Phaleonopsis, temperature requirements

[Edwin Reffell]

Are there any special temperature requirements that Phaleonopsis like to induce bloomimg? Or is there any other treatment that will bring them to flower? I have one which survived the time when I did everything wrong and i would like to see what colours the flowers have. It is over a year since I started to care for it properly but it still has not produced any spikes. Thank you for any advice.

Kind regards,
Edwin

[CPKidofAugusta]

Nights into the 50s F (roughly above 10 C but below 15 C) with days in the 70s F (roughly below 26 C but above 15 C) for a couple of weeks Are generally what I've read that induce good spiking and I can attest to that since after the cool weather we've had here I now have 5 phalaenopsises coming into spike, one plant is only about 2 years old (it's a keiki, so it matured much quicker but i'm still in shock, i did not expect it this year, it's incredibly small compared to the mother plant) and one plant is even sending out spikes.

A shortening of day length can also induce spiking but it won't be a very fruitful spike, last year I kept one of my phals inside all year with consistent temps and although it was a large, quickly growing plant, it only produced 2 flowers. That spike persisted through until this year and is now branching, so I'm going to see if it produces more flowers this year with the temp changes.

[Edwin Reffell]

Thank you. I shall try that. It is light between about 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. now. Outside it is +4 but I can get my glazed balcony the required temperature nights and inside I have about 23 C. So that should be perfect. For my tomatoes and wintering Dendrobiums I try to keep my balcony at 10 C during the daytime. Do you know how long Dendrobiums need low temperature exposure?