The big commercial Phal growers work very hard to time the blooming quite precisely. The orchid that blooms a week before Mother's Day or Christmas is worth a lot more than one that blooms a week after. So they manipulate temperature (and probably light) so that, after shipping, their "crop" is at its presentable best at precisely the right time.
Just as aside, I knew an excellent local Cymbidium grower who decided that he could make more money in Phaenopsis. He bought a greenhouse, hired the previous owner to run it. He thought he was doing fine until he got his first request for an order - 1000 white Phalaenopsis each with one flower open. Well, he went into a business about which he knew nothing, and of course ended up bankrupt.
The successful wholesale nurseries know how to do it so that they really can have 1000, or thousands, of plants at just the right stage at the right time.
nothing like maximizing profit! seems a lot easier to just struggle with our windowsill plants. but for sure learning how they do it should help us a bit. although i admit having a small greenhouse has always been a dream...having a yard first would help!
Temperature dropped down dramatically and boom I got a double Spike!
__________________ Sade
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