phalaenopsis hasnt bloomed in ~3 years

[Optimist]

Originally Posted by lkatwest

Okay. How would I do that in the summer? Could I just leave them outside under a tree for a few weeks?

It is so frustrating because I have 2 other friends who have orchids, and they do nothing special and get multiple blooms per year grrrr.

That is where my non-blooming phals are right now. They are under a tree. I squirt them with hose water about 2X per day (it gets 90-100 here so they dry out easily). I fertilize about once every 2 weeks. All my plants are outside now: Cattleyas, dendrobiums, phals, paphs, phrags. Also my epiphytic cacti, and Hoyas. (I think that is all).

4 of my phals are in bloom right now, so they are inside where I can enjoy the blooms. I bring in plants that bloom, and then when the blooms are gone, they go right out. Although these plants do great in houses, frankly nothing is better for them than a real "outside environment."

Once they have died off, they will go outside too. In late October they come in to live under lights until next spring.

---------- Post added at 05:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:48 PM ----------

Oh-- we do not have squirrels or deer in this part of the country. If you have squirrel or deer problems you might need a chicken wire cage or something like that for your orchids. Sorry to say, orchids are extremely tempting food items for small furry creatures. So beware.