Flower count

[bdelfiero]

I have a Phalaenopsis which only has 4 flowers, but I've noticed some Phals in the internet produce more than 10 flowers in one spike.

What are the factors of having more flowers?

Thank you.

[RosieC]

Well it can have a lot to do with the overall health/strength of the plant. A stronger plant being able to produce more flowers. But there can be other factors.

If you try and force a side spike on an old spike then you are likely to get just a few flowers and doing so repeatedly can weaken a Phal causeing reduced flowers on later bloomings (or even killing the Phal).

I think it can be partly genetic as well. Some Phals only produce a few flowers at a time, some only produce one or two flowers at a time. And that's just the way those species/hybrids are.

With the standard mass market phal hybrids that you get everywhere, I think it's mainly health and strenghth of the plant though.

[bdelfiero]

Thank you Rosie..So it's much better to cut off the spike after flowering? Thus, it will give the Phals time to develop good flower during the next cycle?

[RosieC]

Well, according to Ray (whose advice is always good in my opinion) it's best to 'Wait and See'.

With Phals you can cut the spike in a certain place after it's flowered and in many of them this will cause it to produce a side spike. That is what is called 'forcing' and it can weaken the plant and will only give a few extra blooms in most cases. Ray advises (and I fully agree with him) that this is a bad idea.

On the other hand if you just leave an old spike then it will either flower again or it will die back. If it flowers again that is because the plant has decided for itself that it has the strength to flower again. Or if you don't like the look of old spikes then you can just cut them right back at the base.

Personally I tend to do a mixture. On some I have left the spikes, on others I have cut them right back at the base. I never (following Ray's advice) cut them to try and force new flowers though.

Here is a link to Ray's advice page.
Spike Cutting

[bdelfiero]

Wonderful Rosie..Thank you..

[johnblagg]

I agree with this compleatly and ray is right I believe....But I wait and see and then if it starts a lateral will cut back to there. IF it dies back I wait untill it is dead below a node and cut back to just above the next node in the hopes of a keki.....as it continues to die back I just do the same when it is below the next.


This year I had one phal I treat like this make one new spike and also a lateral off each of the two old ones that were still green.I might have got a few more blooms on the new if I had cut old spike off at base but actually got 5 or 6 blooms on each lateral and 10 on the new.And they were spread out so it looked nice and wide when in bloom.

[bdelfiero]

Thanks Rosie and Johnblagg, I am learning so much from this board and I am enjoying it...Of course with the help of very experienced growers like you.

[got ants]

I was doing the dirty deed of cutting spikes to get reblooms on bad advice for two years. I have since cut all the spikes of and let them start from new.

One of the phals that died back to roots only, has recouped to four leaves and two spikes.

Another that kept its leaves now has six leaves, and three inflorescences. One has 12 flowers and 3 bulbs left to open. The other spikes is branching out, and has eight flowers, and ten bulbs to open. With the last spike being small, it has one flower and four bulbs to open.

This particular plant never gave me more than eight flowers at one time.

Here is the two taller spikes, the one on the right has the traditional stacked flowers, while the taller one is branching out...


Here is the small spike...

[bdelfiero]

Oh My...Gorgeous..your Phal is very happy to give you spectacular blooms..I hope my Phal would give me more than four flowers next blooming season..