What am I missing?

[mattryan]

I definitely am doing something wrong or not right here. I purchased a belina and the spikes that it starts to grow stop very early and die off. I am currently experiencing it again for the second time. My conditions are:
Potted in very loose sphagg
In my kitchen..highest humidity in house always over 60%
North end of the house it gets late day sun. I've posted some pics. The first one is where it sits light etc.
I fertilize 20-14-13 urea free...with water flush. Because it is in sphagg it doesn't get fert alot. I mist between fert and watering.
It has green growing tips. It was starting to grow a spike and a keiki when I purchased it approx 2 yrs ago. As you can see the keiki hasn't grown alot either.
The container has lots of holes up all around and the bottom..it also has styro in the bottom, so it isn't all sphagg.

Maybe more light? I posted the last pic as the overall of the plant. I had to cut part of one off as it had an ugly black spot on it. It has grown 2 leaves since I've had it.

I can't think of anything else. It is growing and I've gotten other phals to spike in this same area. Thanks for the looks. Maybe someone can think of something I'm missing. I would really like to see it's blooms and not keep aborting it's bloom spike. Thanks again.

Cheryl

[james mickelso]

Too large a pot. Too much nitrogen as a ratio to phosphorus and potassium. Color of the leaves seems ok but may need more light. But mostly orchids are slow growers and bloomers. It takes time to establish and bloom. Try changing the first things here then wait. Don't over water as most moss potted orchids stay too wet.

[silken]

I agree the pot is possibly too large unless you have a really large root ball. I too would cut back on the nitrogen if I was trying to get it to bloom, but it was starting a bud, so don't know if too much nitrogen is part of the problem. The oldest leaf looks like it might have spider might or had it in the past. Can't say for sure on the other ones. That could cause a spike to die if it was under attack by them.

[DweamGoiL]

I am no expert, but the first thing that struck me was that the pot seems rather wide and I don't see any roots crawling out of the pot to warrant so much space in the pot. I would say overpotting may definitely be an issue here. To me, the plant does not look happy at all; foliage looks drab. The black spots at the base of the leaf near the new root and spike would indicate a watering problem.

[tucker85]

I agree with the previous posts, but you may also be correct to think it might need a little brighter light.

[nikkik]

[Nexogen]

Originally Posted by silken

I agree the pot is possibly too large unless you have a really large root ball. I too would cut back on the nitrogen if I was trying to get it to bloom, but it was starting a bud, so don't know if too much nitrogen is part of the problem. The oldest leaf looks like it might have spider might or had it in the past. Can't say for sure on the other ones. That could cause a spike to die if it was under attack by them.

i agree with you

[mattryan]

Thanks for the replies as for the pot size over 1/2 of it is styrofoam, there is minimal sphagg. No spider attack more like a cat attacked it. I don't think that it's the fert as I stated it gets fert maybe once a month in summer alot less in cooler months. I have gotten almost everyone of my other orchids to spike with this same fert and not even close as much. I was thinking that regarding this particular orchid (species) that I am way off the mark with something. I will try upping the light, thanks again.

Cheryl

[james mickelso]

Just like people, orchids are all different. I have had catts and phals which didn't bloom often. But changing one or two things usually made a difference. Try the light. And don't water it as much as your others. It might make it think it's the dry season which is when orchids usually bloom.

[Island Girl]

I agree with all of the above posters, bellinas need close to Cattleya type lighting to bloom (along with good air movement, so as to not burn the foliage). Also, I have read that bellinas need a wet/dry cycle, are you letting it dry out completely btwn watering? (My bellina hybrids appreciate this, high-light, & wet/dry cycles, but I don't have this species yet.) Don't know if drying out affects blooming/spiking, but it should improve overall culture, which, in turn, will help it to bloom properly.

(from ranwild.org site: Phal. bellina)

"it inhabits the canopy layer of the rainforest, which has a brighter and drier environment than that at the understory layer".

Whenever I have issues with my Phals, I look at this site, he has great insight into the species Phals. (have to use google translate for most of the species pages, but still helpful) Good Luck! Hope u can get it straightened out!

*Edited To Add*: someone made me realize that I should post the link to the home page, for anyone who doesnt know about this site: (its a really great, informative website, about phal species) Phalaenopsis species