Ascocenda Help Needed!
 

Hi everybody! I was given two Ascocendas by a good friend of mine... she has had them for a few years, but they haven't bloomed. I have never grow Vanda-type orchids (When I lived in Pittsburgh, I knew I couldn't provide the right conditions, but now that I'm in North Carolina, I think I have a shot at them!) I have them hanging on a porch facing southwest, so they get a lot of strong afternoon sun, and I water them every morning. When is their normal blooming season? How big must they be to bloom? One is Asc. Joanne Jones (no idea what that looks like!), and the other is a 'lost tag' plant. Any tricks with these guys? THANKS!!! :biggrin:

Here is a photo of the stronger of the two plants...

I think you're doing everything right and the plant looks very healthy. The strong light will help encourage blooming. Ascocenda's can bloom several times during the year. I would recommend using a liquid fertilizer once a week during the summer. I use a hand spray bottle that I got from Home Depot for less than $5. I mix the fertilizer at 1/4 to 1/2 the recommended dose and spray my ascocenda's every weekend. I mist the plant with water before I fertilize. Good luck.

I have some Ascocenda that are smaller then the one you pictured that bloom for me several times a year and I have some that are larger then the one pictured that have never bloomed for me. You mentioned that you water every morning which is a good thing but the question is how much water, you need to make sure that those roots turn green before you stop watering it might take more then 1 dose of water to get there, they look good in the picture but darker green then what is showing is what you are looking for. How often do you fertilize, they love fertilizer and I dose mine each week here in South Florida, I also use Bloom Booster starting the first of March every week for 3 weeks then again I will use Bloom Booster in October for 2 weeks. As to when do they flower that is hard to tell those of mine that bloom for me have just finished their first flowers but will normally bloom once more in another month or so.

You have a healthy plant from the looks of the photograph, just keep trying and maybe some day it will put out its first spike, I hope that some day those that have never bloomed for me will, I still keep trying.