My Phal does not want to bloom...

[Ornella]

Hi... I am sooo disappointed. I have been watching a "flower spike" (that what I thought) on my Phal for half a year, waiting for flowers... and was wondering why it is all crooked and takes so long for flowers to develop..I even was trying to tie it to the vertical supporting wire. LOL... After observing my "flower spike" and searching the Web I learned that it is just an aerial root...LOL How silly.. I have a long way to go to learn about Orchids.
Well, I got this Phal in Feb 2008. It was blooming for months; after flowers dropped I cut the flower stem on a middle above the node. It is stayed like that for half a year. And I thought that a new flower spike will come out from the old. During that time my Phal developed new leaves but old flower spike got all brown and dry... I cut it off. And now this aerial root... So when I get my flowers? What should I do? I read that Phal can bloom twice a year. Mine does not want to bloom. Please help

[quiltingwacko]

Perhaps it needs more light. Carol

[Undergrounder]

I did that once... it's actually quite an achievement to try and stake an aerial root to go straight up. And a bit silly once you realise what it actually is

But most Phals DON'T flower twice a year, they flower once a year. And they start spiking in autumn through winter. So it just might not have been time yet.

But 90% of not flowering problems are insufficient light. Now that it's a bit cooler, make sure it has plenty of light, even a little morning or midday sun as long as its not harsh or hot.

[Blueszz]

Don't worry, you are not the first and won't be the last that stalked a root in the hope it was a spike. I agree that most often it's lack of light when orchids refuse to bloom, but also it could be just a bit too early for you Phalaenopsis. :-)

Nicole

[quiltergal]

A significant drop in temperatures are what causes the plant to initiate spikes. You need about a 10 degree difference between night lows and day highs to be successful. We keep our house around 68 in the winter and the heat gets turned off at night, so it easily dips down into the low 60s. Nearly all of my late winter/early spring bloomers have set spikes.

The other possible reason for your Phal not blooming is it may be a summer bloomer. If that's the case you won't start to see spikes until spring.

[Pilot]

I'll throw in my 2 cents... and this is something from Ray, here on the forum-- but how's the fertilizer? If you're using a fert that is heavier in the nitro, which promotes green leafy growth, then that may be the issue. If you get a fert that has less nitro and more phosphorus (the middle number-- an example is 10-20-10), then the phos will help with flowering... phos is used by plants for blooms, blossoms and fruiting...as well as healthy root production.

[Ornella]

Thanks everyone for your support and advice. I moved my Phal from NW window to the South side of the house. Now it will be enjoying bright filtered light behind the sliding door. Do I need some kind of artificial light going on later in a day, after 5-6 pm? Any advice? It gets dark outside so early now... About fertilizer: I use Blooming& Rooting soluble plant food 9-59-8 every time I water it (ferti-lome brand). I use only distill water.

Ornella

[nutgirl]

I have my phals in a southfacing window for the winter. I started out with a sheer curtain to protect them from the direct sun but now that the sun is lower and weaker I just let them take as much as they can. If you're not sure, feel the leaves. If they are very warm, give the plants some protection. Otherwise my theory is, the more light the better.

Mine get sun until 4-5 pm and seem happy.

Maureen

[OrchidSue]

I'm not familiar with that brand of fertilizer, but if you are using distilled water, you should make sure what you are feeding contains trace nutrients. Some fertilizers only have the big three (nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium). An example of a fertilizer to use with distilled water would be the MSU formula for RO/rain water.

Susan

[Blueszz]

Ornella, are you sure that fertilizer is 9-95-8?
I don't know the brand and can't tell if this one is OK for pure water. (I can use my tap water). I'm sorry, can't give you advise on the fertilzer.
I use a fertilizer 5-6-7 every time I water but I don't use the dose on the label, I use 1/10 of it or even less (but it might be different if you use pure water).

About 4.30 pm I hardly have natural light. Until now my plants seem not to mind. They are still budding, however they would do better with longer days, I'm sure of that. Mine are in a South window too to give them all rays of sun shine they can get***

Nicole
*** Plants in bloom, the ones out of bloom are under lights in a seperate room.