My 4 yr old Noid phal's 1st bloom

[NeoOrchid]

Hello:

After 4 long years of patience and true love, my rescue Noid phal just bloomed. The opened bloom is small, approx. 3 inches wide.

I use rain water and feed weeakly with Schultz orchid food and she is potted in moss. The plant itself is fairly large for such small blooms; leaves are approx. 6 inches long and there are 8 leaves. Root system is robust.

My question is: Is it typical for an orchid to have small flowers at first bloom? What kinds of things could I do to encourage larger and more flowers? There are only two on a rather spindly spike.

Please see picture for flower.

Thanx!
Neo

[Gage]

That is absolutely gorgeous. As far as conditions that affect blooming, click on the second link, but the whole article is excellent:

http://www.hrt.msu.edu/faculty/Runkl...sis_Part_1.pdf

http://www.hrt.msu.edu/faculty/Runkl...sis_Part_2.pdf

http://www.hrt.msu.edu/faculty/Runkl...sis_Part_3.pdf

[WhiteRabbit]

woo hoo!

[MtnDweller]

Beautiful pic! That looks like my first orchid....Phalaenopsis Amabilis.

Four years? You have a lot of patience.

[NeoOrchid]

Yes I do have a lot of patience! but it has helped me learn how to grow certain types of orchids (I limit myself to those that can grow in a house window). This plant has produced two lovely blooms and they are well worth the time and effort!

Cheers!
Neo

[bballr4567]

From what Ive read on OB, light plays a huge role in the flowering. You could research a little more on that and see if you are providing enough for your plant.

[Merlyn]

That's a beauty !! I had one just like it and it had large blooms, Josh is right and it probably needs more light but it's also the first bloom after trauma which could also explain the small and few blooms.

I waited 5 years for my Dtps. Kenneth Schubert 'Blue' to rebloom for me and it's been in continuous sequential bloom since August 2010 !!!! It PAYS to learn patience !

[Connie Star]

It's lovely, and well worth the wait.

[merkity]

very pretty bloom regardless of size

[jrodpad]

That bloom is such a great soft white. Beautiful shape too.

Well done!

-J