Mini-bud at end of spike won't bloom!

[chia]

Hi all, I'm new here and joined because I've been perplexed with the spikes of my orchids!

Plant no.1 is a white phal that was in bloom for months with gorgeous flowers and i had it on my dining table (not much sunlight) for the entire time. All the flowers have now dropped but the 3 branches all have a mini-bud at the end of them. I kept praying they would grow larger but they're still the same! The spike is still nice and green.

Plant no.2 is a purple-red phal, newly-bought with flowers, and has 2 spikes with many branches! However, since bringing them home the mini-buds on the spikes are not growing either! Apart from flowers, I had a few large buds which have already opened.

What should I do? How can I get these buds to grow? Plant no.1 is now sitting in an east-facing window and getting lots of sunlight. Should I be cutting the spike down?

Plant no.2 doesnt get as much sunshine and the flowers are all alive and well. It would be great if i could figure out how to get the rest of the buds to open!! (Ps: when buying them we had to carry it through cold weather (wrapped in paper) - a 5 minute walk home - could this have shocked the buds?)

(Sorry could not post photos here as I the forum system wouldnt allow it!)
Any advice at all would be great!!!!! Thank you! : )

[patticake]

Chia! Some of the smallest buds on a phalaenopsis don't open. You stated that they got a cold chill...that could be it. Check out the two links below, and ask us if you have any more question! It's nice to meet you! I believe once you've posted 5 times, you'll be able to post pictures. (We love pictures!! )

AOS | Phalaenopsis

http://www.orchidgeeks.com/forum/new...f-orchids.html

[hulaorchid]

WELCOME!! You will get a lot of information here. Great to have you!

[Brooke]

The buds will bloom when they are ready. Some phals hold the same spikes for years and when the time is right, the blooms continue on the old spikes while new spikes initiate.

Keeping them warm and in the proper light is the best thing for you to do to insure continued health.

Brooke

[CharliesAngel51]

chia, You will love this forum. Lots of friendly people here willling to share info and encourage you to get more orchids.LOL You can post pictures after you have posted 5 posts.

Margaret

[chia]

hi everyone
thanks for the warm welcome and a few starter tips!

So i take it i should just leave my spike alone? In some previous plants, I cut the spike (leaving 2 nodes) and one of them rebloomed a year later (only 3 flowers though) while the other spike turned brown and dry (and it's not doing very well... it is in dire need of repotting!!)

it's really hard to decide what to do with the spikes because i keep reading different opinions in different places!
for example, the AOS website that patticake gave me, said :
"When the last flower fades, you can leave the spike (stem) on and it will still continue flowering but the stem gets very ungainly and the flowers get smaller. Some people believe it is best to cut off the stem entirely at the base where it comes out of the leaves, and it will bloom again in several months.

You can also cut off the stem leaving two nodes (those little brown lines on the stem below where the flowers were) on the stem. One of these nodes will then initiate and generally produce flowers within eight to 12 weeks.

Younger or weaker plants may not rebloom and some Phalaenopsis are genetically incapable of reblooming from the old spike. These are usually those that flower with branched spikes. "

so basically they gave ALL options and that still leaves me going "which one do i follow???"

it would be great to hear your own experiences/methods : D

[kmarch]

My personal preference is ot leave the buds and inflorescences. Like Brooke said they'll flower when ready but sometimes that takes a long time. I once had a Phal heiroglyphica that started 2 spikes then they stalled and the plant held them like that for about 2 years. Then it grew 2 new flower spikes and the stalled ones died. All of that to say my preference is to leave the plant alone and let it do what it wants.

[chia]

Good news! Two of the end buds on my white phal has started growing! I saw the bud sorta doubling, and only just realised today that the spike had actually grown an inch (it's a fresh shiny purple instead of green). No idea if it will actually flower in the end but quite optimistic I won't have a whole bunch of flowers to enjoy but 2-3 more white flowers in my tiny apartment is always welcome!

I did notice a little problem with the roots of almost all my orchids though. The aerial roots are really dry (not just white but very crinkled with dark spots, some have gone hollow!). Should I be worried? Could it be due to over-fertilising? (i use a liquid fertiliser that needs diluting... i may have added insufficient water) Or hard water? I live in Zurich and the water here is pretty hard.... The lower roots are mostly fine though.... Not bacterial/fungal i hope? Any idea?

THanks for advice in advance

[kmarch]

I think low humidity is the most likely cause of your dried roots. Can you increase the humidity around the plant?

[chia]

my apartment is already quite humid. When i put my air cleaner on (it doesnt have HEPA filters but runs the air through water, and in the process increases the air humidity) the humidity meter shows that my room is already at about 50%. The plants are close to the window, and air circulation is probably not that good.

One plant in particular has aerial roots that are dry, swollen and dark, and in addition the edge of its leaves are turning brown. Some dry spots also seem to be appearing on the leaves!!! i tried flushing water on its roots yesterday in case it is fertiliser burn but don't know if it will help. i guess i'll just have to wait and see!