Bloom time for phalaenopsis in zone 9B

[Marion]

Hi,
I'm new to this forum, and to owning two Phal orchids. My son gave me both a white and pink that bloomed for about two months. I am in zone 9B in Florida and wondered when the normal bloom time is for this type of orchid. I really want to take care of these beautiful plants. They are currently on my back porch with pretty good lighting and no direct sun.

[justatypn]

Your in the prime area for phals. They should do well, they are very forgiving. It does not take long for them to acclimate to your environment but some of them can get a bit bratty and show an attitude but will come around. Keep them mildly moist if they are on your patio. Hopefully your patio is fit for a fan to provide good air circulation especially now that we are in the rainy season. It will be hard to say if and when and how many times a year they will bloom. It really depends on the type of orchids. I have one that recently stopped blooming (4th time around) which was bought for me on valentines day 2007. Than there are the ones that I am still tapping my feet waiting for them to show me that they are happy campers. Just give them the care they need and they will flourish when they see fit

[Marion]

Thanks so much Cheryl. Yes, I do have a standing fan on the porch and will start using that. It sounds like I just need to check mositure levels on a routine basis. I am using an orchid liquid fertilizer that I add to water (very mild) and water them in the kitchen sink, usually about once a week or when they start to feel dry. Regarding the bloom time, I wiill continue to watch over them and hopefully be surprised when blooms do appear. I am trying to familiarize myself with some of the orchid terminalogy and care. Thanks again!

[Spider]

Hallo Marion
A Phalaenopsis can flower anytime of the year. I live in Sweden and have dark winters but then I give them artificial light, so I have daylight energy saving bulbs for them. The temperature is also lower in winter. My plants flower in early spring to autumn. The plants stand in a north-west windows and get some morning sun. They are very easy to cultivate. i have an old Phalaenopsis from -91. It has been flowering from april and is still going strong with 20 large flowers on 2 spikes. The spikes are long so I let them hang down lika a waterfall.

[Marion]

Spider,
Thanks so much for the lighting information. My screened in porch also faces north and west. Your Phal must love you to be blooming since 1991! I have heard stories where after a year or two they stop blooming, so you must be doing everything right. I am gathering from the posts that much information is obtained from other peoples experience, and the other by trial and error. Thanks for sharing.
Marion