What's the Trigger that makes 'em Bloom ? - Orchid Board

NeoNJ · #1 03-26-2011, 04:31 PM

Have you ever had an orchid plant for years and it just won't bloom and you don't know why ... ?

I have had a Sophronitis cernua and a Dendrobium jenkensii for years and neither has bloomed. I've spent hours on the Internet looking for more and more culture notes for these orchids and can not figure out what the "trigger" is to get these two plants to bloom........

If anyone has any experience with either plant, I sure could use some help .....

Thanks

Patrick

silken · #2 03-26-2011, 06:10 PM

I don't have experience with either plant. But Bakers' culture sheet says the Sophrontis requires warmer conditions than most Sophrontis. Also rather bright light (up to 3000 fc) but not direct noon day sun. Also high humidity of 75-80% year round. It also says they grow best mounted but need daily misting if so. Also plants deteriorate rapidly if potting media becomes even slightly stale, so must be re-potted often and before they outgrow their pots. Recommend yearly in early spring.

The dendrobium has similar requirements except in winter nights can be down to the 40's F, which likely helps trigger bloom. Also a month in winter is quite dry in its natural habitat with no dew even being common.
Hope that helps.

neb · #3 03-26-2011, 06:38 PM

Too much nitrogen can affect how the plant matures and cause it to not bloom.

camille1585 · #4 03-26-2011, 07:18 PM

I have a Soph cernua and it blooms fine. I grow it mounted and let it get very dry between waterings. It likes a lot of light, I grow mine in nearly full sun during the summer when I'm in France and under lights the rest of the year. Ideally you should give it enough light to get a purple margin on the leaves (not just the new leaves, which get the margin easily). I hope you'll get blooms next fall.

quiltergal · #5 03-26-2011, 07:34 PM

Den. jenkinsii is the most frustrating plant I own. I have only successfully bloomed it once (see my avatar). This year it kicked out 12 spikes. At the advice of a professional Den grower I watered it through the winter lightly once a week. Once the spikes poked out I upped the water to every other day. They still all blasted!

Last year I tried the opposite and did not water through the winter. It put out 2 spikes and they both blasted. This one really has me stumped.

Louis_W · #6 03-26-2011, 08:50 PM

If the plant appears healthy enough to bloom then the problem is usually the light. If a plant is not getting quite enough light then it will still grow well but not have enough energy to flower.

NeoNJ · #7 03-26-2011, 09:19 PM

I dont know. I now have the Sophronitis growing under supplemental lighting, along with the Den. Jenkensii and a Brassavola nodosa (which has also failed to bloom for the 8 yrs or so that I've had the plant).....

They are all now growing under CFL bulbs (spiral), so I'm hoping I will see them bloom eventually .... I think the Sophronitis is past it's bloom season already ....

camille1585 · #8 03-26-2011, 09:26 PM

The Sophronitis is a fall bloomer, so there's no hope of it blooming light. Make some adjustments, and hopefully you'll be rewarded next time. If you have the possibility of putting it outside in the summer and giving it as much sunlight as it can handle that might be good.

Can't believe you hung on to the Brassavola for so long! I think that I would have given it away well before 8 years.

NeoNJ · #9 03-26-2011, 09:31 PM

LOL, LOL...... I have always wanted a Brassavola nodosa, and just couldn't part with the plant. It was not as large as it is today. It has grown beautifully.....and I summer it outdoors every year. It has been very disappointing not to have it bloom for me ! So I thought "It can't be the Light" ! I'm still dumb-founded as to why this orchid has not bloomed for me.....

It seems to be doing so much better now that it is under supplemental lighting every day ..... I just have to watch that it doesn't get to much light --- it did have some leaves yellow initially....so I have to watch the distance with this one !

King_of_orchid_growing:) · #10 03-26-2011, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quiltergal

Den. jenkinsii is the most frustrating plant I own. I have only successfully bloomed it once (see my avatar). This year it kicked out 12 spikes. At the advice of a professional Den grower I watered it through the winter lightly once a week. Once the spikes poked out I upped the water to every other day. They still all blasted!

Last year I tried the opposite and did not water through the winter. It put out 2 spikes and they both blasted. This one really has me stumped.

I don't know how you grow this plant, but I suspect it's temperature or light related.

What are the seasonal temperatures?

What are the day and night temperatures?

What is the lighting like?