What am I doing wrong?

[Subrosa]

I figured to combine a few questions into a single thread. I've been growing orchids for a few years now, with increasing success. I rarely make the same mistake twice! I am not entirely unskilled in keeping orchids. Were I the superstitious type I wouldn't mention the surprising amount of growth on some of the Polyradicion lindenii seedlings I recently deflasked. But there are glaring gaps in this hobby for me that I'd like more knowledgeable people to spitball some ideas about how to fill. First off let me preface by saying that a lack of light is probably not the answer to any of these issues. I keep all my plants outside as long as temps permit and in as much light as they can handle after acclimation. While indoors I have a large SE exposure window and lots of high power leds. But if that's what your insides tell you, say it! So, why can't I bloom a huge Maxillaria tenuifolia that I grew from a handfull of pseudobulbs? Why do I have such difficulty bringing hybrid Phalaenopsis into bloom? And why can't I bloom a Bulbophyllum of any type? Fire away!

[PaphMadMan]

4 questions to expand on the information given:

Bulbos are a diverse group. Can you give a few examples of what you have?

Hybrid Phals also covers a lot of territory. Standard, mini or novelty types?

What's your fertilizer - types, dosage and schedule?

What are some examples of orchids you grow and bloom with absolutely no problems?

[dounoharm]

KISS....keep it simple stupid.....my orchids pretty much rough it, once I get their environment set up, they just do what they do! I try to work on other things, like the outdoor garden, building projects, and travel....so, I have an old 2'x4' light stand from hausermanns, I filled the drain pan with pea gravel, plopped the pots on and water...that's about it. I fert every week or two with msu for ro water. that's it for indoors. I do not have other plants in this room, only in the next room. 2 palms and 2 begonias. I water them and that's it. the palms go outside all summer and get sprayed with systemic away from the garden.

my greenhouse. it has expanded A LOT! I am still in the process of setting it up. this will be a deluxe environment for orchids. it has several different zones. light is an issue and I love cattleyas, so they hang with a couple dendros. on the benches are young plants and less light sensitive plants. I do not use light meters. I have a thermometer which reads humidity, and right now it runs from 40%-75%....I have a few plants on the floor (not orchids), they assist with maintaining humidity. I hand water once a day at the moment, and have a good fert and insecticide routine.

so far, I haven't found anything that I have to toss out. but, believe me, if any plant becomes a problem, it goes! there are loads of orchids! find one that suits how you keep 'house' and enjoy!

and that is how I grow orchids, lol....as I was told when I was young, and cleaning horse stalls....don't make it your lifes work.....learn to do it fast, and move on!

[estación seca]

I haven't grown the Maxillaria. Did your source bloom it? Maybe you got a shy clone. But I vaguely recall reading other threads here about people who can't get theirs to bloom. I think others offered specific advice.

Are you giving the Phals a day and night cooldown in the fall? Here in metro Phoenix we put ours out on the patio in shade for a few weeks starting in late October, keeping an eye on the night thermometer (and watching for curve-billed thrashers.) Our fall days are routinely in the 70s-80s F / 20-30C but nights are 50s to 60s F / 12-17C. Hybrid Phals seem not to mind a few cooler nights if the next day warms up. The earliest I've had frost has been November 20 so you need to adjust for your climate. Some of our members keep them out as long as days warm up, or until they see spikes, whichever comes first.

Bulbos during the growing season are almost aquatic plants. I've quoted from Bill Thom's Bulbo book. He grows in baskets of sphagnum moss and waters every day. If it's over about 85 F he waters twice a day. He waters each basket 4 times with the water wand, once for each side. He also fertilizes a lot.

[FairyInTheFlowers]

I'll echo that many commonly grown Bulbo's are near aquatic. The reason being that they often grow very few roots, and their root systems stay shallow. This leads to them being easily set back if they don't get adequate water.

[dounoharm]

my bulbos (eliz ann b its the only one for me!) arrived pretty dried out. I bought what I thought was one cutting, and ended up with about 6. I got the remains of a greenhouse sale from an elderly gentleman, and everything I received was very dried out, but, after about 3 months things are looking better....I soaked the bulbos, then planted them in pots with large bark on the bottom half and paph mix small bark on the top two inches....FINALLY new growth last month...instead of one plant I ended up with 5! all it takes is heat light water and TIME....

[Orchid Whisperer]

I've found that while some orchids don't require significant changes during the year to perform well, others seem to require "seasons" or they don't perform.

Phalaenopsis definitely perform better and more reliably if they experience a seasonal cool-down. I have all my orchids including Phals outside when it's warm, move them in when its cold. Plants that experience a hot summer here will get a temperature drop of 10 or more degrees F when fall approaches and it is merely warm. This will encourage some plants to spike in fall or winter. I will move my Phals and others outside in the spring, and nights will dip cooler than the 68 F we maintain in the house. That encourages spike for.action in spring and summer.

I have a M. Tenuifolia that bloomed for me the first time last year. I'm not sure I'm qualified to offer advice, but I didn't water as regularly as I should have. Maybe reducing moisture a bit acted like a "dry season"? I'll let you know if I figure it out.

My one Bulbophyllum (B. lobbii) has also bloomed only once for me. That is another plant I have not figured out yet.

[Joseia]

About the phal, perhaps too much light? I have a heiroglyphica, equestris and violacea in the same tank. All have flowered for me before. But about three months ago, I cut the amount of light they were getting by half. And they have gone crazy flowering. Heiroglyphica now has 24 buds on five spikes, equestris has been continually flowering for three months and violacea, which has given me one flower every year in the summer, is working on its third bud since May. Guess it could be a coincidence and the lower light level has nothing to do with it, I don't know.

[Subrosa]

Ok people this is great! To address some questions:
The Bulbophyllum I'm referring to are baileyii, echinolabium, vaginatum, and a hybrid Stars and Stripes. All grow well for me, although I did screw up and almost lose the baileyii this summer. It was really bad but is re growing. I generally fertilize with every watering at a rate of 1tbsp of KLite per 5 gal. Orchids that bloom reliably for me are Dendrobium unicum, all my Gongora, hybrid Cattleya, and most hybrid Catasetum. My Clowesetum is a glaring exception to that. I haven't been keeping Vanda or Paphiopedilum long enough to say reliably about them, but I have bloomed quite a few of each this season. As far as my hybrid Phalaenopsis I discovered yesterday it's more a vision problem than a cultural one. Once I got them within range of my uncorrected deflicted eyes I found the beginnings of spikes on half of the plants I was referring to. As far as the Maxillaria it definitely gets dry quickly as it has seriously outgrown the pot its in and is mostly hanging in space.

[Optimist]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Bulbos during the growing season are almost aquatic plants. I've quoted from Bill Thom's Bulbo book. He grows in baskets of sphagnum moss and waters every day. If it's over about 85 F he waters twice a day. He waters each basket 4 times with the water wand, once for each side. He also fertilizes a lot.

I am not "advanced" but I second this. I killed most of my bulbos because I tried to grow them like typical orchids. You kind of have to grow them like pond-side plants or phragmapediums.