Blooming time - Orchid Board

Paul Mc · #1 10-09-2010, 09:31 AM

I am seeing quite a few posts about orchids blooming at the moment. I understand that each orchid blooms at different times, and sometimes multiple times, throughout the year.

The only two that are/were blooming is my Dendrobium (8 spikes total, but not all in bloom at the same time) and my Onc. CM Fitch (which started and then something happened and I've almost lost the plant - new growth however as of this week, so we'll see).

So I guess my question is when do Onc.'s, Brassia's, Phal's, Phaius', Cym.'s typically bloom? Are mine supposed to be blooming now? I'm new to the cym's, brassia's, phaius' and onc's - so curious. And I suppose a bit bloom jealous at the moment, lol...

I am the duke of dork · #2 10-09-2010, 05:39 PM

MY Phaps flower when it gets a bit cooler. For example one of them lost all of its flowers but one, then when we had a few cool nights hay presto the spike continues growing after being growth-dormant for months! this is also happening to another one that had its spike stop growing then again as the temperature changes it starts growing and budding(?) again. Forgive me if I am wrong for Phaps but that is my experience

Paul Mc · #3 10-10-2010, 09:18 AM

Thank you for that info on Phaps. I have only had phal's until this year. Thus my curiousity. I want to know if they should be blooming and they are not so I can work to fix the environmental issue. No fun having orchids that don't bloom, lol...

Melody · #4 10-10-2010, 10:52 AM

I am the duke of dork:

Quote:

MY Phaps flower when it gets a bit cooler.

I am confused. Do you mean phals? or paphs? If paphs, cool or warm growers?

Since you seem to have written "Phaps" more than once, is this some type of strange paph hybrid I don't know of? So lost.

Paul · #5 10-10-2010, 11:16 AM

It can vary with any of those based on the actual species involved, as well as culture. That said, many phals initiate spikes when temps fluctuate between day and night by 10 to 15 degrees F.

Cymbidiums tend to spike only after have a stretch of chilly temps (there are folks I know who leave theirs outside until heavy frosts are imminent) -- but then there are some warm growers that don't like chilly temps.

It's for reasons such as this that some orchid lovers such as myself tend to avoid NoIDs -- at least with a correct name one has a better chance of determining a plant's needs.