When Do You Decide to Rehome an Orchid? - Orchid Board

Mountaineer370 · #1 05-20-2018, 09:41 AM

Something that has been often repeated on this forum is the fact that orchids will teach us patience. I've only been growing orchids for a short time compared to many of you, around three years, and I have come to really appreciate the truth of that idea.

However, I have only a very small space for orchids in my home. Presently, I own a grand total of thirteen orchids, and they all reside on my kitchen table, in front of a good-sized south-facing window. Only two of my orchids (both Phals, both the first two orchids I got) have ever rebloomed for me. One of the Phals took 19 months to rebloom. The other one has rebloomed at intervals of 8, 14, then 7 months.

I have a few Oncidium types, and they are between a year and a half to two years here with no reblooms ever. Ditto with my one Cattleya. I have a few Paphs, one of which is well over a year old, but it's growing a nice new fan, and I know it will not rebloom until that fan is mature. My other Paphs and a couple of newer Phals have not been with me long enough to expect blooms.

I'm getting discouraged. I'm starting to think I just don't have the right conditions to bloom orchids. Everything I have grows new roots and foliage just fine, but I'm having no luck getting flowers. I'm starting to think of rehoming many of these, especially the oncidiums and the catt, since I don't have the space to spare to just have them sitting around doing nothing. I wish I did. I feel guilty for thinking about this. Plants are nice, even if they don't have flowers, but I think those of us who grow orchids do so hoping for flowers, even though it may be a long wait in between.

So how long is long enough? Do you have a rule of thumb about how long you keep an orchid before you decide it might be happier living somewhere else? Or are you someone who will just keep them forever, waiting for that special occasion when they may surprise you with blooms?

Dollythehun · #2 05-20-2018, 10:05 AM

Cheri, only you know the answer to that question. But, I think you don't have enough light. Can you set up shelves or a baker's rack with lights attached? That's my set up and it's not at all unattractive. Or you could hang shelves from the window to get them closer to the light.

katrina · #3 05-20-2018, 10:31 AM

As Carol said, only you can answer what is right for you. Personally, I have a couple the I've had for 10 years and still no blooms but I have more space so I can continue to play with the culture to try and get those blooms.

If my space were more limited, I would give a plant 2 years and if no blooms...i would get rid of it.

Given you spacial challenges and the fact that you have had success with phals...you might want to focus only on the lower light orchids. Or, as Carol stated, you could supplement your light and that would probably solve the bloom problem with the higher light orchids. Again, only you can decide what's best for you and/or how much "extra" you want to do to get those blooms. There are plenty of lower light orchids that would do well with phals.

I'd also like to add...this is a hobby and that means we should enjoy it...it shouldn't become another job in our lives and we shouldn't feel guilty about any aspect of it. Do what makes YOU happy!

sweetjblue · #4 05-20-2018, 10:50 AM

Cheri the age of your plants might also be a contributing factor on why they have not bloomed. You have to consider the fact that when you bought them were they blooming size or seedlings.

Another factor is that the plants we buy have been grow in optimum conditions and most need a period of adjustment when now grown in the home. That could be a year, most often more.

You've already proven to yourself that you can get phals to rebloom so as mentioned already maybe the other genera you have just need some additional light.

How long you feel like waiting is entirely up to you.

Judi

Mountaineer370 · #5 05-20-2018, 07:37 PM

Thanks for the replies so far. To answer some of your questions: Of my thirteen plants, ten of them were purchased in bud or bloom. Two were not in bloom but had old spikes, so they were definitely mature and had bloomed before. Then there is one Paph that I just bought a couple months ago. The seller told me it was blooming size but had not yet bloomed for the first time. It's got two fans and is growing new leaves on both of them, so I'm hopeful. I decided when I first got into orchids that seedlings were not for me, not with my limited space.

Carol, I think you may be onto something with the light issue. I've been wondering about that, too. (That and the fact that my temps are the same day and night.) It seems like an unobstructed south-facing window would be enough, but maybe not. I place the Oncidiums and the Catt closest to the window, and they are between one and two feet from the glass.

That may be a problem without a workable solution, though. This is our kitchen/dining room, one of the main living areas of our small house, and even if I wanted to, I don't think I could sell my husband on hanging plant lights from the ceiling. Also, my eyes are extremely sensitive to the ultra brightness of fluorescent and especially LED lighting, so the plants might love them, but I would not.

Katrina, I'm also thinking that two years is going to be about the limit of my patience. I will gradually rehome the Oncidiums and Cattleya, and if I get any new ones, they will have to be Phals or maybe Paphs, if those end up doing well for me. I'll have to look into other types of low-light orchids.

Judi, you're absolutely right that, oftentimes, the orchids we buy and bring home have just come from a greenhouse, and living in household conditions is a big adjustment.

Roberta · #6 05-20-2018, 07:50 PM

A word on Paphs.... some are REALLY slow to bloom (especially the big multi-floral ones) Others are a bit faster, but a young plant may still skip years of blooming - once the "fan" develops, then come the roots, and only after that does it think about blooming. So with limited space, I'd suggest that you don't get too many of these... enough so that you have the thrill and excitement when they do bloom, but have enough others to provide gratification of flowers in between.

Dollythehun · #7 05-20-2018, 07:51 PM

Cheri, I have my LED strips bolted to my Baker's rack shelves. They are nearly invisible and the light shines down, not out. You would think that south and unobstructed would be enough but I couldn't bloom catts in that exposure. In the summer the trees leafed out and I probably couldn't bloom oncidiums either. Think outside the box...?

Roberta · #8 05-20-2018, 08:06 PM

Another note on Paph choice... if you can get your hands on one of the sequential bloomers such as P. victoria regina, P chamberlainianum (may be a synonym... or not), P. liemianum, etc. and hybrids in that group, once they get going they pop out a new flower every month or six weeks as the old one fades. On those, a spike may stay in bloom for a couple of YEARS... The plants are typically not that large, and really rewarding. House temperatures are fine for them.

Mountaineer370 · #9 05-20-2018, 08:31 PM

Roberta, thanks for that information about Paphs. It will be helpful in making future choices. I guess it's a good thing I like most Phals. I find their foliage pleasing, even when they're not in bloom. I do know that they're not all alike, though, and some are more fussy than others.

Carol, there is no place in this room (or anywhere else in the house) to fit even the narrowest baker's rack. I wish there was.

King_of_orchid_growing:) · #10 05-21-2018, 01:56 AM

If you are intent on growing Oncidiums and Cattleya, more light is definitely in order for them to be able to bloom. These orchids do not grow under the exact same conditions where Phals thrive in.

They should not be a dark green in color. They should be a light green.

In the case of certain Cattleya, if there is strong enough light, they can produce anthocyanin pigments, (the violet colored pigments), to shield themselves from the excess light. As long as the light is not strong enough to burn the orchids, they will be ok.

If you want suggestions for orchids that do not require a lot of light other than Phalaenopsis, maybe that could get you going in the right direction.

What you are able to do for the orchids or what you are willing to do for the orchids is up to you. You are the one who understands your situation the best.