Short flower spikes on Phalaenopsis

[Dalachin]

I agree w NatalieS! Also, you might consider repotting after it blooms, and keeping it warm, giving lots of light, and fertilizing when growing roots and leaves, and you’ll rebloom many times, perhaps more satisfyingly than when it came with blooms.

[dch53]

My orchid started flowering a few weeks ago and looks great. The spikes didn't grow any higher.

The flowers aren't as yellow as they were when the orchid was bought nearly 3 years ago. Could that be caused by some sort of missing trace element?

I've been very sparing with the soluble orchid fertiliser. I may need to actually weigh it rather than guessing.

This orchid is the single surviving specimen of the 6 or so I've repotted over the last 2-3 years after they finished flowering. They've all had the same treatment but gradually all the leaves would turn yellow and drop off one-by-one.

[Roberta]

Light and temperature can both affect color, so that flowers may look different in different bloomings.

[dch53]

Thanks.

[camille1585]

I've also had Phals with a slightly different color depending on conditions, and one also has more or less spots (a stuartiana cross) each year.
Harlequin Phals like yours are also known for occasionally being wildly different from one blooming to another if the conditions were 'right' for it. I've seen threads here of people showing a plant that has normally mottled blooms which suddenly blooms a solid color.

[dch53]

Thanks for that.

[Mountaineer370]

The flowers are still pretty, and it looks like a healthy plant overall.

[Kittyfrex]

Having had pretty similar experience in the last two years, here's a few things i noticed
1) if leaves shirvel before yellowing, you are either under watering or have root problem
2)leaves just turning yellow, from what i experienced, can be either natural aging process or heat stress (had it happen, they survive for a while after, but takes the plant time to recover)
3) So long as you are getting spikes and your orchid had/is producing new leaves, you can think of it as good. Even if a problem arises, having stable conditions that are favourable or at least not bad for the plant buy you extra time
4) Most of my "new" phals, both those that took their time (4 years) and those that spiked soon after (under 6 month from initial bloom drop) tend to make their first spike...laughable. I have 2 Green Apple phals that, their first year and despite being healthy, made a grand total of 7 flowers. One had even double spiked. The flowers were also 30-50% of their last bloom - one spike per plant with a total of 31 flowers.
5) there is no such thing as a too large pot provided you do your substrate well - pure moss is bad in larger pots for most plants for causing fake dry (center of the pot stays wet while the edges dry). But if you fill the middle with bark and sorround it in moisture keeping moss, that can be solved. This is purely an example, as i have most of my plants in 2-3 pot sizes "too large" and all are thriving.

These are, of course, my personal observations as a new orchid grower with extensive background in non orchids (mainly "traditional" ornamental plants for the reagion as well as fruit/vegetable). From the pictures, i see nothing wrong. The flowers are on the smaller size, but that could be new enviroment thing or it could be a smaller bloom individual (you'd know that better if you bought it in bloom already). Just give it time and love, and each new spike will do better than last.

P.s. As for color, i've had 2 plants have two different flowers on the same stem at the same time. Not a huge difference; one missed some tiny spots and pink petal edges while the other one was a much darker shade of magenta on a pinkish flowered plant. No idea what it is, but i don't think it's something you have to stress about much.

[dch53]

Thanks for that. For potting mix I've used the recommendations on the Missouri Botanical Garden site

- 5 parts fresh fir bark, medium grade (¼ to ½ inch chunks) - NOT landscape mulch!
- 1 part horticultural charcoal (not the same as charcoal for barbecues). Note: This ingredient is extremely important as it neutralizes fertilizer salts.
- 1 part sponge rock (perlite)

As for watering, I've found soaking the pot in water for an hour every week works well.

For Christmas and birthdays I encourage people to give me a flowering phalaenopsis. I also ask people to give me theirs after they've finished flowering.

[Kittyfrex]

Best potting mix depends on where you are. If i even tried with bark in anything than the biggest pot, i'd be watering things 24/7. Usually, the further north, the better the bark. It also affect watering regime. I can't contribute on that front as i have only grown them in this specific place. In general, the futher north you are from equador, the more bark/other chunkier material make sure water doesn't stick too much. As i've said, if i even looked at it for anything besides a decorative top layer or ingridient of airier soil mixes, my plants would dehydrate during the summer.