How long do Phalaenopsis orchids bloom?

[Joshaeus]

Hi everyone! My sister purchased a Phal orchid (which we subsequently named 'Blush') from a grocery store in January and gave it to my mom as a gift. A few days later I set it up in a passive hydroponics system, with clay media and sitting in a pool of seedling-strength hydroponic solution, and (since it is in a north window with the window shade blocking it) set it up with an 800 lumen, 5000K daylight bulb for 12 hours a day on a timer (keeping the leaves at about 1000-1500 footcandles depending on where the light meter is placed...not 100% sure what the PAR is, but plugging that value into a lux to PPFD calculator suggests 185 umol per second for 1000 footcandles, and this orchid has noticeable red tones in the leaves). Three months later and it's still blooming - it's only had a single bloom shrivel during that period, and the remaining blooms are still pristine. How long do phals hold their blooms for, and when do they typically rebloom? I included some pics for reference...thanks

[DirtyCoconuts]

very nice setup

Phals can hold their flowers for a LONG time...i have had them last 4-5 months on lucky plants.


As for the rebloom question, mine all start to put out spike in nov-dec and keep flowering until summer..there are a couple that i have that seem to just keep sending out spikes too, i think that is a combination of a big plant and its genetics

[Joshaeus]

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

very nice setup

Phals can hold their flowers for a LONG time...i have had them last 4-5 months on lucky plants.


As for the rebloom question, mine all start to put out spike in nov-dec and keep flowering until summer..there are a couple that i have that seem to just keep sending out spikes too, i think that is a combination of a big plant and its genetics

Thanks! I've taken care of three phals and this is the first one (and indeed first orchid) that has done well. I'll say a little more about my setup if it could help someone else...the plant is in hydroponic clay media (the porous pebbles) in a pot with a drainage hole, situated in a wider reservoir container with a layer of hydroponic solution (more specifically a mix of floragro, florabloom, and floramicro at seedling strength - namely 1.25 ml/quarter teaspoon per gallon of water) extending up to 1/3rd the height of the pot the plant is in. Once a week I rinse the pot out with tap water, dump out the reservoir container, and fill it with new hydroponics solution; I also rotate the plant at that time. A similar protocol (albeit with a nutrient solution twice as potent) is working well for an african violet (blooming vigorously), a pepperomia (also blooming vigorously), a Clivia (growing well, but they bloom in winter), and a chinese evergreen...I wash the soil off the roots, place the plant in hydroponics media, and keep it on seedling level solution with a little less light for the first few weeks to help it adjust.

[SouthPark]

Josh ..... for general details like how long the flowers can last for - for phals or other orchids, you can generally find this sort of information with google. Eg ...... google: 'phal bloom duration', or anything like that.

I think the first hit on the google search will be that "just add ice" company. Don't bother looking at their information, as their ice-cube watering recommendation belongs in the phal abuse category. Some jail time or a meeting with the government authorities will be fitting for them.

Maybe go for other links like Phalaenopsis Orchid Care

[ghuylar]

It depends on the species. Most complex hybrids can bloom for months on end. Personally, mine tend to flower for 3-4 months, but at my university there is a phal in the greenhouse which has been in bloom constantly for the 2 years I have been there! Who knows how long it was in bloom before that!

[nikkik]

There are so many factors about how long blooms will last on a phalaenopsis. Temperature, species, light, water and a long lists of other factors come into play. I have a phal that was in bloom for at least 8 months and several (species) plants that have only stayed in bloom for a week. So to answer your question, it's hard to know unless it's bloomed for you before or you look up the exact name of the plant and find out based on the information/experience of other growers how long your particular plant normally stays in bloom.

[Tindomul]

I have a Phal hybrid (Baldan's Kaleidoscope) that blooms consistently every October, and the blooms don't finish until May or so. I currently have it in bloom.

[camille1585]

Flower texture also plays a role in how long a Phal will stay in bloom. Flowers with thick, waxy petals tend to last much longer than thin petaled Phals. In my collection, the longest lasting flowers are about 5 months, and the shortest is 2 months. I'm talking about individual flowers, and not how long a spike lasts (spikes can produce new buds, especially the sequential type Phals)