Early Nov Sun and Bloom Blast
 

Have had Phal's on my window ledge indoors during the cold season for many years but never had a late fall bloomer. Since I have increased my collection I have a few now. This young stuartiana "Sogo" was coming along nicely up to a few days ago. Then this morning I checked and noticed that the buds are blasting. My only thought is that the sun was too strong yet for the small flower buds. I have some other plants in spike now and am beginning to get concerned about the affects of the sun on them. I have an option of moving them to a somewhat shadier area to prevent this from occurring again.
The window is tinted (I don't know by how much) but does allow fairly good sunlight through it. This orchid was getting about 3 to 4 hours of morning to near noon sunshine through the southeast facing window.
Was hoping the buds were just coloring up but it looks like the handwriting is on the wall for them. :((

Pretty much any sudden change in temperature, light, humidity can cause bud blast in Phals. (Alas) So not only did they get a a jolt of light that they probably didn't like, but they may have also gotten some cold from that window at night. Or a draft. A sheer curtain may help to soften the environmental variations.

Thank you. While it has not yet gotten super cold here yet we have had some chilly nights into the 30's. So I'll more watchful of night time temperatures. The bright sunlight I'm sure didn't help with the leaves mostly gone now from shading the windows. All my plants were outdoors all summer and just came in 4 weeks ago. I have been maintaining fairly high humidity levels with large humidifiers and water them every 7 to 9 days.

It could also be the shock from transporting them inside, perhaps? Even though that was a while ago, it may have caused some damage to the forming buds...
I've just had about half the 30-something buds on my oncidium twinkle blast. The only explanation I can think of is that it was accidentally left under a glass roof on a very hot day where temperatures rose very high. This was about two months ago, when the spikes had just emerged. Ever since then, its been in the same spot under roughly the same conditions indoors and the vast majority of blasted buds are the first to have formed. All the top buds on both spikes are fine.

Wonder what kind of experience other people have with such 'delays' in bud damage. This was the first time it has happened to me, perhaps there it is due to another cause after all...

Watch for ripe fruit as well. Do not put ripe fruit around them while they are in bud.