that case. I mist until they drip a little...but that's just me

[Roly0217]

I haven't experienced winter growing down here in Miami but I think that all of my plants are staying outside. It barely gets cold here. They get morning and almost midday sun and they are growing and putting on new sheats and I can't wait to see those flowers towards the end of the year and the beginning of next year. In other words mine are growing outside and they love it. Rainwater and sunshine is plentiful.