Multi Spiked - Orchid Board

lornaheath · #1 07-13-2013, 05:28 PM

I am curious to know how the nurseries can get Orchids to have three or four spikes all flowering at the point of sale at the same time? I know they probably have perfect growing conditions.

My question is, that if we have purchased a four-spiked flowering Orchid, would we ever be able to maintain the 4 spikes? Could we maybe have three next season if not four? Is that just an impossibility because we cannot replicate the perfect conditions of the growers?

MysticOrchid · #2 07-13-2013, 06:39 PM

The orchids that come from the nurseries are, after all, grown under perfect conditions: the greenhouse provides great humidity levels that can be controlled, good filtered light, tropical temperature (essential for success with orchids, which also can be controlled) and of course good fertiliser. All of these factors cause good healthy growth and multiple flower spikes. I've seen a phalaenopsis in Taiwan with 8 flower spikes,and on each other,there were about 10 blooms. That was amazing thing to see. Now, you can't grow a monsters like that

in your home because even if you're having the conditions that an orchid needs, you don't have the EXTRA conditions that the greenhouse provides for them.

lornaheath · #3 07-13-2013, 06:49 PM

Think I'd better give up trying right now. That sure is a detailed explanation. There's no way we mere mortals can come anywhere near that is there? Wow!

Thank you for taking the time Sug.

Lorna
x x x

MysticOrchid · #4 07-13-2013, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lornaheath

Think I'd better give up trying right now. That sure is a detailed explanation. There's no way we mere mortals can come anywhere near that is there? Wow!

Thank you for taking the time Sug.

Lorna
x x x

No problem, any time!

jeremyinsf · #5 07-13-2013, 08:06 PM

It depends on the plant though, also. What is said above makes sense for Phalaenopsis, but not all orchids grow that way. And you don't need perfect conditions to get more than one spike. I saw a Phal yesterday that was grown on a dining room table. It was a 3 spike plant when it was bought, which have faded. The owner didn't realize there were two nice big new spikes coming out, together, until I pointed them out!

I have a Paphiopedilum sukhakulii that has seven spikes on it right now. It's a mature, large plant, and they came up on their own. In my house! But Paph's grow much different than Phals.

Many orchids are 'seasonal bloomers' and when the plant is ready to spike, it will :-)

So I say, don't give up!!!

bellini girl · #6 07-13-2013, 11:56 PM

Conditions notwithstanding, I think orchids that are allowed to grow to" specimen" size often have many more spikes. I just now resisting the urge to divide some plants at repotting time, opting rather to put them in bigger pots

tucker85 · #7 07-14-2013, 09:29 AM

I agree with bellini girl, large, mature specimen type plants will often have more spikes. But it's also in the DNA of some orchids to produce multiple spikes while others will always have the tendency to grow only one spike.

RosieC · #8 07-15-2013, 12:44 PM

When this was discussed here before, I read that they keep them at temperatures which promote blooming but actually inhibit flowering. This can cause fast strong growth. They keep them that way for at least 18 months. Because Phals flower on a cycle 12 months these phals are then overdue for flowering.

Then shortly before they go to market a whole greenhouse full will have their temps dropped. A level of a drop by 10 degrees rings a bell, but not sure if that is C or F.

The plants are strong and as said above have been growing in ideal growing conditions. They are overdue for flowering, they are just bursting to put out spikes... so you get pretty much all of them spiking together and usually with multiple spikes.

This means they can ship whole batches together, knowing they are all spiking at the same time (rather than picking and choosing which to send to market).

This is of course the mass market approach and I think this was something happening in the European large scale nurseries (which is where the UK tends to get a lot of the mass market phals).

So... getting lots in your home environment... basically it's a mixture of genetics (one with 5 spikes when bought not routinely gets 2, another with 2 when bought only ever gets 1 now). Then size, health and maturity of the plant.

---------- Post added at 04:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:42 PM ----------

It also tends to mean that when we buy them they are 'out of sync' with their natural blooming cycle. Which means it can often take 18+ months to fall back into a natural cycle.