Hopless? No blooms

[huntsluck]

I have 2 Phal, One I have had for 2 years, the other I was given as a gift 2 weeks ago.
I have both in a East window with a sheer curtain over the window. Temp in the room is 70 to 74. I mist the Phals once a day.
Problem.: The one I have had for two years has never bloomed. The new one was covered with Buds (about 15) They are not blooming but drying up and falling off. Any Help or Ideas are more then welcome.
Thank you in Kansas

[bellini girl]

Hi Huntsluck, have a look at roots, they often give us a clue as to what is going on with the plant. Also, do you fertilize?/ How often. Can u post pics. Usually really helpful if we can see the plant. Lots of experts here on OB and I'm sure they'll jump in with advise. Good luck Oh and to OB

Lecent

[kiki-do]

Welcome Huntsluck!
Do you actually soak the roots or do you just mist? It sounds like the buds are drying up due to lack of water maybe????
Do you soak the roots and let dry out almost completely before watering and do you fertilize every other watering? Pics and more of your regimen could help us help you more.
Yes, the roots give awesome clues to what is wrong.
Another thing, are the roots getting adequate air flow?
We can get to the bottom of this....not to worry.

[Bird Song Farm]

Hi,
They could both use more light. There is no need for a sheer curtain if they are in an East window.
That would help the one you've had for awhile.
As for the new one, I'll go with Lecent and KiKi-do, look at the roots and tell us what is going on there.
Has the newer one under gone any type of abrupt temperture change recently?
Al

[huntsluck]

Water once a week and do fertilizer everyother week. The water I use sets for a week, my city thinks it needs to add a army of chems. The older plant has one very heathy root out side of the pot.
The first Phal I had watering once a week made it root. So am an a bit more careful with watering. Thanks everyone

[caseydoll]

This is just a thought but if a root rotted being watered once a week it may be that the potting mix has broken down. If your environment is really humid then maybe that isn't the problem but it's worth checking out. Everyone's environment is different but if a phal has a nice new open, airy mix watering once a week shouldn't rot anything.

[justatypn]

We all have had experiences with the “why’s” of our orchids not blooming. So with that here is my 2 cents. If your older phal was bought at lets say a box store, super market of sorts those type of orchids are force bloomed for quick turnover and profit sales to the retailer, a phal without blooms is worthless to the retailer. So be patient with this one, it will show you in due time how happy it is. As for the newest addition, simply bud blast. This can be due to a few different things. Orchids do not like quick change in environment for example, less dense air movement, car travel with direct a/c to prevent it from over-heating, light changes…throwing these out there for you to pick at your brain to see if it could be merely a bud blast which is not going to kill the orchid just acclimating.

It is not unusual for these things to happen as long as the phal is in a generally good lighted area, air circulation, weak weekly with fert and a normal watering regimen.

Look at it this way, when we move to a new home environment we need time to adjust, they are just letting there hair down….

[mehitabel]

I agree with everyone here, but would like to emphasize a couple of points:

1. Birdsong's point about light. East-window light is almost perfect for phals, but it needs to be unobstructed. The sheer curtain is blocking probably more than half the light, and the plants aren't getting enough.

More light is the #1 prescription given by specialists for inducing blooming.

2. Your two-yr old probably needs a repot into fresh medium. Give it one anyway, even if you think it doesn't need it. Phal roots are sensitive to salts of various kinds, which do tend to accumulate in old media. Fresh media eliminates them. Old medium also tends to break down with time and holds less air and way too much water. Result is root rot.

The repot also gives you a chance to check out the condition of the roots, as someone suggested above.

Phals get a burst of new growth for several months after repotting. So the increase in light and new medium should really get your plant going.

Be sure to put it in the smallest size pot that will just fit the roots.

3. Water once a week -- this can be way too much or too little, depending on the plants situation and the condition of the medium. Brand-new bark medium needs water more often than older medium.

Learn to tell how often the plant needs watering either with the skewer method, or by lifting the pot (a pot that needs water feels too light).

I use the old gardener's finger inch down the pot, and the pot lifting to tell when to water.

Fertilizer, use at 1/4 strength of the directions on the label.

4. Check out the culture notes at bigleaforchids.com. They are notes on how to grow and bloom phals, written specifically for new indoor growers. Reading them will repay you well in growth, blooms and in confidence about your growing.