Bud blast from low humidity?

[greenpassion]

Originally Posted by No-Pro-mwa

It really is too bad about the blast. I have the same phal and mine is blooming away right now. It's the one that this year is branching all over the place very crowded bunch of blooms. I'm not sure what my humidity is but I know it's not very high.

Well whatever you're doing is working better and whatever I'm doing. But I'm happy for you that's for sure!

[Mountaineer370]

The humidity in my home has been running in the teens or twenties this winter. Today, it's up to 33, but the outside temperature is also 58. (We'll be back in the deep freeze in a couple days.) Adding a humidifier in my home is not an option, so the plants have to make do.

To help them out, I am watering A LOT, much more than usual. A couple of my oncidium types and my one little cattleya seem to need the most water, about every other day. The phals can go maybe three days. I know that must sound like overwatering to some of you.

I'm not currently using skewers, though I have in the past, and it is a good way to gauge water needs if you're not sure. I go by weight of the pot and color of the roots.

Of course, each of us has unique growing conditions, and we all use a variety of pots and media, and all of these things will factor in to water needs that will vary among us.

One of my phals is blooming right now and doing well, and another has a spike that is developing buds. I'm hoping they will stay happy. I only own eight orchids, so having two of them blooming at the same time is a thrill for me.

Maybe you could experiment with watering a little more frequently?

[greenpassion]

Originally Posted by Mountaineer370

The humidity in my home has been running in the teens or twenties this winter. Today, it's up to 33, but the outside temperature is also 58. (We'll be back in the deep freeze in a couple days.) Adding a humidifier in my home is not an option, so the plants have to make do.

To help them out, I am watering A LOT, much more than usual. A couple of my oncidium types and my one little cattleya seem to need the most water, about every other day. The phals can go maybe three days. I know that must sound like overwatering to some of you.

I'm not currently using skewers, though I have in the past, and it is a good way to gauge water needs if you're not sure. I go by weight of the pot and color of the roots.

Of course, each of us has unique growing conditions, and we all use a variety of pots and media, and all of these things will factor in to water needs that will vary among us.

One of my phals is blooming right now and doing well, and another has a spike that is developing buds. I'm hoping they will stay happy. I only own eight orchids, so having two of them blooming at the same time is a thrill for me.

Maybe you could experiment with watering a little more frequently?

I have a total of 28 phals, and of them, I have 8 'mini' phals. These are in 2" and 3"pots, in bark, and these I water every day. The others are in 4 to 6 " pots, and 2 in 8" pots, and these I only water around every 7th to 9th day. The one I am posting about is in a large 8" rand air cone pot, in straight bark. I will see what happens by watering it more often, but the buds that have started to blast are well on their way. Next bloom time I'll know better.

---------- Post added at 07:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:12 PM ----------

There are times when I miss the days when I only had a few to worry about...

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by greenpassion

I just posted this and then my phone did something weird so I guess I'll do it again and hope it's not a double post. I thought so too Camille. But since the cold snap I have not been able to get the humidity above 37 or 39%. With 3 humidifiers. And a lot of other plants. It is because it is an open room and an old house. And it looks like I'm going to lose the buds on the lower branches that have come out from the main Spike. Also the tiny end buds on the main spikes. I do however have too many cells that have bloomed everybody and they are glorious. I will take pictures of all the plants on this glass tray once they are bloomed.

Hopefully it's only temporary, and once the weather warms up and the heating isn't running on high the humidifiers will be able to do their job.

[Mountaineer370]

Originally Posted by greenpassion

There are times when I miss the days when I only had a few to worry about...

Funny how that goes, isn't it? I wish I had a few more to fuss over.

[Merita]

Greepassion, yours is healthy, mine is no longer, my case was more sad, I found my phal, which was opening a spike and had 11 flowers on it and 3 on the branch, with a split spike and on the floor of the greenhouse I have spent the day disappointed because this is seeing the fruit of my work, lost. I have many spikes, and I feel insecure, I did not expect this accident. If this happens to one of the new ones that I have adorning my room, I would have felt it but not as much as those that I have cared for with much love, it is not the same.

[greenpassion]

Originally Posted by Merita

Greepassion, yours is healthy, mine is no longer, my case was more sad, I found my phal, which was opening a spike and had 11 flowers on it and 3 on the branch, with a split spike and on the floor of the greenhouse I have spent the day disappointed because this is seeing the fruit of my work, lost. I have many spikes, and I feel insecure, I did not expect this accident. If this happens to one of the new ones that I have adorning my room, I would have felt it but not as much as those that I have cared for with much love, it is not the same.

Oh! I am so sorry! I can't imagine. What caused the accident?

[Merita]

I really do not know, I had it in my little greenhouse because there was good weather, maybe some squirrel entered. She was on the floor and there was another tack that did not fall. Since yesterday they are in a room because of the low temperatures we have until Saturday. Greetings.