Otaara 'Island Flare'

[Shawna]

Help Please? I bought this plant 4 years ago in flower and it hasn't re-flowered since. It grows new growths like crazy and loves it under my lights but never no flowers. I am just using a balanced fertilzer very weakly once a week. Right now it is planted in bark mix. It even grows bare root with nothing in a pot with no problems. Why does this grow so many leaves and no flowers?
Wrong Fertizler?????

[Oscarman]

Oooo, this is a Blc. Oconee hybrid (one of my favorite Cattleya parents).

Otaara Island Flare = Blc. Oconee x Lctna. Peggy San
(photo courtesy of Michigan OS)

Your orchid sounds healthy with all the growth. I lean towards insufficient light and/or temperature.

Insufficient light is the most common cause of failure to re-bloom your orchid. Leaf color indicates if the amount of light is adequate. The lush, rich, dark green of most houseplants is not desirable in orchid leaves. Aim for more of a grassy green color (light or medium green with yellowish tones) means the plant is receiving sufficient light to bloom. Cattleyas and their hybrids need the brightest light of all, and do well in a southern exposure. Remember when moving plants to a bright exposure, of changing bulbs in you plant set up it is a good idea to do so gradually. This will reduce the risk of burning the leaves. The increased intensity of a whole new bank of fluorescent bulbs can cause "sunburn" on your plants.

Many orchids like a day and night temperature variation of about 10-15° year round, especially to stimulate them to bloom. Your Cattleya hybrid should do fine at regular house temperature, although they prefer a bit warmer. I think that you should be aiming for a day temp of 70-85°F and a night temp of 60-70°F. Minimum/Maximum thermometers are relatively inexpensive and are a great tools to monitor the high and low temps in your growing space.

Hope that helps.

[Shawna]

It was in a south window and then under lights. Her leaves are real light green. I believe the light is fine by looking at her leaves. Maybe it is the temperature. I have Minimum/Maximum thermometers. Reading about 85 day and 78 night which I think should be ok. I have re-potted her alot though thinking I needed to change what she was planted in and I know that they have to start a whole new root process each time. So maybe I just have created the no flowering by doing that. You know you just expect flowers after so long of time. Patience is the name of the game.

[PaphMadMan]

If you have never given the plant 2 years of consistent conditions, same light, same type of media, etc. you haven't really given it a fair chance to adapt and settle in and decide it is time to flower. It might not matter with some plants that flower no matter what, but others may not deal with changes as well. If the plant seems healthy stick with what it is getting through at least 2-3 rounds of new growth without changes. Repot if you have to but stick with one type of mix.

2 changes to consider though... It really isn't easy to give a large-ish Catt hybrid enough light with artifical lights. You haven't said what kind of light set-up you have, but consider increasing it if you can.

And such a small difference between day and night temps isn't really ideal for most plants. If there is something you can do to increase the difference to about 15F it might make a difference.

[Shawna]

Yeah I new by repotting to much was slowing the flowering. I will see about increasing the light and getting a better temperature difference. It would be cooler at night on the floor plus I do have a fan.