orchid papilio psycopsis HELP - Orchid Board

Laura Lee · #1 02-06-2009, 03:42 PM

Good day, My papilio psycopsis has bloomed for me for 3 years, and has been so happy it put out another spike. Then, it got scale, which I quickly cleaned off with rubbing alcohol and neem oil. Now, it has not bloomed in over 5 months. Two questions-
1- Is it possible for them to bloom themselves to 'death', although my plant and roots look healthy
2- I see small scars on the stems where the scale was wiped off. Do you think that could have damaged my beautiful Kalihi Big? Thanks for any help! -- I posted on beginner site as I thought it might get more traffic than on the Onc site.
Also, one more question
3- Where exactly does SCALE come from?

jkofferdahl · #2 02-06-2009, 03:50 PM

Psychopsis is a happy plant, and once a spike starts blooming it will bloom for years. New growths will also spike, and eventually you can get a show.
The small scars are from the scale, where they have dug in to tap into the plant's juices. You can't get rid of the scars but if the scale is gone you don't need to worry about the plant itself.
Scale is a sucking insect: Scale insect - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Laura Lee · #3 02-06-2009, 04:34 PM

Thanks Jkofferdahl for your post, I've repotted the plant, and also removed the top portion of one spike, as it looked dried out and brown. Hopefully it will bloom again. Do they require a resting period or are they a true sequential bloomer? How can a plant always continue to bloom with out a resting period?

jkofferdahl · #4 02-06-2009, 04:55 PM

They do rest, yes, especially between growths. Also, while they love a good, fresh mix a repotting can set them back a bit. Be patient with yours now as it may take a fair while to resume blooming. It's possible that the one spike which browned won't bloom again, but don't cut it any more unless it continues to brown.

Psychopsis can be a picky plant, but the bloom is worth all of the effort!

Jorch · #5 02-06-2009, 06:10 PM

They do take a bit of time before they will resume their usual activities after repotting. the good news is that most, if not all, psychopsis spikes will put out a side brance when the top is removed.