Minimal buds on phals

[Syrinth]

Hey everyone, so I've been growing orchids for a few years now and I have more phals than I know what to do with. Every year they've been blooming but every time they bloom I only get a very minimal number of buds. This year I have four buds per spike.

Any suggestions about what could possibly be the problem? Maybe not enough watering or light?

[RosieC]

They always produce less in a home environment than when you first buy them (unless you have really ideal conditions which is rare in the home for most of us).

Having said that I expect more than four flowers and all of mine this year have only produced 3 or 4. I don't know the reason, but I do know mine have had a lot less water this year because I've struggled to keep up with watering them as often as I want. We also have a very dull summer in the UK, so either light or water could be a factor.

Do you cut old spikes down, or do you leave them to re-bloom. I find that old spikes on most phals only ever give a 2-3, maybe 4 flowers and if an old spike is present new spikes that form also give a lot less flowers. I generally get more if I cut down the old spike after it's finished flowering. Hasn't helped this year, but that's my usual experience.

[zxyqu]

Also of importance, do you know what kind of Phal it is? Is it a named hybrid or a NoID. When you purchased them were there multiple spikes? with branches? Lots of blooms?

Rosie is spot on with her assessment of in home growing. It's tough to get that great showing again without really great care and conditions. Just try to provide as much light as Phals need, sufficient water and fertilizer the next go round, and see if you get more.

[quiltergal]

There are several things to consider here. When was the last time the plant was repotted? Funky media can slow down a plants growth. Is it growing new leaves & roots regularly? Going through an active vegetative cycle is very important to a plant's overall health. Good nutrition during that vegetative growth cycle is also very important. The healthier the plant the more energy it can spare for flowers. I ALWAYS cut off last years spikes on hybrids. Any flowers that old spike may give you will be smaller in size and count. Better to have the plant spend energy on a new spike that will give you more flowers. The only exception I make to cutting old spikes is with species. They typically aren't very floriforous anyway.

[NYCorchidman]

3 or 4 flowers per spike does sound minimal unless that is normal for your plant.

As mentioned above, underwatering can cause plants to produce smaller number of flowers and in sever case, no flowers at all or developing buds abort.

Good light is probably the most important.
How much light do your phals get? One of the biggest misconception about growing phals is the low light. Well, lower than some, but that's all relative.
Many peopl think low light is the same as shade. this is far from the truth!
Phals need quite a bit of light, just short of burning.
With more light, you can get the most flowering potential out of your phals.

I wa given a large flowering white phal with almost 10 flowers years ago. My old place only had north and partial east window. and these windows are huge with no obstruction. The plant only got max one hour direct morning sun and the rest of the day was bright shade. It grew two leaves and one spike each year, but only three or four flower per spike, like yours do.
Well, I moved to a new place with south facing window with all day bright light.
The spike on the same phal is now showing FIVE small buds and still going!

I have another standard size phal, white with red lip. I bought it with over ten flowers and a branch.
Last year, I had eight flowers. This year, I see ten buds and the spike is still growing.
The only thing I changed is the light.
This is the same with all my other plants. More light, more flowers.

[Ordphien]

I agree about the light thing....
My phal in my kitchen gets direct sun for most of the day... so far I've got two spikes and a total of 18 buds... the spikes are still doing their thing and making more too.
My phal in my living room which gets no direct light only has 6 flowers... sigh...
They are different phals though. The one in the kitchen is a phal amabilis, and the one in the living room is a NOID white phal.
When the one in the living room was given to me it had three spikes and around 35 flowers... so I know it's nowhere near its optimum lol.
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[NYCorchidman]

I think amabilis is a very floriferous plant anyway and you are giving the great light it needs to flower to its potential.

The NOID white phal, is it a large phal?
I know there are many different large white phals out there and some can make lots of flowers but most make somewhere from 6 to 15.

With the size of large flowering phal, I personally like 6 or 8 flowers on one spike that arches down elegantly.
'm so excited my NOID large white phal is making at least 6 buds this year! It has such great form and so big!!! waiting begins until the day the first one opens.

By the way, none of my phals bought in triple spike ever does that again. I don't know if it's just a one time thing, or the ideal condition at a nursery...
Have you? if yes, can you share what you do to your phals??

[Ordphien]

Originally Posted by NYCorchidman

I think amabilis is a very floriferous plant anyway and you are giving the great light it needs to flower to its potential.

The NOID white phal, is it a large phal?
I know there are many different large white phals out there and some can make lots of flowers but most make somewhere from 6 to 15.

With the size of large flowering phal, I personally like 6 or 8 flowers on one spike that arches down elegantly.
'm so excited my NOID large white phal is making at least 6 buds this year! It has such great form and so big!!! waiting begins until the day the first one opens.

By the way, none of my phals bought in triple spike ever does that again. I don't know if it's just a one time thing, or the ideal condition at a nursery...
Have you? if yes, can you share what you do to your phals??

Amabilis is a pretty floriferous. Id like to think I'm getting it near its potential..
Kind if close at least.

It is indeed a NOID large white phal... each leaf now measures around 1.5 feet long and the flowers are about 6 inches wide.
It came in a "living arrangement" sent to my grandmother's memorial some years back. Had 3 GIANT spikes each with around 11 or so big white flowers on them. The spacing between the flowers is further than most whites you see.. the flowers are also larger..
It ends up creating a very long gracefully sweeping stems.

I've only gotten two stems....
This is my second year reblooming an orchid at all lol...
Maybe with time I'll make three a goal...
Well actually I might have three..my amabilis is making another little something in between some leaves right now... I noticed it yesterday when counting how many flowers buds it had lol...
Not sure if it's a spike or root yet.

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[NYCorchidman]

Based on your description, your white phal is larger than most on the market.
Not all white phals are the same I've noticed.
The bigger than plants, the taller the spike and larger the flower size. General trend but not a rule I believe.

Mine must be an older hybrid with flower size spanning about 5 in across, which I think is pretty big, well, the biggest phal flower of all the phals I grow.
The plant has been really petit and I love it a lot about the plant until this past year (5th year) all the new leaves got twice as large. With larger leaves came more buds. I'm counting almost seven on one spike.

Multiple spikes, I think, are either in their breeding or random occurance just like branching spikes.

Some phals (usually the ones with smaller flowers) I prefer branching on multiple spikes, but with large phals, I prefer a single spike. I think it just looks neat and elegant that way, but my personal preference.

[Ordphien]

Originally Posted by NYCorchidman

Based on your description, your white phal is larger than most on the market.
Not all white phals are the same I've noticed.
The bigger than plants, the taller the spike and larger the flower size. General trend but not a rule I believe.

Mine must be an older hybrid with flower size spanning about 5 in across, which I think is pretty big, well, the biggest phal flower of all the phals I grow.
The plant has been really petit and I love it a lot about the plant until this past year (5th year) all the new leaves got twice as large. With larger leaves came more buds. I'm counting almost seven on one spike.

Multiple spikes, I think, are either in their breeding or random occurance just like branching spikes.

Some phals (usually the ones with smaller flowers) I prefer branching on multiple spikes, but with large phals, I prefer a single spike. I think it just looks neat and elegant that way, but my personal preference.

This plant didn't come this big. It got that big though...
Never gotten as big of displays from it though... I know it's the light.
Yours sounds lovely...
Interestingly my white phal has completely turned itself over the edge of the pot and completely turned itself upside down and hanging like a mounted phal...

I prefer big phals to be long arching spikes with no branches as well.
I do love branching mini phals though.


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