Silly questions...

[Tinytopaz]

I'm new to Orchids nd have found over the three years Ive had them I can keep them alive just fine, but after I aquire new one the flowering stalk does its flowering cycle then yellows and dies. The leaves are beautiful but I dont know what Im doing wrong, light and water are fine Ive been told already. Help!!!

[snowballsarebad]

No flowers last forever, unless you go for fake ones! You are probably caring correctly for them. Depending on what type of orchids you have, and if you are giving them the proper amounts of light, you should see a new spike in a matter of months.

[fred]

hi and welcome to the forum
I hope you enjoy your stay here with us.

A silly question no not at all if you dont ask you will never know.

when a flower spike has done its cycle that is normal for the flower spike to go yellow and die when all the flowers have finished flowering.

with that being normal you are not doing anything wrong.

happy chatting

[mayres]

The majority of hybrid phals bloom once per year - I'm assuming we are talking orchids of the phalaenopsis variety? If so, again in VERY general terms - three months of blooming, three months of growing flower spikes, and six months of growing roots and leaves. Depending on culture, environment, and genetics your results may vary. Again, as Fred and Snowball has suggested - you may not be doing anything wrong at all? Ask away if you have more questions - lots of good geeks here on this forum! mike

[PhalPal]

tinytopaz- I am not sure if you are saying that your phals have not bloomed for you since your initial flowers faded? If you bought it with flowers they only last a few months - that is normal. If all you have now are leaves on an otherwise healthy plant (after three years) that is not. It could be they are not getting enough light, but the more likely reason is that Phals need a twenty degree temperature change in the Fall to set flower spikes. If you have it in a room with a constant temperture year round most will not bloom.

Knowing exactly what type of orchid you have will help greatly - we are sort of guessing that you are talking about phals.?? Also, where in the world are you and your plants living??

BTW - nothing more cozy then a cat sleeping in a sunny window!!

[jerrymeola]

Why is everyone assuming the plant was a Phal?

In general flowers have general ranges of time in which they will stay in bloom.

Cattleya 2-6 weeks
Oncidium alliance 6-12 weeks
Phals 6 weeks to 2 years depending on hybrid
Dendrobium 1 week for many species
6-12 weeks for most Hawaiian hybrids
Vanilla plantafora 1 day
Vanda 8-12 weeks

Most young orchids blooming for the first time have smaller flowers and shorter live spans for the flowers than mature plants.

Orchids with shorter time spans have more flowers per bloom and may bloom more times a year.

[Tinytopaz]

Sorry, yes its a phal. It was in bloom when I bought it, the following year it bloomed again on the same flower spike, then the spike died. It has gone through misery after misery, but now it is doing well enogh to hve three healthy large dark green leaves, but no sign of flower spike yet. Its been a year since the spike died. Could that be lack of sun?

[prisana]

Phals need cool temperature to initiate a flower spike, usuall early fall , right now it will probably be growing mostly new roots and leaves, you should see a new spike the next blooming cycle if the temp is right..

[PhalPal]

Your lack of blooms may be due to no drop of Fall temperature, but since you added that your plant has gone thru 'misery after misery' it just may be too shocked/busy healing to have bloomed last year. How you deal with obtaining a Fall temp drop depends greatly on where you live. I can't 'Summer out' my plants so I 'Fall out', that is put them out 24/7 in about October for a few months; this helps to set flower spikes for Spring. Some homes in colder regions may get a suitable temperature drop naturally, depending on how you like to heat your home.

It would really help if we knew where you live (state, country, hemisphere?)and where in your house you grow your orchids!

[Tinytopaz]

My orchids and I are located one hour inland from good ol' San Francisco. We get warmer temps then they do, but it does get cooler at night. Should I put them outside during the summer then?

[jerrymeola]

normal blooming season for you will probably be late spring.

I think your best results will be to chill them outdoors the first month you can be sure that night temperatures will remain above 40 (many prefer 45-50) It is a temperature drop from day to night that does the most for setting buds.

You should not expect flowers before April May (but exceptions can happen)

[PhalPal]

I put mine out in October after the worst heat is over in September. They usually stay out until about Christmas, when overnight temps start to get below 55. Like Jerry said above, it is the difference between what your plants are used to during the day. By putting plants out in our weather I really am giving them a 20-35 degree change and they do just fine with it. I start getting my first spikes in Jan/Feb.(blooming much later) Look for root or leaf growth now; that will tell you if your plant is happy enough!