Difficulty getting my orchids to spike

[Neverend]

I also have this phalaenopsis NOID hybrid, it's grown so big with a keiki and it hasn't flowered since the last time I got it (a year ago). The plant's grown so big it's already slanted!

[quiltergal]

Basteh, based on 19N-31P-17K of Schultz Orchid food, at 1/4 teaspoon you are only getting 63ppm N. Ray suggests we be shooting for around 125ppm N. In order to reach that you'd have to bump up your dose to 1/2 tsp/gal water to reach 125ppm. The P seems high to me but I'll let Ray address that as I don't know how that will affect plants if at all. Here's a link from Ray's website with a ppm calculator. It's very coolio and I use it all the time.

Fertilizer PPM Calculator

All that said, I have used DynaGro Grow with good results, and am nearly through my first bottle of GreenCare MSU. I'm seeing much more robust growth with the MSU, so I'm switching to that permanently. One caveate though, I put up T5 lights to suppliment the light from my window at about the same time I started using MSU. I'm not sure if I can attribute the more robust growth to the MSU alone or if it's that in combination with the higher light levels.

One last thing. I would recommend feeding on a weekly basis rather than every other week. Vandaceous plants in particular are heavy feeders. If you have a sunny window I'd ease them into it. They can take as much light as you can throw at them. Just don't do it all at once.

Hope all this helps! Good luck and keep us posted.

[orchidexpress]

still sounds like you are not giving your orchids enough light. What you may call ample..may very well not be enough. I recommend a grow light with a red-blue spectrum. Vandas require more light so the vanda has to be closer to the light as the others. I can look in the American Orchid Society magazines to recommend a special spectrum lighting that is not too expensive.

[Ray]

The extra phosphorus is not a problem. Your plants won't use it and it will seep into the ground.

[basteh]

Ok. I will add a bit more fert and apply it every week.

In terms of light, I have read that the color of light is important, but the light intensity is even more important. So, if I am giving my plants 2000fc of 5000K (lots of blue light), they might not be getting enough of the red end of the spectrum?

I envy those of you in the south! Growing orchids in Chicago is difficult! But I am determined!