Blooming for one year - Orchid Board

Wye · #1 03-26-2011, 07:38 PM

I bought a phal, a "P.Brother Sara Gold", almost one year ago at our orchid festival in Ottawa. It had one spike with flowers and I expected they would be beautiful for a while then drop off and I would cut the spike to hope for another this year. It has never stopped blooming. All the original flowers died and dropped off but the spike flowered again with one flower. The same spike has two flowers now and 3 new buds. I am worried my plant needs a break. Should I cut the spike off?

Zoi2 · #2 03-26-2011, 07:59 PM

If the plant is healthy, I'd just sit back and enjoy the blooms.
Joann

Wye · #3 03-26-2011, 08:02 PM

Okay,
Thanks

camille1585 · #4 03-26-2011, 08:39 PM

Awesome that it keep blooming!

I would just let it do it's think, but you have to be especially diligent and watering and fertilizing since the plant needs more energy. I have a Phal that has been in bloom since early December 2008 (extending old spikes and growing new ones- currently has 5 spikes), and it's doing wonderfully. The new leaves grow out as large or larger as the previous ones, so I'm not worried.

Wye · #5 03-28-2011, 07:36 AM

Merci Camille,
I was not as diligent with fertilizing having heard that too much was not good, but I will feed it a little more, seeing it has flowered but has not grown new leaves at all.

camille1585 · #6 03-28-2011, 07:39 AM

It's not necessarily a question about feeding more, but making sure you really stick to the routine. I usually fertilize 4 out of 5 waterings ( the 5th is to flush accumulated salts out), but it often happens that I'll forget to fertilize for a few weeks. That's what I try to avoid with my super blooming phal!

Wye · #7 03-28-2011, 07:49 AM

Yes thanks, I do try to keep a routine going but I was watering more to flush salts then feeding. In my Phals' case, I would say 1 feed out of 4, because I did not see any new leaves growing. I think I will up that slighly for that one plant. Thanks again