Bud Blast :( - Orchid Board

butterfly_muse · #1 02-22-2014, 07:15 PM

Hello everyone, long time no see!

I hope you have all been well!

Anyway, to the point: I have two mini phals that are happily in spike (one with just one tall spike, and another with 3!) and the buds come up and then blast. Every single time.

I have not gotten a single flower out of them, they just blast.

I can't figure out why. Is it humidity related? Temperature? Light? They obviously have enough light to spike and grow buds, their roots are healthy...=\ Do they need more water? I've been watering them weakly weekly with fertilizer while in spike, and I spray them a few times a day for humidity, as it's fairly dry in the house (40-50%ish). It gets down to ~65-68 during the night and is around 70-75 during the day indoors.

Should I try to find a small tabletop humidifier? Water them more? Do something with the temperature? I'm stumped.

Leafmite · #2 02-22-2014, 08:01 PM

Is there any air blowing on them? Cold draft? Hot, dry heat? Temperature changes? Very dry air? These things can knock out flowers quite quickly.

butterfly_muse · #3 02-22-2014, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leafmite

Is there any air blowing on them? Cold draft? Hot, dry heat? Temperature changes? Very dry air? These things can knock out flowers quite quickly.

The heating vent is probably 4 feet or so under them off to the right by about a foot. Could that do it?

Leafmite · #4 02-22-2014, 10:02 PM

If the air blows directly on them, it might be. My daughter lost her blooms due to a cold draft. The phal is now re-blooming on the spike and is putting up a new spike...and on a table over the heating vent. The table keeps the air from directly hitting the flowers.
There are other reasons for blasting, too. These just seem like the most common reasons.

butterfly_muse · #5 02-22-2014, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leafmite

If the air blows directly on them, it might be. My daughter lost her blooms due to a cold draft. The phal is now re-blooming on the spike and is putting up a new spike...and on a table over the heating vent. The table keeps the air from directly hitting the flowers.
There are other reasons for blasting, too. These just seem like the most common reasons.

It doesn't blow directly on them, the vent is off to the side. There is a window nearby that may be drafty, but we have thermal curtains and I have not felt any cold drafts while over there. It does get cooler on the outer ends of the apartment at night (our thermostat is right in the middle so it doesn't measure the cooler ends with the big windows that well), but still the lowest I've seen my agrometer is 65 degrees. Though it has gotten as low as like 38% humidity. =\ I'm starting to think the humidity is the issue. I'm not too sure how to raise it, though. Maybe a table top humidifier?

Leafmite · #6 02-23-2014, 12:00 AM

Humidity could definitely be the problem. Our house is very dry this year because of the cold outdoor weather we've been having. I put my daughter's among the other plants for better humidity. For some of my orchids, I bought a clear, plastic drop cloth and covered the shelves to keep in the humidity...a makeshift greenhouse. I really haven't tried any other methods on raising humidity so I can't really advise you here.
Hopefully, you will get re-blooming and enjoy flowers after all. Good luck.

james mickelso · #7 02-23-2014, 05:19 PM

I doubt if it is humidity related. Temps and nitrogen are the chief causes of bud drop. Usually temperature swings. But it could be bugs and watering them too much. Remember that when you water, the temperature at the roots drops quite a lot. At this stage I would not water them unless the temperature of the surrounding air is at least in the 70's. Phals often times produce flowers when it is dry in their natural environment. High nitrogen ratios can cause bud blast. I would watch the watering and if they are near one of those big windows there might be cool air falling off the surface of the glass and hitting the flowers. Also very small mealies and scale nymphs can get down into the flower stem axils and cause bud blast. Any fruit around them can do the same thing. Hope this helps.

butterfly_muse · #8 02-23-2014, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by james mickelso

I doubt if it is humidity related. Temps and nitrogen are the chief causes of bud drop. Usually temperature swings. But it could be bugs and watering them too much. Remember that when you water, the temperature at the roots drops quite a lot. At this stage I would not water them unless the temperature of the surrounding air is at least in the 70's. Phals often times produce flowers when it is dry in their natural environment. High nitrogen ratios can cause bud blast. I would watch the watering and if they are near one of those big windows there might be cool air falling off the surface of the glass and hitting the flowers. Also very small mealies and scale nymphs can get down into the flower stem axils and cause bud blast. Any fruit around them can do the same thing. Hope this helps.

I only water them once a week, and with a balanced fertilizer (and I don't water them with fertilizer every time). =\ If anything I may not water them enough given how dry it is in the house. This morning the agrometer was at 35% humidity.

I don't see any signs of bugs...how would I know if there were any? And we have insulated curtains, so I don't think any cold air really reaches them (they're kind of off in their own corner but the window is a few feet away)...

but maybe some does.

james mickelso · #9 02-23-2014, 05:37 PM

I have never had any problems with low humidities blasting buds on any of my orchids. It gets downright deserty here at the coast in the winter with the santa anas. Down into the single digits for a couple days. I have had bud blast when I water them at lower temps. I know excess nitrogen relative to P and K also blast buds. If you look down into the junction of the flower stems and spike you will see a whitish material. Very, very small in the larval or nymph stage. Are your roots ok? As I said, when you water the temperature in the media at the roots drops quite a bit. Especially if the ambient air temps are low or the humidity is low. Just a thought.

WhiteRabbit · #10 02-23-2014, 05:38 PM

I don't think it's a humidity issue...
In my climate, daytime humidity is often much lower.

Just to be sure, I'd move it farther from the heat vent, or block that side of the plant from the possibility if air blowing on it.

Are these in a window? If so, how cold has it been outside?