Not so newbie needs some advise

[Rolando Bahamondes]

Hi everyone,

I just discovered and joined the group today and would benefit from some basic advise.

I moved from Canada to Italy about 3 years ago. I was growing Phaelenopsis successfully indoors. During the lest 3 years I have acquired a few commercial plants that have flowered and reproduced well. I repotted the plants this year and although they are healthy, they are producing a lot of roots, also healthy, and I keep waiting for a stem to appear.

First, I wonder what are the day and night temperature that are appropriate. My plants are outdoors now and seem to love it but the night temperatures are getting colder.

Second, I wonder if someone can tell me what fertilizer mix should I use this time of the year (fall/winter) to make the plant flower. As well what is the recommended fertilizer mix for (spring/summer).

Thanks for any advise you can give me.

best regards to all!

Rolando.

[BikerDoc5968]

For Phals most would agree overnight temps about 15C(about 60F) are ok...some even might go just a few degrees cooler, maybe 13C (55F). The food issue is a totally different story! As many people responding to this part of your query, that is how many opinions as to what and when to feed your chids! As I have said here in the past, someone who holds a MS in chid culture lectured that phals begin their flower cycle by the end of July (northern hemisphere) into early August and it is at this time that a fertilizer lower in N and higher in potash and K should be used (I use 11~35~15 with trace elements) and then change back to a higher N in late January - February (20~14~13). I have followed this method and have had good flowering success. Many others feed the same thing year round and do every bit as well. Others get very scientific and use a plan that provides 125ppm N at each feeding
( http://www.firstrays.com/fertcalc.htm). So you'll do a trial and error thing and see what works best for you.

[Ray]

A study conducted by Dr. Yin-Tung Wang of Texas A&M showed that it was the average growth temperature that determined spiking and flowering, not day/night difference.

In a nutshell, warmth = growth, 10°-15°F cooler = spike initiation.

Also, with the help of folks at MSU, Dr. Bill Argo found that the reason to switch away from high-nitrogen fertilizers is because too much nitrogen STOPS flowering, not because more potassium promotes it.

[BikerDoc5968]

Thanks for you input, Ray. As always you have studied and read much more than I and I bow to your expertise.

H

[Chubidubi]

Rolando aboard

[Ray]

Don't bow to me, Doc. I was just regurgitating what I read!

[BikerDoc5968]

But that is the point...you are well read and share this stuff with us and to your credit. And if you must regurgitate, make sure you don't get it on yourself or the chids.....pleeeeease

[terryros]

I like this recent article out of Michigan State dealing with temperature and Phalaenopsis flowering. Agreeing with Ray, it is overall average lower temperature that is important, particularly avoiding day time temperature over about 73 F.

Temperature during the day, but not during the night, controls flowering of Phalaenopsis orchids -- Blanchard and Runkle 57 (15): 4043 -- Journal of Experimental Botany

[Ross]

Originally Posted by terryros

I like this recent article out of Michigan State dealing with temperature and Phalaenopsis flowering. Agreeing with Ray, it is overall average lower temperature that is important, particularly avoiding day time temperature over about 73 F.

Temperature during the day, but not during the night, controls flowering of Phalaenopsis orchids -- Blanchard and Runkle 57 (15): 4043 -- Journal of Experimental Botany

The key words were: "...in these two clones..." Be careful of generalizations. Certain species Phals and some hybrids can bloom whenever they feel like, temperature aside. I have a Phal Mini Mark Holmes that has bloomed 4 times during this last spring-summer-fall season and is in double spike right now.