Getting a Phal to bloom in Caribbean

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by rbarata

How much is a tea spoon in the USA?

About 5 grams. I think Tablespoon is 3 teaspoons.
Way too much fertilizer I agree

[dimshane]

Originally Posted by Ray

Cut back on the feeding A LOT!

Quick rule-of-thumb: for any fertilizer, divide 8 by the %N in the fertilizer; the result is the dosage for weekly feeding, in teaspoons/gallon. In this case 8/30=0.267, so 1/4 tsp/gal weekly is far more appropriate.

If the plant has been excessively fed for a while, It may take many months at the lower rate before the bloom-quashing will subside.

Oh my! Thanks for that info. You're awesome. I will adjust and see how they react. I must be overfeeding my dendrobiums as well! lol. However, they seem to thrive and bloom bountifully regardless. Thanks much!

[Ray]

Originally Posted by rbarata

How much is a tea spoon in the USA?

A teaspoon is roughly 5 ml.

That conversion in metric terms is 9.2/%N = ml/L for 100 ppm N.

[rbarata]

5 ml...Thank you.
That's the same here.

[Dalachin]

Originally Posted by rbarata

How much is a tea spoon in the USA?

1tsp=5ml

Looking at the dark green color of your leaves, I’d say more light. Increase gradually, shade from full sun. Only a few of my phals seem to need light or cold cues to produce spikes if they are getting enough light.

[Dimples]

Originally Posted by Dalachin

Looking at the dark green color of your leaves, I’d say more light. Increase gradually, shade from full sun. Only a few of my phals seem to need light or cold cues to produce spikes if they are getting enough light.

I’ve had the same experience. As soon as the sun drops low enough on the horizon to shine through the south-facing windows in the late summer/fall, all my phals. start spiking. Our fall is usually the hottest time of the year in Fallbrook, CA.

My phal. equestris is definitely blooming size, is happy and growing leaves and roots, but has never spiked since I bought it in 2021. Maybe it will like WA weather better. It’s one of two species phals. in my collection. The rest are hybrids.

[dimshane]

So... I know this is one year later... but I am so happy to report that I now have 3 Phals that are growing spikes! Yes, two of them suffered crown loss due to bacterial infection (already treated it) during the rainy season, but the remaining leaves are healthy and somehow they are growing flower spikes regardless (one of them is even branching!) . I believe after blooming they might go on to produce basal growths to form a new crown. Time will tell! I also have a mini phal that is very healthy and there is a tiny green bump appearing between the second and the third leaves down from the crown.

I reduced the fertilizer by a lot, following Ray's advice. It seems too much nitrogen was indeed an issue, inhibiting the ability to bloom. Temperatures here aren't falling below 24C, and yet they are willing to bloom.

Now I'm tempted to 'accidentally' bring home more rescue Phals.

[Roberta]

Now you'll just need more space for more orchids...

I really don't think that temperature drop is needed to start spiking... after all, most Phals have ancestors from low elevation in the Philippines... not known for low temperatures. The commercial growers manipulate temperature (and light) to TIME the spiking... after all, the orchid that blooms just before Mother's Day (or Christmas, etc.) is worth more than one that is all done two weeks before. But left to their natural cycle, they just bloom when they want to.