New member from SC with a question

[Telemarcer]

Thank you. I appreciate your reply tremendously. I will provide a little detail in the AM if you or anyone else still cares to help. I apologize for getting off on the wrong foot

[Dusty Ol' Man]

Originally Posted by Telemarcer

Thank you. I appreciate your reply tremendously. I will provide a little detail in the AM if you or anyone else still cares to help. I apologize for getting off on the wrong foot

A reset is sometimes a good thing. I'm all for it.
Hi. I'm Dusty. I'm old and grumpy (ok that's just my little joke). I'm curious about your experience. How long and what methods you have been growing?
Welcome to the OB.

[Telemarcer]

I started about 15 yrs ago. Got into more exotic varietals in ATL about 5 yrs ago thanks to an amazing nursery. Current plants were all acquired 1-2 years ago. Exotics were “babys” from ETSY. Ive experimented with fertilizer, watering schedule, light etc. i put them outside early this summer when i moved a bunch of pepper plants i germinated in Feb. i didn't fertilize, i only watered when the peppers looked dry. Orchids had a mix of sun and shade and rain when it came. Growth was exceptional. I repotted prior to moving and especially the root growth might make it hard to donit again. Problem is and had always been… getting them to reflower.

[SouthPark]

It's possible that putting them outside in the summer ----- possibly --- gave adequate light levels, allowing the orchids to gather enough energy etc to produce the flowers. If the leaves of various sorts of cattleya type orchids are relatively dark green --- instead of a lighter type of green, then that is often one rough method of determining whether or not that kind of orchid has been receiving enough light.

Phals are generally a different matter ---- but certainly, for a lot of orchids that just don't flower for years and years (when mature size) --- then one thing to change-up is lighting level and duration of the exposure in the day time.

[Telemarcer]

I basically ignored them all summer but brought then in when it got into the 50’s at night last week. Brought them in and now i have 3 plants acting like they want flower. Why? Temp? Only thing i can think of.

---------- Post added at 03:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:42 PM ----------

Quick question. Are my photos coming through properly? Is so i can post a few more of the babies

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by Telemarcer

I basically ignored them all summer but brought then in when it got into the 50’s at night last week. Brought them in and now i have 3 plants acting like they want flower. Why? Temp? Only thing i can think of.

Quick question. Are my photos coming through properly? Is so i can post a few more of the babies

If you had your orchids out there for the summer for many years, and no flowering activity, and then this year you brought the plants indoors ----- then we could possibly narrow things down to either temperature, or significant change in light level ----- or even a combination of both.

As to the reason ----- it will most definitely be linked to some changes that affect or trigger certain growth processes or mechanisms ----- associated with flowering, aside from mature flowering size and health. This is assuming that those orchids had the same exposure outside in the summer for years ----- with no activity.

Your photo uploads are showing up nicely.

[Telemarcer]

The etsy kids

[SouthPark]

If you do the same thing next year, and the year after etc ....... and if you get similar nice results (of flowering activity) when you bring the orchids indoors in this way, then there's a good chance that you have found a method to get the flowering now, which is great. These things naturally require time for 'testing'.

Another test that would take time --- would be to go back to the original plan - to see if there becomes absolutely no flowering activity for years. But - naturally, flowering activity is always wonderful to see ------ so we can just leave it up to time, or up to decisions about testing or not.

[Telemarcer]

Patience is a virtue… but maybe not my specialty. Thanks for your replies. I thought after a few years i would have seen some activity but honestly I've had to give away previous plants due to moves before i had them past 2-3 years. I have moved 5 time in 15 years. Maybe its purely time and patience

[SouthPark]

Certainly!!! We have to teach these orchids patience hahaha. I think you're fine now ----- as you may have now encountered a workable method that lifts their chances of flowering.

So if you keep trying what appears to have led to this nice change in pattern, then it will certainly be nice to keep trying it out each year. And hopefully that will have the no-flowering condition sorted.