I just received one of these darlings. It is not a sequensial bloomer, correct? I can cut the spike when finished? Also, would you say a bright southeast window, several hours of dappled sun in west window or neither? Thanks

I don't believe that there exists a truly ever blooming orchid. How about this strategy.....focus your collecting on varieties that have long lasting flowers, reliably flower and flower multiple times a year. You also should make sure your collection includes varieties with bloom times in all 4 seasons. If you select wisely, you can have blooms 365 days a year.

In terms of always having flowers, a small reed stem Epidendrum ellipticum. Has been in continuous bloom for about 18 months in a 3" clay pot. I have just moved it into a 4" pot.

Paphiopedilum from the cochlepatalum complex (liemieanum, primulinum, chamberlainianum, vicoria-reginae) keep setting new blooms on the same spike, with just a few days between flowers. I have counted as many as 35 bracts on the spikes of mature plants.

If you have enough light, consider Vanda (Papilionanthe) teres or one of it's hybrids. This species keeps producing additional buds (similar to some of the yellow phalaenopsis hybrids). I have Vanda Pink Fairy (V teres x Neofinetia falcata), which has bloomed on 3 spikes for the past 4-5 months (and are still producing new buds), and it has produced two more spikes, which will start opening in a couple of weeks (from a 4" net pot).

This plant bloomed the first time in Aug of 2014, and should be in continuous bloom from now on.

For shear blooming power you can't beat Psychopsis Mendenhall. It blooms off same spike for years with maybe a very short rest during winter months. As it develops more spikes it is rarely with out a flower. Never cut the spikes and it just keeps blooming. Wonderfully weird flowers also. Mine grows S/H in a large coffee container. Extra bonus, I find it super easy to grow

---------- Post added at 08:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:37 PM ----------

For shear blooming power you can't beat Psychopsis Mendenhall. It blooms off same spike for years with maybe a very short rest during winter months. As it develops more spikes it is rarely with out a flower. Never cut the spikes and it just keeps blooming. Wonderfully weird flowers also. Mine grows S/H in a large coffee container. Extra bonus, I find it super easy to grow

Phal. LongPride 'M-P1731'
 

It looks like it has been a while since anyone added an orchid to your 'everlasting bloom list'. I do not know if 7 to 8 months qualifies.

But this Taiwan mini phal had an extended long bloom life (the plant now is still very healthy without blooms). There is one very interesting thing: it dramatically changed colors. The red pics are early when I bought it and the purple pics are from when it was outside on the balcony bamboo rack. It doesn't even look like the same plant, but it is!

I was told that red phals can do this. I wish that it could re-bloom the next time with the red color, but it is always outside on our balcony, so it probably will be the purple color for the rest of its life. I like the red better!

Any of the Cochlopetalum section of Paphs. and Doritus (Phalaeonopsis?) pulcherimma.

Spathoglottis great in the yard if you have the climate for them. Good as cut flowers for indoors. Variety of colors.

I know this might not be the showiest or prettiest flower (I like weird looking blooms)....but this tiny pleurothallis trichostoma doesn't seem like it's ever not going to be in bloom. I got it in December, it started spiking may and is still in bloom. I finally lost one of the 2 original spikes last week, the other is still going strong. The plant as a whole has over 10 blooming spikes currently, with more forming. Honestly EVERY new growth is putting out a spike....and it's growing like crazy....in every direction.

In my yard Prostechea cochleata seems to bloom all year long if it gets watered whenever there are more than a couple days without rain. And I have an Epidendrum that looks like it might be E. secundum that will always have some flowers too.

Hi,

This is an old thread, but maybe I can still share my little experience here.

I have managed to get almost one full year with tons of flowers (about 25 to 30 flowers x plant lasting each several months, so that by the time they faded other were in place) with a couple of Phals I bought at the supermarket. I can't find anymore the label, but they should be very common hybrid.

What I did:
- Indoor growing (I live in The Netherlands) with supplemental artificial light from November to March
- As much supplemental light as they could tolerate (I have slightly burned a couple of leave to find the limit) . To experiment, the next year I did all the same apart from supplementing artificial light and blooming slowed down drastically (90% less). So, I have re-applied artificial light from this late October and again tons of new flower spikes blooming right now...
- They were in lava rock, since 3 months they are in S/H with leca
- RO water with a cocktail of dry fertilizer I use for my planted tank. I have switched recently to rain mix as I was getting lazy at preparing it
- That is it.

Since a few weeks I am adding seaweed and I will soon add also probiotics (e,g,. EM-1).

Cheers,
Davide