Quote:
Originally Posted by CambriaWhat
Most literature puts 13-15°C as the lower limit for them.
The idea is that they need a bit of stress to take them out of growth mode and put them into flowering mode.
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I wouldn't let them get lower than 60-65°F ...60°F (15.5°C) being the lowest... Below that, and you risk (fungal) root rot,
especially if they are damp/moist/wet. So, I'd say 16-18°C would be the lowest, to be safe. (if you do allow them to go lower than that, just make sure they are completely dry! And never go below 50°F (10°C), IMHO)
To get them to bloom, you just need temps that are 10°
F (don't remember what this value is in Celsius, sorry
*but, it's definitely
not a 10°
Celsius difference!) lower than what they have been experiencing, for about 2-3 weeks... ***but, I would recommend to let them grow for a year, let them acclimate to your environment, before forcing them to bloom. Alot of Phal hybrids only flower once a year. & They could just be too stressed from being forced to flower in the first place (by the nurseries that grew, and sold them to the store you bought them from), and need to rest before spiking/flowering again. They will flower when they are good and ready (given they have the proper conditions to actually flower)... and not a moment sooner! Lol, just the way they work
they certainly give us lessons in patience!
If they just finished blooming, then it's very likely that they won't bloom for another year, at least.... Have patience. They will flower when they are ready. They may not have enough energy to bloom again so soon after the last time (especially after being placed in many different conditions... Your home (not to mention, being moved around to different places in your home), the store, the nursery), and if you were to force them to flower again, it may take all the Phal's energy reserves to do it... It would then be quite hard for it to recover after that... (Sometimes, they even come in that fragile of a condition when we buy them from the big box stores.... & need a lot of TLC.)
Phals dont mind heat... At least not in my experience! All of mine, species & hybrids (with a few special exceptions (certain species), that I'm pretty sure don't apply here) love the heat of the summer, given they have enuf water, humidity, & good air movement, and everything else culture-wise is just right. (I'm talking an average of at least 95°F heat, & up). I'd suggest leaving them by the window, no dilemma there at all!
Also, just remember that you can't make up for a lack of adequate humidity by watering... There's no substitute for proper humidity... Sorry. It sucks, but it's true... And I understand how hard it can be to maintain humidity inside the home (even if the RH outside is high, doesn't
always mean its high inside). Humidity trays don't really do much in the way of raising the RH % ...but if you live by/near a lake, leaving the windows open, might give them enough humidity in your case? But you would know better than I would, about that. I'd suggest a humidifier for the winter/fall cooler months... That will help counter-act the drying effect that winter heating has. (just place one beside your orchids... There's a lot of choices, big and small... I like the cool mist type.. Ultra sonic, I think is what they call it... Don't remember which brand I have, atm)
Sorry for the novel, and if I've explained something (or many things) that you already know, I apologize.
And, if you just
have to have flowers right now..... Go get another Phal thats in flower!!
...btw, could you possibly down-size your pics next time please? They are messing with my iPad screen Lol
Thank you very very much!!
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