buds and blooming time.

[therainytype]

hey guys,

i bought my very first phalaenopsis a few weeks ago and have been crazy about it ever since. i was wondering though, about how long does it take a bud to fully bloom? i have a few that seem to be in the process of blooming, but it's been a while and they've yet to fully open up. is it just a slow process or is this the sign of some shock/improper care? thanks so much for your input.

[jerrymeola]

Time is a big variation by species and especially by temerature. In January it takes months for some buds to open, while in July Cattleya buds open in days. Temperature is a bug factor.

If the buds look healty then patience is what you need. I assume a few were open when you bought the plant. Keep in mind that even a healty phal may not open all its buds because of moving the plant and changing envirnment. Commercial growers will not gaurantee buds. They can fall off (called bud blast) due to temperature changes and moving the plant.

From your description it appears to be fine and you just need patience. The longer they take to open the longer you will have flowers on the plant.

I have one phal that has had a stem for over 2 months now and the first bud still has not opened. A second phal took amost 2 months for the first flower and based on the size of the buds the last one may be 3-4 months away from opening.