ceciliaL

[ceciliaL]

Hi everyone, does anyone know why my Reed-Stem Epidendrums is not blooming. I have been told that they will bloom all year, but I have had this one for sereveral months and it has never bloomed. I have fertilizered and still no blooms. It is in a greenhouse and has plenty of sun light. The plant is growing great.

Thanks

[kmarch]

If the plant is growing well then it is just a matter of time before it blooms. The person who told you they bloom all year may have been exagerating a little or they may have large plants with new growths in all stages of growing and blooming. Be patient, it'll bloom eventually. Is it a young plant or has it bloomed previously?

[jerrymeola]

I find it is common for new orchids not to bloom when they normally would because of the time necessary to adapt to the new conditions. Patience is necessary.

The do grow easily. The best complaint I ever heard was from a customer who planted them under an Oak tree and was ready to rip them out since she could not see the flowers - they were over the top of the Oak tree more than 20 feet up.

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Reedstemmed orchids will, when they get big enough, be perpetually in bloom. But, the pattern is as follows: the growing stems will reach a height where they have enough growth to support flowers, and will then produce a flower spike at the top of the cane. So, a problem here is that if you give them low light, they will grow very tall before converting to blooming. If you give them VERY strong light, they will bloom on much shorter canes and therefore bloom sooner. Once they start a bloom head, that head can bloom for a very long time, and I have found that many will rebloom on the same spike after the first blooming is done, or gets accidentally broken off. Now, as your plant get thicker, it will have many canes, all maturing at different times, and therefore you will always have blooms.

Now, there is a caveat here. If the plant is not pure Epidendrum (hybrid is OK, but only with other Epis), but has some Cattleya in it, forget the continuous blooming. The plant will be very seasonal, just like all Cattleyas. This is probably why Cal Orchids decided to hybridize with only Epis, to avoid the disappointing seasonal quality of Epicatts.

[ceciliaL]

Thanks for the information. guess Ill just have to be patience.

[Maxxreps]

Hey Cecelial,

I had a friend send me garden variety reed-stemmed epi's from Sarasota Florida, where they said overwintered outside and flowered all year. I had mine growing with cat's for two years and they looked good but never flowered. Last year a friend came over and said, 'Slap those b%$#*&%# in full sun and watch them go!" Well I did and they have been exploding with blooms all summer! I guess mid and late day full sun here( Charleston) is equivalent to early morning sun (under an oak) in Sarasota. I am amazed at the sun they can handle!

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Reedstems=weed of the orchid world.