Timing the opening of flower buds.

[mojomick]

Does anyone know if there is a way to manipulate the opening of buds? It seems my orchid blooms open either two weeks to early or a week too late for shows and competition. I grow in a greenhouse so was wondering if manipulation of temperature or light would have any effect in speeding up or slowing down bud maturity.

[gnathaniel]

Temperature, light, moisture, and probably a number of subtler cues affect blooming cycles from initiation of buds to longevity of flowers. How you can manipulate these cycles is going to depend a lot on which particular genera and plants you're trying to do this with. I've read that in many genera keeping plants warmer tends to speed up bud development and cooler will slow it down, though you risk blasting buds if you change conditions too far or too fast. Try the culture section of this site for info on using temperature to control bloom times in nobile-type Dendrobiums:

Yamamoto Dendrobiums Hawaii

I seem to be posting links to this website pretty often lately, maybe they should give me a commission (or at least some free plants). Hope this helps!

--Nat

[mojomick]

Thanks, I wonder if it works for other species. I imagine that it would. It might take some experimentation so may try some subtle temp changes to see what happens to some plant buds.

[gnathaniel]

Originally Posted by mojomick

Thanks, I wonder if it works for other species. I imagine that it would. It might take some experimentation so may try some subtle temp changes to see what happens to some plant buds.

It definitely might work, it probably depends on natural blooming cues for the species or parent species. Nobile-type hybrids are mostly derived from spring bloomers, so warm temps tell them it's a good time to open (after cool temps have cued bud production) because their pollinators will be around.

Things that bloom in their own summer, fall, or winter could be cued by rising or cooling temps, changes in day/night temp gradients (like w/ Phals), or combinations of these in various sequences (and also in combination with light, moisture, nutriment, etc.). Knowing natural habitat of a species or the parents of a hybrid is a big help in figuring out what makes it bloom.

What plants/genera are you wanting to manipulate this way? I highly recommend the series of species culture books and sheets from Margaret and Charles Baker; these have tons of useful info about seasonal cycles in natural habitats. Keep us posted on how things go!

--Nat

[dounoharm]

warming up the gh may help buds to open faster....but would def be more costly....

[cabbo]

There was a 4 part article from MSU by Ed Runkle? (I think) It gives detailed instructions on timing flowering of phals depending on temp. If you google "Growing the Best Phalaenopsis" you can find all 4 parts. Somebody posted the links here but I can't find it now. Good read either way!

[Leisurely]

In general, cooler and drier will definitely slow down the process. I live in Florida where we too have had much colder weather this winter and as a result I have gone from weekly watering to every ten days to two weeks. I grow in a greenhouse and the thermostat is on 55F for the night minimum. Days are also much cooler than previously experienced. As a result, it takes buds much longer to develop and an added benefit is that the flowers last much longer.